Looking for Alaska (miniseries) explained

Genre:Teen drama
Tragedy
Creator:Josh Schwartz
Music:Siddhartha Khosla
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Episodes:8
List Episodes:
  1. Episodes
Cinematography:Ramsey Nickell
Runtime:48–57 minutes
Budget:$57.1 million[1]

Looking for Alaska is an American teen drama television miniseries created by Josh Schwartz. It is based on the 2005 novel of the same name by John Green. After a film adaptation was repeatedly delayed at Paramount Pictures, Hulu finalized a deal and ordered an eight-episode limited series.[2] It stars Charlie Plummer and Kristine Froseth in the two lead roles Miles Halter and Alaska Young, respectively. The miniseries premiered on Hulu on October 18, 2019.[3] It received acclaim from critics as well as fans of the book, with praise going toward its writing, acting and faithfulness to the original source material.

Premise

Looking For Alaska tells the story of a teenage boy named Miles Halter who is obsessed with famous last words and seeking "the Great Perhaps", a concept inspired by the last words of poet Francois Rabelais. This desire leads him to enroll at Culver Creek Academy in Alabama, hoping to find something less boring and safe than the life he's always lived and gain a deeper perspective on life. At Culver Creek, he befriends his roommate Chip "The Colonel" Martin, who introduces him to Alaska Young, whom he later falls in love with, and Takumi Hikohito. Throughout his "new life" at the school, Miles learns many lessons about life, love, and the art of letting go.[4] [5] [6]

Cast

Main

Recurring

Guest

Production

Development

The film rights to the novel were acquired by Paramount Pictures in 2005 shortly before the novel was published. The screenplay was potentially going to be written and directed by Josh Schwartz (creator of The O.C.)[7] but, due to a lack of interest by Paramount, the production had been shelved indefinitely.[8] It had been reported that Paramount was putting the screenplay in review due to the success of the film adaptation of John Green's breakout novel, The Fault in Our Stars. On February 27, 2015, The Hollywood Reporter announced that Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber, screenwriters for Temple Hill Entertainment who had worked on adaptations for The Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns, would be writing and executive producing for the film.[9] Paramount was actively casting the latest version of the screenplay, which was written by Sarah Polley.[10] [11] Rebecca Thomas was set to direct.[12] Green also confirmed that Neustadter and Weber were still involved with the film. In August 2015, it was announced filming would begin in the fall in Michigan.[13] It was later announced that filming would begin in early 2016 because of lack of casting decisions. Later in 2016, Green announced in a Vlogbrothers video and on social media that the film adaptation had once again been shelved indefinitely.[14] Green has voiced his frustration of the development process of the film adaptation over the years. He quoted, "It has always fallen apart for one reason or another." In May 2018, Hulu finalized a deal with Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, and proceeded to order an eight-episode limited series based on the book. Schwartz served as executive producer and showrunner, while Savage served as executive producer alongside John Green, Jessica Tuchinsky, Mark Waters, Marty Bowen, and Isaac Klausner.[2]

Casting

In October 2018, Charlie Plummer and Kristine Froseth were cast as the lead roles of the series, portraying Miles "Pudge" Halter and Alaska Young, respectively.[15] In March 2019, Hulu announced six new cast members had joined the limited series; Denny Love, Jay Lee, Sofia Vassilieva, Landry Bender, Uriah Shelton, and Jordan Connor.[16] The following month, Timothy Simons and Ron Cephas Jones were announced to join the cast as The Eagle and Dr. Hyde, respectively.[17] In May 2019, it was reported that Rachel Matthews and Henry Zaga had been cast in recurring roles.[18]

Filming locations

The series was primarily shot in Louisiana. Episode 1 offers a glimpse of the Piggly Wiggly in Independence. Miss Ann's Fast Food in Amite pops up occasionally. The "school" the kids attend is really Solomon Episcopal Conference Center in Loranger.

