No, you aren’t experiencing déjà vu. Over 10 years ago, The Time Traveller’s Wife was a major motion picture starring Rachel McAdams and Eric Bana. It’s just that now, in very fitting sci-fi fashion, it’s coming back with new actors, a new creative team, and a whole new outlet. And the first trailer is here.
Based on the 2003 novel by Audrey Niffenegger, The Time Traveller’s Wife — coming to HBO and HBO Max in May — is about exactly that: a woman named Claire (here played by Game of Thrones star Rose Leslie) is married to a man named Henry (here played by Divergent’s Theo James) who has a very peculiar genetic disorder. He just randomly travels through time.
And while the 2003 movie was a financial success, grossing over $US100 ($139) million at the box office, critics didn’t seem to like it. Now though, thanks to its new home, what was a nearly 600-page novel can be told as a six-part miniseries and not a 107-minute film. Which, from the looks of the trailer, seems like an excellent choice.
I have not see the original Time Traveller’s Wife movie or read the book, which might be why I was sucked in by that trailer. The conceit is ripe with questions and wonder. Plus the images in the trailer, of Henry disappearing at a sink or meeting his wife as a young child, are complex and interesting. There’s a sense that this is an intricate, delicate story which will be much better suited for this format than a movie.
Plus, it’s produced by Steven Moffat, who has been known to make a good television show or two (such as Doctor Who and Sherlock). All of these pieces just add up to what could potentially be a really excellent show.
The Time Traveller’s Wife debuts on HBO and HBO Max this May. Let us know what you think of the trailer below.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.