Imagine you were a female professor married to another professor at the same campus. What if it’s an open marriage, where you each get to fulfil your sexy desires without the burden of guilt? Sounds almost perfect, right?
Well, this is the life of M and her husband until a curveball they didn’t expect threatens to ruin their marital bliss. If you are curious to find out what happened, then grab Julia May Jonas’s critically acclaimed debut novel, Vladimir. Even better news: the Netflix TV series adaptation of the book is dropping this year!
The book received significant critical success, topping ten lists in many publications. In 2022, Vogue named it their favourite book of the year. The New York Times selected it as an official Editor’s Pick in the same year.
Many people fell in love with the antiheroine narrator. Although this was the author’s first novel, many praised her refreshing take on the #MeToo movement, the female gaze, and the book’s polarizing climax.
The book is more than a simple romance. It is a witty yet powerful story that explores sexual conflict and power dynamics in a relationship. It highlights the #MeToo movement by addressing the ‘grey areas’ of consent and challenging the status quo through the introduction of an inverted trope, in which a young woman obsesses over her silver-haired, dapper, and charismatic professor.
If you haven’t yet read the book, here’s the official synopsis so you know exactly what to expect from the book and the upcoming TV adaptation:
“When I was a child, I loved old men, and I could tell that they also loved me.”
And so we are introduced to our deliciously incisive narrator: a popular English professor whose charismatic husband at the same small liberal arts college is under investigation for his inappropriate relationships with his former students.
The couple has long had a mutual understanding when it comes to their extramarital pursuits, but with these new allegations, life has become far less comfortable for them both.
And when our narrator becomes increasingly infatuated with Vladimir, a celebrated, married young novelist who’s just arrived on campus, their tinder box world comes dangerously close to exploding.
What’s the Plot of the Vladimir TV Series?
The TV series will be based on Julia May Jonas’s novel by the same name. It is a story that explores the dangers of obsession and infatuation, as well as the power dynamics in the marriage between two college professors.
The TV series is expected to lean on how messy an open marriage can be when allegations of sexual harassment start flying around. Through the lens of dark comedy, it will highlight provocative themes of obsession, fantasy, and cancellation culture, among others.
The official logline from Netflix reads as follows:
“When a passionate but reckless professor’s world begins to unravel, she finds herself dangerously fixated on her magnetic new colleague. As boundaries blur and secrets simmer, she’ll risk everything to bring her most scandalous fantasies to life!”
It will be fascinating to see if the TV series can capture the nuance of the #MeToo movement and the moral ambiguity of sexual politics on a modern-day campus.
Most readers hope the TV series will maintain the book’s dark humour and compelling suspense, driven by its character-driven narrative.
Who are the Cast & Crew of the Vladimir TV Series?
Showrunner Kate Robin, known for her work on The Affair, has teamed up with director Carrie Brownstein on this project. Julia May Jonas, the author of the novel, has written, created, and executive produced the TV adaptation.
Oscar-winning actress Rachel Weisz plays the lead role of M, and she is also an executive producer on this project.
She is joined by the rising actor, Leo Woodall, known for his breakthrough role as Jack in season 2 of White Lotus. Woodall plays Vladimir Vladinski, a young novelist who becomes the focus of M’s obsession.
Of course, who else but John Slattery could play the role of a charismatic professor who unintentionally finds himself at the centre of a female student’s infatuation?
Emilio Villalba plays the role of David, an aspiring novelist and student caught in the crossfire of this mess. The supporting cast includes Zoe Kazan, Zasia Mamet, and Katherine Waterston.
Vladimir TV Series Release Date:
The 8-episode limited series is slated to drop on Netflix on March 5th, 2026.
As always, we recommend you read the book ahead of the TV series debut. It is a sexy, darkly humorous novel that will resonate in so many ways. It is provocative, unapologetic, and intellectually stimulating.
Also, why would you want to miss out on reading one of the best books from 2022? You might be four years late to the party, but what matters is that you catch up before March.
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