HBO Orders New A24 Limited Series ‘IRMA VEP’ With Alicia Vikander
HBO and A24 are collaborating once again, this time on a limited series written and directed by Olivier Assayas and starring Oscar-winning actress Alicia Vikander.
IRMA VEP is loosely based on Assayas’ 1996 film of the same name and will follow Vikander’s Mia, a disillusioned American movie star who travels to France to feature in Irma Vep, a remake of the silent film Les Vampires. During her time on the project, Mia will struggle to find a distinction between herself and the character she portrays as lines begin to blur, turning the story into a crime thriller.
A24 is producing the project with Kevin Turen and Sam Levinson, both of whom work on HBO and the company’s other current collaborative project Euphoria, which stars Emmy-winning actress Zendaya. This series will also mark Vikander’s second collaboration with A24 after starring in their 2015 sci-fi film Ex Machina.
“I have been a long-time admirer of Olivier and his work,” said Vikander in a statement released by HBO. “I am very excited for us to work together, and to be a part of the expanded universe of his superb cult classic, Irma Vep. There are a lot of brilliant people coming together and I am delighted to be partnering with HBO and A24 on this special project.”
Irma Vep, 1996 (Credit: ©Zeitgeist Films/Courtesy Everett Collection)
Olivier Assayas echoed Vikander in his own statement to HBO, “I am immensely grateful to Alicia, A24, and HBO for giving me the incredible opportunity to explore and expand Irma Vep in a series format. This is a comedy that will try and catch the zeitgeist the same way the original Irma Vep did, in a very different world, a very different era, that right now feels light years away.”
IRMA VEP will be executive produced by Assayas, Vikander, Sylvie Barthet, Sam Levinson, Ashley Levinson, Kevin Turen, and Stuart Manashil. Stay tuned for additional details as the production gets underway.
