Many popular and beloved movies such as Jurassic Park (1993), and binge-worthy shows such as You (2018-present) are adaptations of bestselling books, and while some fans prefer the books, it is hard to deny that seeing a story go from pages to the big or small screen is a special kid of thrill.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw in The Girl Before / Picture Credit: 42
The Girl Before, a global bestseller that has sold over one million copies since its publication (by Quercus in the UK) in 2016, is being made into a TV series for BBC One and HBO Max.
The Girl Before tells the tale of Jane, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw (who recently starred in Disney+ and Marvel series Loki), a woman who gets the opportunity to move into a stunning, simplistic house designed by a mysterious and complex architect, played by David Oyelowo (Interstellar).
Despite this new and intriguing situation seeming perfect, there is one catch: every resident must obey the architect’s list of specific rules.
Jane’s excitement begins to dissipate, and she begins to feel as though the house is changing her in unprecedented ways. However, when she makes an unnerving discovery about her predecessor, Emma (Jessica Plummer), she has no choice but to compare the confusing and distressing similarities.
As the timelines of the two women weave together and become almost entangled, Jane begins to question if her destiny will be the same as the girl before...
Psychological thrillers are generally beloved by many, as documentaries and fictional shows alike are watched and picked apart by interested audiences. The Girl Before has a deep and highly-interesting narrative, that will no doubt lead viewers to theorise about what could happen to Jane, and if her fate leads to what she thinks it will.
The images released by 42 showcase minimalism, which goes a long way to say that the narrative, intrigue and cast drive the series, as the pictures give away next to nothing.
The Girl Before is set to be a thought-provoking thriller you don’t want to miss. With Mbatha-Raw taking centre stage, the show will certainly be one to watch. Her performance in Loki as Judge Renslayer was stern, focused and excellent, so casting her in an intense thriller definitely seems to be the right move.
The limited series will span only four episodes, and comes from award-winning production company 42 (The English Game, Watership Down, The Courier); it is written and executive produced by JP Delaney, along with Marissa Lestrade (White Stork, Deep State 2) co-writing episodes. Emmy-nominated Lisa Brühlmann (Killing Eve, Servant, Blue My Mind) directs.
The Girl Before is coming soon to BBC One and HBO Max.
Written by Melissa, who you can follow on Twitter @melissajournal
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Tagged in David Oyelowo Gugu Mbatha-Raw