A New Limited Series Starring Laura Dern and Margaret Qualley Has Us Stoked
Laura Dern in Marriage Story; Margaret Qualley in Maid (Photos: Everett/Netflix)
Laura Dern in Marriage Story; Margaret Qualley in Maid (Photos: Everett/Netflix)
A new dream TV duo is upon us. Laura Dern and Margaret Qualley are set to co-star in the upcoming limited series Forever, Interrupted, which just landed at Netflix from production company A24. Per Deadline, they’ll also serve as co-executive producers.
Forever, Interrupted is based on the romance novel of the same name by Taylor Jenkins Reid, who’s also the author of Daisy Jones & the Six, which was adapted into a Prime Video limited series starring Riley Keough in 2023. Qualley will star as Elsie, who embarks on a whirlwind romance that leads to a supposedly idyllic marriage after just a few months. But when her husband unexpectedly dies, her path crosses with that of his mother Susan (Dern), who had no idea she even existed.
Netflix’s latest literary adaptation already feels very promising. Dern and Qualley are both exceptionally talented actresses with impressive resumés (let’s just not talk about Palm Royale, okay?). Dern’s body of work obviously speaks for itself; she’s always shown great comedic timing and a willingness to lean into the absurd, whether she’s delivering Renata’s “I will not not be rich” spiel in Big Little Lies or sporting a platinum wig and chain smoking in Twin Peaks: The Return. Qualley’s already garnered Emmy nominations for her role in FX’s biographical limited series Fosse/Verdon and as the lead character in Netflix’s Maid. She's also been a standout in major films like Poor Things and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Qualley clearly has a knack for playing with complex, heavy emotions — not only will this serve her well in playing a young widow here, it also stands to make for a very interesting combination with Dern’s energy.
On top of this stellar casting, Reid is establishing a good track record for adaptations. She co-produced Daisy Jones & the Six, which was a hit for Prime Video and earned multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations (Reid will also co-produce Forever, Interrupted). Daisy Jones is over (it was always meant to be a limited series), but this new series might fill the void for fans. Reid is also the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Malibu Rising, which are currently being developed into a Netflix movie and Hulu series, respectively. It’s a bit reminiscent of Liane Moriarty, whose standalone novels Big Little Lies, Nine Perfect Strangers, and Apples Never Fall have been adapted into hits across different platforms.
Like Dern and Qualley, A24 and Netflix are an interesting duo. This isn’t the first time the companies have teamed up on a show, and so far, their track record together has been successful. Netflix/A24’s 2023 comedy-drama series Beef — which was initially billed as a limited series and is now exploring an anthology format — received universal acclaim, taking home eight Emmys and three Golden Globe awards. And A24’s produced some pretty notable shows elsewhere, like The Sympathizer and Euphoria (HBO), The Curse (Showtime), and Hazbin Hotel (Prime Video).
It seems like Forever, Interrupted has a strong team all around. Julia Bicknell, who’s been a producer on Yellowjackets, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and The Midnight Club, as well as a writer on 13 Reasons Why, will serve as showrunner and pen the adaptation. The project also hails from A24 producer Jessica Rhoades, who’s served as a co-producer on shows like Station Eleven and Sharp Objects, the latter of which was nominated for the Outstanding Limited Series Emmy.
Netflix has always been a big destination for literary adaptations, especially love stories: Some of its biggest shows include Bridgerton, Virgin River, and Heartstopper. In many ways, Forever, Interrupted feels a lot like the streamer’s recent drama One Day — both are limited series adaptations of romance novels, and each deal with unexpected grief and loss. Hopefully, Forever, Interrupted ends up being just as memorable as Leo Woodall and Ambika Mod’s heart-wrenching story.
There are still a lot of details about the limited series that have yet to be revealed (like who’s playing Ben), but there’s plenty to get excited about in the meantime. As long as Laura Dern and Margaret Qualley are in it, we’ll be seated.