Hulu Orders “Normal People” Straight to Series

Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People is coming to small screens everywhere in 2020. Hulu has ordered the drama straight to series with 12 episodes half-hour episodes.

What’s happening:

  • Deadline is reporting that Hulu has ordered drama Normal People straight to series.
  • Normal People, is based on the Irish novel of the same name by author Sally Rooney.
  • The story has been adapted by Rooney along with writers Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe. The show will feature 12 half-hour episodes produced by Element Pictures and BBC Three.
  • Normal People is currently in production in Dublin and is expected to premiere on Hulu in 2020.
  • The series stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as Marianne and Paul Mescal as Connell.

Story synopsis:

  • Normal People follows the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell  from the end of their school days in small town west of Ireland to their undergraduate years at Trinity College. At school, he’s well-liked and popular, while she’s lonely, proud and intimidating. But when Connell comes to pick up his mother from her cleaning job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers – one they are determined to conceal. A year later, they’re both studying in Dublin and Marianne has found her feet in a new social world, but Connell hangs at the side lines, shy and uncertain.”

What they’re saying:

  • Beatrice Springborn Hulu’s VP Content Development: “From the moment we read Normal People, we were smitten. This anatomy of a will-they-or-won’t-they romance perfectly and uniquely captures the highs and lows of young true love.”
  • Sally Rooney: “As a longtime admirer of Lenny Abrahamson’s work, it’s a special privilege for me to be working alongside him on the adaptation of Normal People. I couldn’t be happier with the cast and team we’ve put together, and I’m very excited to watch them bringing new life to the story on screen.”
  • Ed Guiney: “All of us at Element Pictures feel so privileged to be part of bringing Sally’s extraordinary, era-defining novel to television audiences worldwide under the guidance of the brilliant Lenny Abrahamson.”

Creative team:

  • Executive producers for Element Pictures:
    • Ed Guiney
    • Andrew Lowe
    • Emma Norton
    • Anna Ferguson
    • Lenny Abrahamson
  • Directors:
    • Lenny Abrahamson (first six episodes)
    • Hettie McDonald (last six)
  • Series Producer:
    • Catherine Magee