Christina Hendricks has been added to the cast of AppleTV+’s adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winner Edith Wharton’s unfinished last novel The Buccaneers, according to Deadline. The planned Gilded Age-themed drama series, which has yet to be titled, is based on the aforementioned work. Among the other female cast members are Kristine Froseth, Alisha Boe, Josie Totah, Aubri Ibrag, Imogen Waterhouse, and Mia Threapleton, who all portray buccaneers named Nan St. George, Conchita Closson, Mabel Elmsworth, and Jinny St. George respectively.
The Mad Men alum joins a growing female cast that already includes Kristine Froseth (The Assistant), Alisha Boe (When You Finish Saving The World), Josie Totah (Saved by the Bell), Aubri Ibrag, and Mia Threapleton. “A bunch of fun-loving young American ladies setting off an Anglo-American culture war as the land of the stiff upper lip is invaded by a refreshing disregard for centuries of tradition,” will follow Hendricks as Mrs. St. George, mother of buccaneers Nan St. George and Jinny St. George. Hendricks’ character, a former “belle of the ball,” will utilise her past experiences to guide her two children through the London season in pursuit of a life partner. “Marriage might not be the key to that happiness… for any of them,” according to AppleTV+’s description of the character Mrs. St. George, the wife of Wall Street millionaire Mr St. George.
Christina Hendricks, no stranger to British television, will use her stage and film talents to bring a figure from the Gilded Age to life. The Sky Atlantic crime drama Tin Star featured her as Elizabeth Bradshaw for the first and second seasons. Additionally, she has been nominated six times for Emmy Awards for roles in Mad Men and Good Girls, both of which aired on NBC for four seasons and ended in 2021. Scriptwriter Katherine Jakeways, a British comedian and actor, is putting her own twist on Wharton’s unfinished work for the planned 8-episode drama series. Director and executive producer Susanna White, a BAFTA winner, also joins the all-female team. Executive producers Beth Willis and George Faber have joined The Forge Entertainment as they develop the show for AppleTV+.
For the second time, Wharton’s unfinished last work will be adapted for the screen in the AppleTV+ drama series. For the first time, there was a 6-episode TV miniseries starring Carla Gugino and Alison Elliott and Mira Sorvino as the major characters 1995. Drama series production has commenced in Scotland, and it is expected to be available on AppleTV+ in the autumn of 2023.
According to the movie’s official summary,
“Girls who have money and men who have authority. Money and ancient mysteries collide. During the 1870s, a group of young American ladies burst into London’s tightly corseted season, causing an Anglo-American culture clash as the country of the stiff upper lip is infected by a refreshing disdain for centuries of the convention.’ The buccaneers’ hearts are bent on much more than securing husbands and titles, and saying “I do” is just the beginning.”