Brie Larson will executive produce and star in the new Apple TV+ drama Lessons In Chemistry. The show, which has received a straight-to-series order from Apple, is an adaptation of an upcoming debut novel from author and copywriter Bonnie Garmus set to be published in Spring of 2022.
Set in the early 1960s, Lessons in Chemistry tells the story of Elizabeth Zott, played by Larson, who dreams of being a scientist but struggles to make her way in a male-dominated field within a society that believes a woman’s place is in domesticity. When Elizabeth finds herself alone, fired from her lab, and on the verge of single motherhood, she takes a job as the host of a television cooking show. She begins breaking boundaries and defying expectations as she teaches all of the neglected housewives in the country — and the men who begin to tune in — not just how to cook but the harmony between food and her true love, science.
Deadline reports that Brie Larson will be playing the lead role of Elizabeth Zott and executive producing the show. Susannah Grant, known for writing the Oscar-nominated screenplay for Erin Brockovich, will write and executive produce. More recently, Grant was a co-creator and executive producer for Netflix’s 2019 limited series Unbelievable, which received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Limited Series. Jason Bateman and Michael Costigan will also executive produce under Aggregate Films, Bateman’s production company.
Larson was previously seen in films spanning many genres, such as Room, for which she won an Oscar in 2016, and Captain Marvel, where she portrayed the classic Marvel hero in the MCU’s first female-led film. Her other work includes the recent 2019 film Just Mercy and her feature film directorial debut, Unicorn Store. This is Larson’s second project with Apple, who will star in a forthcoming untitled CIA drama based on the life and memoirs of female former CIA agent Amaryllis Fox, set to release on Apple TV+.
Larson has been a vocal advocate for women's empowerment in life and the entertainment industry. Lessons In Chemistry joins the ranks of TV shows such as Big Little Lies and Killing Eve that are part of a strong effort to create more female-led works that explore female-centered stories. Given the success of her towering performances and her constant advocacy for women’s rights and opportunities, audiences can most likely expect more female-empowering work from her in the future.
Source: Deadline