Prime Video's 'The House of the Spirits' Will Bring Isabel Allende's Classic Novel to Life

One of the best things about the streaming era is that it has brought us stunning adaptations — across virtually every genre you can name — of literary works that were previously assumed to be unfilmable. From The Sandman and 3 Body Problem to One Hundred Years of Solitude, we've gotten the chance to see some truly amazing television in the past few years. Now Prime Video is set to get in on the act with The House of the Spirits, an eight-part adaptation of Isabel Allende's bestselling novel of the same name.

The story spans several generations of women's lives in post-colonial Chile — though the country itself is never named — mixing magical realism with social upheaval and political turmoil. (Allende also doesn't explicitly name characters who are clearly meant to mirror real-life historical figures, such as Pablo Neruda or Salvador Allende.) Widely considered a cornerstone of Latin American literature, the book wrestles with everything from social class and gender roles to politics, and has frequently drawn comparisons to the work of Gabriel García Márquez.

Filmed in Spanish and entirely shot in Chile, the Prime Video series marks the first time this story has been made for television. Allende's novel was previously adapted into a feature film starring such acting heavy hitters as Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, and Antonio Banderas. But there's no doubt that its sprawling, multi-generational saga will be better served by an eight-episode format that gives its story and characters more room to breathe.

Here's the series' synopsis.

Based on Isabel Allende's internationally acclaimed novel, The House of the Spirits is an eight-episode epic family saga spanning half a century, centered on three generations of women—Clara, Blanca, and Alba—in a conservative South American country shaped by class struggle, political upheaval, and magic.

The eight-part drama stars Alfonso Herrera (Rebel Moon) as Esteban Trueba, with Nicole Wallace (Our Fault) and Dolores Fonzi (Belén) portraying Clara del Valle at different stages of her life.

The cast also includes Fernanda Castillo (The Lord of the Skies) as Férula, Aline Kuppenheim (A Fantastic Woman) as Nivea del Valle, Eduard Fernández (The Skin I Live In) as Severo del Valle, Sara Becker (The Movie Teller) and Fernanda Urrejola (Cry Macho) as Blanca, Rochi Hernández as Alba (30 Nights with my Ex), Juan Pablo Raba (News of a Kidnapping) as Tío Marcos, Pablo Macaya (In Her Place) and Nicolás Contreras (Baby Bandito) as Pedro Tercero.

The series is produced by FilmNation Entertainment, the multi-Academy Award-winning company behind Anora and Conclave, with the support of Chilean Academy Award-winning producer Fabula (The Eternal Memory).

Showrunners Francisca Alegría, Fernanda Urrejola, and Andrés Wood all executive produce, alongside Allende, Eva Longoria, and Courtney Saladino.

The House of the Spirits will premiere with three episodes on Wednesday, April 29, on Prime Video, with two additional episodes to follow on May 6, and the final three installments on May 13.