Cue the ugly tears because The Time Traveler’s Wife, the 2009 film starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana, based on Audrey Niffenegger’s best-selling novel of the same name, is making a long-awaited comeback in a new series for HBO—and production has already begun.
Announcing the upcoming project on May 19, 2021, The Time Traveler’s Wife series will, once again, be based on Niffenegger’s novel, which as fans will already know, mixes a tragic love story with the sci-fi world of time travel.
The book follows Clare Anne Abshire, a woman married to a man who has a unique genetic disease that makes him time travel without previous warning. Henry DeTamble jumps forward and back in time, without any control, which obviously causes some unique challenges to his wife, who tries to cope with the fantastic situation through her art.
The six-episode season is being adapted by Steven Moffat (Sherlock Holmes, Doctor Who), who will also executive produce. “This is a story of loss but it’s not a tragedy. It’s about a time traveler but it’s not science fiction,” Moffat said in a statement, via Deadline. “Despite Clare and Henry’s time scrambled relationship, this is the tale of a grand, ordinary love—but not necessarily in that order. This is a dream project for me. I have always loved Audrey Niffenegger’s extraordinary, moving novel and it has inspired me many times, so to be adapting it for television is the thrill of a lifetime.”
The cast has also tapped Game of Thrones alums Rose Leslie (who played Jon Snow’s Free Folk lover Ygritte) as its title character of Clare, and director David Nutter, who has signed on to helm the series. Appearing alongside Leslie as the series lead of the time-traveling Henry is Theo James (Divergent, Sanditon).
We don’t know much else yet, but we do know this series will probably leave us with a few tears.