Forever: Netflix Sets May Release Date for Mara Brock Akil’s Adaptation of Judy Blume Novel — Get First Look
Once you get all of your jokes à la “Wait, another TV series titled Forever?!” out of the way, you might want to mark your calendars: Netflix‘s series adaptation of the controversial-for-its-time Judy Blume novel will release Thursday, May 8, the streamer announced Wednesday.
Netflix has also released a new batch of first-look photos from Mara Brock Akil’s reimagining of the 50-year-old novel, which you can scroll down to see. (A previously released teaser trailer can be viewed above.)
Blume’s Forever… (with an ellipsis) was and is an oft-banned book, with religious groups (among others) taking issue with its detailed depictions of sexual intercourse between teens, and its teenage female protagonist’s use of birth control.
“Reimagined for a new generation,” Netflix’s Forever promises “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.”
The series’ cast includes Lovie Simone (Greenleaf), Michael Cooper Jr., Karen Pittman (The Morning Show), Wood Harris (Empire), Xosha Roquemore (The Mindy Project), Marvin L. Winans III (Abbott Elementary), Niles Fitch (This Is Us‘ Teen Randall), Barry Shabaka Henley (Bob Hearts Abishola), Ali Gallo, Adriyan Rae (The Game), Paigion Walker, Xavier Mills and E’myri Crutchfield (Fargo Season 4).
Showrunner Akil — who created Girlfriends, The Game and Being Mary Jane — will serve as an executive producer alongside Blume, Susie Fitzgerald, Erika Harrison, Sara White, Regina King, Reina King, Shana C. Waterman and Anthony Hemingway.
Get a first glimpse at Forever below, then drop a comment and let us know if you’ll be checking out the series.
Want scoop on Forever, or for any other Netflix show? Shoot an email to [email protected], and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line!
Curious how it will be updated for a new generation. Kids are A LOT more knowledgeable of sex these days.
When I was a ‘tween in the 1980s, the girls at my sleep-away camp circulated it at night so the counselors didn’t see. It was eye-opening for naive me.
And 40 years later, I’m embarrassed to say the name Ralph sometimes still gives me a little internal giggle. IYKYK
You will be happy (?) to know that I had a nearly identical experience with this book at sleep away camp in 2003
I grew up with Judy Blume – I don’t think adapting it for modern times does the book any favors. I’d rather see it set in the time it was created. Talking about and exploring sex as a teen back then was WAY different than it is now.
I agree. I’ve been saying recently that I want to read the book again as an adult because it was definitely scandalous reading it as a 12/13 YO.
Right! I’d like to read it now to see if it has a different impact because I’m also trying to hide from my mom that I was reading it. And things are always different when you’re trying to hide it. LOL
I wonder why it’s set in 2018 instead of 2025. Is there a specific event that happened in 2018 that they’ll link it to? Did they just want it pre-pandemic?