Tatiana Maslany, star and executive producer of AMC’s Invitation to a Bonfire, has joined the cast. Based on Adrienne Celt’s novel of the same name, the psychological thriller series examines the terrible real-life relationship between Russian author Vladimir Nabokov and his wife, Vera Nabokov. To the public at large, Nabokov is most known for his semi-autobiographical novel Lolita, in which he chronicles his experiences with the attraction and seduction of an adolescent female.
However, the novel is widely criticised for romanticising paedophilia despite its status as a literary classic. Contrarily, Celt’s work exploits the real-life biography of Nabokov to expose the writer’s contentious personal and professional relationships. As a young author inspired by Nabokov (Pilou Asbaek), his wife (Maslany), and Zoya (Freya Mavor), a young Russian immigrant and groundskeeper of the boarding school, the film will examine the love triangle between them.
When Maslany is cast as the wife of the fictional Nabokov, the spotlight is sure to be on her. Maslany returns to AMC after her role in the critically acclaimed miniseries Orphan Black. Maslany’s role in Orphan Black earned her an Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series, catapulting her to stardom. A 2021 Hollywood Critics Association Television Award for Best Supporting Actress went to Maslany for her role in HBO’s Perry Mason. Maslany is also the executive producer of the podcast Power Trip, which is a spin-off of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. According to AMC Networks CEO Dan McDermott: “I think it’s great that we were able to cast [Maslany].” We’ve wanted to welcome Tatiana back to the AMC Networks family ever since her iconic and career-defining performance in Orphan Black. On-screen and behind-the-scenes, Vera Orlov’s wild spark will be brought to life by her as an executive producer. We couldn’t be more excited to have her on board.”
Rachel Caris Love, the show’s creator, showrunner, and executive producer, is behind the invitation (Physical). Ngozi Anyanwu is also a part of the cast (The Deuce). Invitation to a Bonfire’s release date has not yet been announced. It will be in She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which will debut on Disney+ on Thursday, August 18, that we’ll see Maslany in full green fury.