‘Enigma Variations’: Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Lead Netflix’s André Aciman Adaptation
What To Know
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson has replaced Jeremy Allen White as the lead in Netflix’s Enigma Variations.
- It’s an adaptation of André Aciman’s queer romance novel of the same name.
- Aciman is best known for Call Me By Your Name.
It’s been almost a decade since André Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name made its way from the page to the screen, and now, another one of the author’s works is getting the same treatment. Well, not quite the same: Netflix is bringing his 2017 novel, Enigma Variations, to the small screen.
Initially, Variety reported that The Bear‘s Jeremy Allen White was attached to star in and executive produce the romance, which explores the lead character’s love affairs with both men and women. Over a year later, Netflix revealed that the actor had been replaced by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Swooon is breaking down all the latest Enigma Variations updates, as well as the plot, below.
What is Enigma Variations‘ release date?
Trust us, we’re just as eager as you for a release date, but the limited series is still in development. Now that the ball is rolling again with Taylor-Johnson taking over, we’re keeping our eyes peeled for any filming updates.
Who is in the Enigma Variations cast?
Besides Taylor-Johnson, no other cast members have been announced. His character is “remade” by his various lovers “who ignite and undo him across ten transformative years.”
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What is Enigma Variations about?
Enigma Variations, per the novel’s description, follows Paul (Taylor-Johnson), whose loves remain as consuming through his adulthood as they were in his adolescence. The settings range from southern Italy, where he had a crush on his parents’ cabinetmaker, to a campus in New England, where his passion for a girl he would meet again and again over the years ignites.
His romances are interspersed by anonymous encounters with men. Paul’s attachments are out of reach, transient, and “underwritten by raw desire.” While Paul’s hopes, denials, fears, and regrets follow him, Paul’s dream of love lingers. Netflix describes the adaptation as an “intimate yet sweeping portrait of masculinity, sexuality, and modern love — and in a world of endless choices, it asks the question: will we know when we’ve found the one?”
The book was released in 2017, and it’s been theorized by fans of Aciman’s Call Me by Your Name novels that Paul in Enigma Variations is the Paul who was introduced in Find Me. Perhaps this adaptation could confirm or deny the concept, which has been explored on Reddit.
Who is making Enigma Variations?
Netflix has tapped Amanda Kate Shuman to serve as writer and executive producer. Oliver Hermanus, known for The History of Sound, is set to direct. Aciman is also an executive producer, alongside Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, and Monica Levinson.
Stay tuned for more details about this series as it takes shape at Netflix.
Enigma Variations, TBA, Netflix
