Netflix is adapting Andre Aciman's bestselling novel Enigma Variations into an intimate romantic drama, starring Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Alicia Vikander. The series promises to captivate fans of Aciman's previous work, Call Me By Your Name, with its exploration of love, masculinity, and sexuality.
What Is 'Enigma Variations' About?
The novel, published in 2017, follows Paul, a man whose life is transformed by the lovers who ignite and undo him across six transformative years. Netflix describes the adaptation as an “intimate yet sweeping portrait of masculinity, sexuality and modern love. And in a world of endless choices, it asks the question: will we know when we’ve found the one?”
Who Is in the Cast?
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, known for 28 Years Later, Kick-Ass, Nosferatu, and Nocturnal Animals, will play Paul. Taylor-Johnson has frequently been rumored as a top contender for the next James Bond, alongside actors Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi. Opposite him, Alicia Vikander—famous for The Danish Girl and Tomb Raider—will portray Claire, one of Paul's main love interests.
Critical and Reader Praise
The New York Times Book Review called Enigma Variations a “magnificent living thing” and noted that “Aciman writes arousal so beautifully.” Readers have also been effusive. One Goodreads reviewer wrote: “This book is staggeringly beautiful. Powerfully emotional, haunting, frank in its sexuality and its romanticism, this is a book about love, infatuation, longing, and lust.” Another said: “Book blew me away,” while a third added: “Evocative, poetic and hopelessly romantic, Andre Aciman has written a cerebral narrative of love undefined.”
Production Details
An official release date has not been announced. The series is expected to follow the book's settings, which include Italy, New York, and New England. The adaptation will be produced by Netflix, with further casting and crew details yet to be revealed.
