HBO’s set a May 15, 2022 premiere date for the series adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife because we can all use a time-traveling epic love story right about now, am I right? The new trailer sets up the complicated love story between the time traveler, played by Theo James (the Underworld and Divergent franchises), and the titular character, played by Rose Leslie (Game of Thrones).
Theo James plays Henry DeTamble, Rose Leslie is Clare Abshire, Desmin Borges stars as Gomez, and Natasha Lope is Charisse. Steven Moffat (Doctor Who) adapted Niffenegger’s bestselling novel and executive produced the series. Executive producer David Nutter (Game of Thrones) directed. Additional executive producers include Sue Vertue, Joseph E. Iberti, and Hartswood Films’ Brian Minchin.
During the Television Critics Association’s winter press panel, Steven Moffat explained his fascination with time travel and romance. “I think actually I loved the idea of time travel affecting romance when I read this book. When I read this book – and I was working on Doctor Who back then – I said we had to do a Doctor Who story like that, which we did. Which was called ‘The Girl in the Fireplace,’ which Audrey Niffenegger saw on television and wrote into her next book, so I knew she was onto me.
But I think what is brilliant and thrilling about the interaction of time travel and a love story here is it makes the most common phenomenon of a completely happy marriage interesting again. I mean, love stories tend to end at the altar…or love movies do. A romance movie ends at the altar or they start with the divorce. We never do the bit where people are perfectly happy with each other for decades because it seems like an undramatic thing, in a way. By scrambling it all up and by constantly reminding you that love is inextricably linked to loss – which is a cheery thought for you all – you make this very common phenomenon of the happy marriage interesting, thrilling, and full of tension and tragedy, as well as joy and happiness. So that is why. And I do, I do love the time travel story, in general, as my career would suggest,” explained Moffat.
