Little Fires Everywhere: everything we know about Reese Witherspoon’s new series
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- Hannah-Rose Yee
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Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington are joining forces on an adaptation of Celeste Ng’s beloved book. Here is what we know about the series so far.
Here at Stylist, we can’t get enough of Little Fires Everywhere.
The 2017 novel by Celeste Ng is one of our favourite books, and the fail-safe recommendation we give everyone knowing that it will hit the mark. The story, which follows a mother and daughter who slowly become entangled with a rich family in a sheltered, wealthy neighbourhood of Cleveland, while that same neighbourhood reels from the ramifications of an adoption dispute over a young Chinese baby, is truly un-putdownable.
The book has everything: drama, epic storytelling, romance and nuanced depictions of race relations. It’s a gripping page turner that also happens to be an intimate family drama. And now it’s going to be a television series, co-produced by Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington.
Here is everything we know about the series so far.
What is the plot of Little Fires Everywhere?
Ng’s novel follows four mothers – Elena, Linda, Mia and Bebe – as they wrestle with what Ng has called “the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, and the ferocious pull of motherhood.”
The story follows Mia as she moves into an apartment owned by Elena, and Mia’s relationship with Bebe, whose daughter has been adopted by Elena’s best friend Linda. As a dispute over the legality of that adoption divides the town along racial lines, Mia and Elena’s children become entangled in a relationship of their own.
Is there a first picture from Little Fires Everywhere?
There is. Stars Witherspoon and Washington have posed on the first day of filming on the project in their respective Nineties-era costumes as Mia Warren and Elena Richardson. We’re already excited.
Who is in the cast of Little Fires Everywhere?
Witherspoon and Washington aren’t only co-producing the show, they are starring in it, too. Witherspoon is starring as Elena Richardson, the matriarch of a family who employs Mia Warren (Kerry Washington) to clean the house, and welcomes her and her daughter into her family’s orbit.
Joining the cast is Rosemarie DeWitt, who starred in La La Land and Mad Men as Linda McCullough, Elena’s best friend whose hope to adopt a Chinese baby tears the community apart.
Joshua Jackson, aka your first teenage crush, will be playing Bill Richardson, Elena’s husband. As the Richardson patriarch, he plays an important role as the leading man of the series but he’s also drafted in to represent Linda in the custody battle of their adopted Chinese baby. Elena and Bill’s relationship feels the strain of this decision, however, and their marriage could come crumbling down.
The remaining roles, including the four Richardson children Izzy, Moody, Trip and Lexie Richardson, Mia’s daughter Pearl, and Bebe Chow, the mother of the Chinese baby caught in the middle of an adoption dispute, are yet to be cast.
Who is directing Little Fires Everywhere?
There will be eight episodes of Little Fires Everywhere but a director is yet to be announced. Writing the script for the series is Liz Tigelaar, who is also an executive producer alongside Witherspoon and Washington.
“We strive to shine a light on female-driven stories that are rooted in inspiration, emotion and truth – all of which form the bedrock of Celeste Ng’s ingenious work,” Witherspoon said in a statement. “We are confident that [Hulu’s] talented team will use this story to spur a long-overdue dialogue around race, class and what it means to be a mother.”
In her own statement, Washington said: “As producers, we at Simpson Street are so proud to be part of this team to tell this extraordinary story inspired by Celeste Ng’s phenomenal novel and we are thrilled to be embarking on this journey with Hulu. As an actress, I am floored to have the opportunity to work alongside Reese Witherspoon exploring the rich themes of this story playing these dynamic characters.”
When is Little Fires Everywhere released?
The series will air on Hulu in the US, but a release date has yet to be announced. We’ll keep you updated when we know more.
Images: Getty