Production has begun on the highly anticipated TV adaptation of Sally Rooney’s 'Normal People'.
Adapted by Rooney alongside writers Alice Birch and Mark O’Rowe, 'Normal People' is a 12-part drama for BBC Three. It's an Element Pictures production in partnership with Hulu. Daisy Edgar Jones ('War of the Worlds', 'Cold Feet') stars as Marianne. Paul Mescal features in his first television role as Connell.
Filming takes place in Dublin, Sligo and Italy. Oscar nominated director Lenny Abrahamson ('Room', 'The Little Stranger, Frank') shares the directorial duties with Hettie McDonald ('Howard’s End').
'Normal People' tracks the tender but complicated relationship of Marianne and Connell from their school days in small-town west of Ireland to their years at Trinity College. At school, he’s well-liked and popular, while she’s lonely, proud and intimidating. But when Connell comes to pick up his mother from her cleaning job at Marianne’s house, a strange and indelible connection grows between the two teenagers.
A year later, they’re both studying in Dublin and Marianne has found her feet in a new social world. Now Connell hangs at the side lines, shy and uncertain. The pair weave in and out of each other’s lives over several years.
Lenny Abrahamson said:
“It’s incredibly exciting to be bringing Sally Rooney’s extraordinary novel to the screen with such a brilliant cast and crew. In Daisy Edgar Jones and Paul Mescal, I feel I have found two young actors who can vividly capture Marianne and Connell and bring alive the profound and beautiful relationship at the centre of the story. It’s also lovely for me to be shooting in Ireland again and telling an Irish story after shooting abroad.”
Joining the cast are Sarah Greene ('Rosie') and Aislín McGuckin ('Outlander'').
Following Rooney’s critically acclaimed debut novel 'Conversations with Friends', she was named 2017’s Sunday Times Writer of the Year Award. 'Normal People' was longlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2018. It won 2019’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards. In America, 'Normal People' entered the New York Times Bestseller list at #3.
