The Handmaid’s Tale viewers rejoice, another Margaret Atwood book adaption is coming your way. The MaddAddam trilogy is a best-selling series of books set in a post-apocalyptic world, where a group of survivors must build a new world after a global epidemic kills the majority of the human race.
The rights to the books have been bought by Paramount Television and Anonymous Content, who are responsible for producing the hit dramas such as 13 Reasons Why, True Detective and Mr. Robot. They have a number of highly anticipated projects in production, including another infamous book adaption, Catch-22.
With such a successful company behind MaddAddam, and such an acclaimed writer behind the books themselves, we’re expecting great things. Much like The Handmaid’s Tale, which we have season two first looks for here, the new series is set to comment on the eerie reality of our current climate. Amy Powell, president of Paramount TV said:
‘Margaret Atwood’s unique and singular literary voice speaks to the greater issues facing our current climate and resonates with fans worldwide; the MaddAddam Trilogy is no exception,
‘These stories are perfectly suited for portrayal on television and we are thrilled to once again bring a literary masterpiece to life with our partners at Anonymous Content, Angus Wall, and Rock Paper Scissors Entertainment.’
Atwood is also thrilled with the vision of the series, which is always a concern when a much-loved book is turned adapted into film or TV. She said:
‘I am very happy with the vision described to me by Angus, Kent, David, Bard, and Amy, as well as the stunning visual presentation they put together. I very much look forward to working with them.’
What Is Margaret Atwood's MaddAddam About?
The trilogy is comprised of three books, Oryx and Crake, The Year of the Flood and MaddAddam. In the first novel, the main character finds himself alone in a post-apocalyptic world where he may be the last surviving human. It reveals how the once beautiful city he resided in was overtaken by corporations hell-bent on an uncontrollable path of genetic engineering.
The second novel, The Year of the Flood, explores how a waterless flood alters Earth and obliterates the majority of human life. In the final book, MaddAddam, a group of survivors come together with a group of gentle, biologically engineered quasi-humans who are set to inherit the new earth.
The dark series is set in the future, where plagues, floods and genetic engineering have wrought havoc on the world we know. It is a commentary on humanity, community and love, and bears a scarily plausible resemblance to the future our planet could take.
Check out the best period dramas on TV...
Netflix's Best Period Dramas - Grazia
1 of 15The King
Everyone's favourite actor, Timothée Chalamet, plays the wayward Prince Hal who must turn from carouser to warrior king as he faces hostilities from both inside and outside his castle walls in the battle for England.
2 of 15Lady Chatterley's Lover
Is there a hunky, outdoorsy, rugged-looking role on this earth yet that Richard Madden hasn't absolutely owned? In this BBC adaptation of D.H. Lawrence's racy novel (so racy in fact that it was trialled for obscenity in the UK and banned in America when it was originally published), Madden plays everyone's favourite sexy gardener, Oliver Mellors to Holliday Grainger's Lady Chatterley. Safe to say you should prepare yourself for some seriously non-PG scenes...
3 of 15Pride and Prejudice
The 2005 take on Jane Austen's best-loved novel, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, is all well and good, but it's a truth universally acknowledged that this brilliant six-part BBC adaptation will always be the definitive on-screen version. Still best known for the scene in which a soggy Mr. Darcy emerges from a lake - which you definitely won't find in the original text - it's the series that made Colin Firth a national treasure (and gained him a mention in Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary and a role in the eventual films). Lake-dipping aside, screenwriter Andrew Davies lets the novel's sparkling dialogue speak for itself, making this a total joy for dedicated Austenites and for more recent initiates.
4 of 15Poldark
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past five years (in which case, we salute you) you'll doubtless be familiar with one particular image of potential Bond Aidan Turner as Ross Poldark, which may or may not involve scything. From the melodramatic twists and turns of the plot to the gratuitous shots of Turner brooding against the backdrop of the Cornish coast, Poldark is the ultimate period drama guilty pleasure (your mum probably agrees...)
5 of 15Lady J
Throw together an attractive widow, an assumed libertine (with a Marquis title, nonetheless) and put them in 18th century France and what do you get? Our new Netflix originals obsession, of course! But Lady J doesn't follow the traditional trajectory of period drama romance - instead our protagonist finds herself scorned by her lover and goes about seeking her revenge with the help of two prostitutes. In case you hadn't already worked it out: this is your ultimate binge watch for a girls night in...
6 of 15The Crown
Netflix's deep-dive into the personal conflicts, political intrigues and public controversies of Queen Elizabeth II's reign is the streaming service's most expensive original drama to date. Luckily, every penny of The Crown's rumoured £100 million budget appears to have paid off. Claire Foy in the first 2 seasons followed by Olivia Colman in the 3rd and 4th series gives a brilliant, sympathetic performance as Elizabeth, nailing the plummy vowels and poise of the monarch without descending into caricature - but it's Vanessa Kirby's Princess Margaret (and her controversial romance with a divorcé) that will have you gripped.
7 of 15Outlaw King
Chris Pine plays 14th-century Scottish king, Robert the Bruce, who claims the crown and leads a fierce uprising to win back the country's independence from English rule.
8 of 1512 Years A Slave
In this Academy Award-winning film telling the true story of Solomon Northup, a freeborn black man is kidnapped in New York and sold into slavery in the South.
9 of 15Alias Grace
Based on the award-winning novel by Margaret Atwood, which is based on a true story, this drama tells the story of a poor Irish immigrant and domestic servant in Canada who is accused and convicted of the murder of her employer and his housekeeper. She is sentenced to life in prison, where a psychiatrist must decide if she can be pardoned for reasons of insanity.
10 of 15Anne With An E
Based on Anne of Green Gables, follow the drama of a plucky orphan whose passions run deep in her unlikely home with a spinster and her soft-spoken bachelor brother.
11 of 15Pride & Prejudice
More Austen. More Keira. The actress was nominated for an Oscar for her wonderful performance as the iconic Elizabeth. She's rarely been better.
12 of 15Bridgerton
63 million people have already watched the streaming giant's sumptuous 8-parter. Are you one of them? If not, get on it.
13 of 15The Other Boleyn Girl
This is not a subtle film, but it's a lot of fun. Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson play two sisters pursued by Henry VIII. We all know how this one ends...
14 of 15Mary Queen of Scots
Saoirse Ronan played the ill-fated nemesis to Margot Robbie's Elizabeth I in this stirring historical interpretation from Josie Rourke. The costumes are particularly sumptuous.
15 of 15Ophelia
Daisy Ridley played the tragic heroine in this reimagining of the Shakespeare play where Hamlet's girlfriend draws the focus. Clive Owen and Naomi Watts co-star.