French Period Drama 'The Seduction' to Premiere on HBO Max This November

Given the global expansion of virtually every streaming service, the production of foreign language content is more important than ever. If those series, shot in the languages of their home countries, manage to cross over and become hits in America, well, that's all to the better. There's a proven formula for it — just look at the success of shows like Squid Game, Money Heist, Lupin, and Red Queen. It was only ever a matter of time before HBO (and/or HBO Max) decided to dip their proverbial toes into the water.

The network's first Spanish-language original, Why No One Sees Us, dropped earlier this year in March, and its first French offering, The Seduction, is set to follow this Fall. Previously titled simply Merteuil but renamed for audiences outside of France, the series appears to serve as a prequel of sorts to Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s famous novel Les Liaisons Dangereuses. An origin story for the iconic character Marquise de Merteuil, it will put a youthful, feminist spin on her early life, showcasing the fierce determination and intelligence that allowed her to access high society and taste sexual freedom.

The series also aims to explore some aspects of her life that aren't in the source material, such as the relationship between Merteuil and her mentor, Madame de Rosemonde, the aunt of the future Vicomte de Valmont. And, of course, there's the question of what Merteuil's early connection with Valmont was like. In the book, it's hinted that she experienced some sort of trauma because of that relationship, which ultimately made the two adversaries and occasional frenemies. But how this series will choose to interpret that — or portray them during a warmer phase of their relationship — is anyone's guess.