Meryl Streep to Lead Netflix's 'The Corrections' Adaptation
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- Meryl Streep will lead Netflix's new limited series adaptation of Jonathan Franzen's National Book Award-winning novel "The Corrections," with Netflix announcing the project on April 2; no release date or additional cast has been set.
- Cord Jefferson, director of "American Fiction" and a writer on HBO's "Watchmen," is directing the limited series, which received a direct-to-series order from Netflix; Franzen is writing the adaptation of his own book.
- Streep is executive producing alongside Jefferson, Mark Roybal, Paul Lee, and Nicole Clemens; the series hails from Paramount Television Studios.
- The project originally began development at CBS Studios in 2024 before moving to Netflix, and follows a failed 2012 HBO pilot directed by Noah Baumbach that starred Chris Cooper, Dianne Wiest, Ewan McGregor, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Rhys Ifans, and Greta Gerwig but was passed on despite reportedly stellar performances.
- Baumbach, who has a Netflix deal that has placed his last several films on the streamer, is not involved in the new series, which adapts the story of Midwestern parents Enid (Streep) and Alfred, whose three adult children resist a final family Christmas.
- Netflix is also pursuing an adaptation of Franzen's "Crossroads" with Jeremy Strong, extending the streamer's bet on the author's catalog after years of stalled attempts.
Why it matters: Franzen's time-jumping narrative defeated a star-studded 2012 HBO pilot, so Netflix's direct-to-series commitment signals unusual confidence in finally cracking the book for television. Pairing a prestige literary source with Meryl Streep as marquee lead and Cord Jefferson directing mirrors the awards-talent strategy that has defined Netflix's recent limited-series slate.
