HBO Max Just Announced A Release Date For Its Julia Child Series
Fans of the pioneering chef, television personality, and "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" author Julia Child are in for a real treat. In a press release, HBO Max announced that its original comedy series "Julia," which will chronicle a pivotal period in the culinary superstar's life, is set to debut on March 31.
The network's upcoming semi-biographical series will follow the day-to-day life and career of trailblazing chef and host, including her popular long-running television program "The French Chef." According to HBO Max, through the depiction of the chef's life the series will explore "a pivotal time in American history — the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women's movement, the nature of celebrity, and America's cultural evolution."
In addition to the overarching cultural themes, "Julia" — which will focus on her relationship with husband Paul Cushing Child — will also paint "a portrait of a loving marriage with a shifting power dynamic."
"Julia Child changed our attitude about food. She put public television on the map. She modeled the idea of a modern, independent woman. And yet all of that put together doesn't quite explain why, 60 years later, we still can't get her out of our heads," executive producer Chris Keyser told People of the inspiration behind the show.
"Julia" stars British actress Sarah Lancashire
Stepping into the title role is actress Sarah Lancashire, best known for her starring role in the British series "Happy Valley." Lancashire will be following in the footsteps of Meryl Streep — who portrayed the chef in the hit film "Julie & Julia" — to create an intimate depiction of the culinary superstar, who died in 2004 at age 91.
According to Deadline, Lancashire, who first learned of the chef through the Streep-led film, prepared for the starring role by reading Child's letters and books and watching many hours of "The French Chef."
"Sarah Lancashire, one of the world's great actors, brings [Child] fully to life, in all her inspiring complexity and humanity. I can't wait for the world to see her Julia," the show's creator, Daniel Goldfarb, told People. The series will also star "Frasier" actor David Hyde Pierce in the role of Paul Child and Broadway legend Bebe Neuwirth as Child's book editor Avis DeVoto.
Fans of the culinary icon can catch "Julia" exclusively on HBO Max beginning on March 31; the network will be premiering one episode per week through May 5.