An adaptation ofTaylor Jenkins Reid’s New York Times Bestselling novelThe Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugowas announced back in 2022.About a year later, it was announced thatLeslye Headland, co-creator ofRussian Doll, would be directing the project.In an interview with Variety, Headland explained that is no longer the case. “I am no longer working on that project.I remain a huge, huge fan of the book and of the people working on it.It’s one of those things where you know it’s going to be a huge success.” Not much has been confirmed about the adaptation of Reid’s novel, other that it was happening,Liz Tigelaarwould pen the screenplay, it was slated to be with Netflix, and Headland was slated to direct. Now that’s no longer the case, it’s not been confirmed if the project has found a new director. Headland expressed her disappointment, saying:
“I thought, “Damn it. It’s not going to work out with me involved in it, but it is going to be wildly successful.” It is the type of book that if I’d read it in my twenties, I would have had a completely different life. It’s so beautifully done.
What Is the ‘Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo’?
The 2017 novel, thanks in part to the rise of BookTok, spent a whopping 54 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller’s list for paperbacks. The novel is told as a frame story, with an unknown journalist, Monique Grant, being tasked with writing the aging starlet’s memoir. The fictional Evelyn Hugo was a Golden Age Hollywood actress, and outside of her talent,most well-known for the seven husbands she’d had over her lifetime.Evelyn, a Cuban actress, fought her way to the silver screen by any means necessary and that included the matrimonial means. In the book,there is a dedicated section for each of her husbands. Along the way, the topic of Evelyn’s bisexuality comes into play, as readers also learn about her dalliance with another Golden Age fictional actress, Celia St. James. The final line of the novel, is often used in TikToks with audio from the audiobook.
“Doesn’t it bother you?… That all anyone talks about when they talk about you are the seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo?”
“No,” she told me. “Because they are just husbands. I am Evelyn Hugo. And anyway, I think once people know the truth, they will be much more interested in my wife.”
No cast has been announced, those fans have campaigned for years forJessica ChastainandAubrey Plazato play Celia and Evelyn respectively. Chastain has acknowledged the fan’s push for it and regrets disappointing fans with there being"zero possibility"that she’d be in the movie adaptation.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugoby Taylor Jenkins Reid can be found at most major booksellers. You can watch another adaptation of Reid’s work,Daisy Jones and the Six,now on Prime Video. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.
