With its current series of the same name, Starz is set to dive into the latest version of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 epistolary classic Dangerous Liaisons. The narrative has been adapted several times, including Stephen Frears’ acclaimed 1988 film starring John Malkovich and Glenn Close, and will take on fresh life in Harriet Warner’s Starz version.
The series will chronicle a story of vengeance, desire, and devastation set in pre-revolutionary French high society, where toxic disputes between two loves kill countless lives throughout Paris. The plot is a classic tale of morality and corruption set against a backdrop of perpetually deceitful love relationships. The trailer for Dangerous Liaisons suggests a more front-and-center affair, similar to the 1999 film version of Roger Kumble’s tale, Cruel Intentions. The first episode, titled Love and War, will air on the Starz network on Sunday, November 6, at 8 p.m. EST.
Trailer for Dangerous Liaisons: A terrible game that will burn everything
About two months ago, Starz published a trailer for the first season of Dangerous Liaisons. Camille (Alice Englert) and Pascal Valmont, the two lovers, were introduced in the trailer (Nicholas Denton). The clip depicts the merciless poison between the lovers as they hesitate to fully surrender to their passion for one other, driving them to commit unthinkable acts and ruin many hearts.
Valmont is portrayed as having an aura of deception about him. He is also revealed to have a lot of secrets. These secrets would ultimately set off a chain reaction that would cost many individuals their lives. The show’s summary, as provided by Starz, reads:
“Dangerous Liaisons is a daring prequel to Laclos’ famous 18th-century book, concentrating on how his iconic protagonists, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, met as passionate young lovers in Paris on the brink of the revolution. This contemporary retelling of a classic narrative transports audiences to pre-revolutionary Paris, where they will experience awe and fear, beauty and depravity, seduction and betrayal.”
It goes on:
“Driven by a desire to redeem the wrongs of their past, the young couple’s existence is dependent on their ability to seduce and manipulate not just the French aristocracy, but also each other. The notorious lovers are played by Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton: Camille, who is taken in by the current Marquise de Merteuil (played by Lesley Manville) and navigates her own path in a world of men, using the power of secrets to reclaiming control, and Valmont, who will stop at nothing to reclaim his title, which was recently taken from him. The series revolves around their on-again, off-again love affair. It isn’t love… it is war.”
In supporting roles, Kosar Ali, Carice van Houten, Michael McElhatton, Nathanael Saleh, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, and Paloma Faith appear. Dangerous Liaisons has already been extended for a second season before its November 6, 2022, broadcast. This is an unusual occurrence for rookie TV series. Dangerous Liaisons season 1 will consist of eight episodes. The first episode will air at 8 p.m. EST on the Starz network. Each week, the following episodes will be broadcast at the same time. Starz’s internet streaming platform will also have access to the episodes.
