Leads chosen for TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s ‘Normal People’
Sally Rooney's sophomore novel, Normal People, has clearly gripped the globe.
The story of Connell and Marianne's tumultuous relationship throughout their ever-changing lives has spread far and wide, and news recently broke that a screen adaptation would be created.
BBC Three and Hulu have teamed up to bring TV audiences the 12-part drama, which will see the international literary phenomenon transformed.
Two rising star actors have now been cast as the leads, and production on the project has begun in Ireland, which s being directed by the great Lenny Abrahamson and Hettie McDonald.
Daisy Edgar-Jones will star as Marianne, and Paul Mescal will portray Connell in his first television role. We've previously seen Edgar-Jones in War Of The Worlds, so this part is a definite change for her.
Normal People tells the tale of how profoundly two people can impact each others' lives, and is a definite tearjerker. It's set to be a heart-wrenching watch, considering how thought-provoking the novel is.
The book is astonishing in its use of dialogue to emote the mind-set of both characters as their lives gradually intertwine and grow apart, before being pulled back together again.
Filming will take place in Italy, Dublin and Sligo. Rooney spoke about the television series, saying how privileged she feels to be working alongside a director as prolific as Lenny Abrahamson.
"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," she said.
Normal People is set in Dublin, and tracks the tender but complex relationship between the two characters from each of their viewpoints.
From a small town in the west of Ireland to their undergraduate experiences at Trinity College Dublin, you'll recognise many of the spots referred to in the novel.
The BBC refers to the story 'honest, smart and intoxicating'; "Normal People sees the pair weave in and out of each other’s lives and explores just how complicated intimacy and young love can be
Sarah Greene, Aislín McGuckin and some of the UK and Ireland's most dynamic new acting talent have also joined the cast.
Feature image: Instagram/@marinasshelf
