There’s been a huge update for Netflix’s movie adaptation of hit Taylor Jenkins Reid novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Anna Kendrick has been confirmed to be its director.
With the streamer suggesting that “production will begin soon,” no further details, including the cast, have been announced at this stage. Given how popular the book is and how much fans want to see the story brought to the screen, the scrutiny on everyone involved will be next level.
If you’ve not heard of it before, the premise is as the title suggests. 79-year-old reclusive Hollywood actress Evelyn hires young journalist Monique to write her tell-all biography, revealing the truth behind her infamous seven marriages — and the one secret romantic relationship that underpinned them all.
I’m typically not a Jenkins Reid fan, but The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo blew me away. Even years after reading it, I’m still convinced it’s a story that shaped my life, and it’s no surprise the novel has such a devoted cult following.
However, if anyone has complaints about Kendrick being in the director’s chair, I think that they’re misguided. In fact, not only was her directorial debut one of Netflix’s strongest movie releases in the last six years, but what we should be annoyed about has nothing to do with who’s involved.
Stream Woman of the Hour if you have Anna Kendrick doubts — and be annoyed that we’re not getting a miniseries instead
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When it comes to 2020s crime thrillers, Kendrick’s Woman of the Hour is one of my favorites. Telling the true story of serial killer Rodney Alcala, who ended up appearing on an episode of 1970s TV show The Dating Game, Kendrick stars as his matched suitor, Sheryl Bradshaw.
Three years later, and it still has a certified fresh rating of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviews describing it as “formidable” and “poignant.” As a comedy actress best known for roles in Pitch Perfect and A Simple Favor, the last thing I expected was for her to have such a strong handle on how to tell an entirely different type of tale.
But that she did, and I still think about Woman of the Hour often. If that’s what she has to offer after just one movie, think about what she’ll do now she’s got more time and experience under her belt. My suggestion? Channel your anger and frustration into something much more worthwhile: the fact that The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo won’t be a miniseries.
Anybody who has read a Jenkins Reid novel will know how dense, layered, and rich her prose is. A single page can hold an episode’s worth of content, and time is needed to truly explore her worldbuilding. Frankly, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo being shoehorned into a movie format should be a concern.
Where Daisy Jones & the Six (successfully) got the miniseries format on Prime Video, the complexity of Evelyn’s past could easily get lost if details need to be trimmed for time. Seven marriages don’t just happen in the blink of an eye, and Netflix could have shot itself in the foot, regardless of the director.
The worst part? The adaptation was initially picked up to be a miniseries before being swapped to a movie format. It’s like trying to keep an ocean’s worth of water inside a kitchen sink now, but I’m desperately hoping to be proved wrong.
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