The Audubon Zoo's elephant sculpture shows up in Episode 6. The Mandeville end of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway approach crops up in Episode 7. The Abita Springs Town Hall plays a police station in Episode 8.[19]

Distribution

In April 2020, Looking for Alaska was released in Canada on CBC Gem.[20]

Music

Looking for Alaska (Music from the Original Series)
Type:soundtrack
Longtype:/ Compilation
Artist:various artists
Border:yes

The soundtrack album for the miniseries, titled Looking for Alaska (Music from the Original Series), was released digitally on October 18, 2019, via Paramount and Sony Music Entertainment.[21] [22] It is a compilation album that consists of songs used in the miniseries.

Reception

Looking For Alaska was praised for its writing, performances (particularly from Plummer, Froseth and Love), visuals, soundtrack (with critics favorably comparing it to Schwartz's other series The O.C.), directing, and improvements upon its source material. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the miniseries holds an approval rating of 91% based on 35 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Bittersweet and beautifully performed, Looking for Alaska is the rare adaptation that deviates from its source material only to find something even better."[23] On Metacritic, it has a weighted average score of 72 out of 100, based on 10 critics.[24]

Critics called the series Schwartz's finest to date. Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture called it a "rare adaptation that dismantles the original in order to build something that works better" and praised Love's charismatic performance as The Colonel.[25] IndieWire's LaToya Ferguson graded the miniseries with an "A" and said, "Looking For Alaska is your standard, tried and true, coming-of-age story. And for that, it stands out from the rest." She also praised Plummer's performance as Miles, saying that he "captures the milquetoast nature of the character (both the funny and frustrating aspects of that), while also finding a way to make your heart break for him." The Guardian's writer Rebecca Nicholson gave the miniseries three out of five, and called the performances of the young cast "excellent" and Emmy-worthy (most notably that of Froseth, Love and Plummer), and further praising the characterization of The Colonel.[26]

Alan Sepinwall of Rolling Stone gave the miniseries a four out of five and said, "It's a familiar coming-of-age story, but one executed at a high level and with far more thought than usual given to all the kids who were forced to grow up long before the main character has to". He also praised the cast as "exceedingly charming" and singling out the performances' of Froseth and Love.[27] Variety's Caroline Framke also praised the cast (particularly Froseth and Love), while further highlighting the former's performance as Alaska, saying that "As Alaska, she has to portray a character alternately depicted as mysterious and vulnerable, flinty and fragile, wildly intelligent and crushingly naive. The series and Froseth take great and obvious pains to flesh Alaska out beyond the basic role of Miles’ first love, which could so easily flatten her into nothing at all".[28] Petrana Radulovic of Polygon summarized the miniseries as "a messy, raw depiction of grief — ultimately, what the book was supposed to be about, and what the show captures better" and called Froseth's performance "brilliant".[29] Daniel Fienberg of The Hollywood Reporter praised the performances of Froseth and Plummer, calling the former "a marvel" and highlighting the latter's ability to nail "a tougher task" for playing Miles successfully.[30]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Initial Certification Search. Fastlane NextGen. Type "Looking for Alaska" in the search box. February 8, 2021. June 15, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200615095911/https://fastlaneng.louisianaeconomicdevelopment.com/public/search/ent. live.
  2. Web site: Petski. Denise. Hulu Ordering 'Looking For Alaska' Limited Series From Josh Schwartz Based On John Green's Novel From Paramount TV. Deadline Hollywood. March 6, 2019. May 9, 2018. February 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220217101606/https://deadline.com/2018/05/hulu-looking-for-alaska-limited-series-josh-schwartz-based-john-green-novel-paramount-tv-1202386880/. live.
  3. Web site: Looking for Alaska Series Adaptation Set for October Launch on Hulu. TVLine. Rebecca. Iannucci. June 1, 2019. July 27, 2019. May 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220524073645/https://tvline.com/2019/06/01/looking-for-alaska-premiere-date-hulu-limited-series/. live.
  4. Web site: Ferguson . LaToya . October 18, 2019 . 'Looking For Alaska' Review: The Throwback Teen Drama the Genre Needs . July 16, 2022 . . July 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716045229/https://www.indiewire.com/2019/10/hulu-looking-for-alaska-john-green-josh-schwartz-1202183051/ . live .
  5. Bucksbaum . Sydney . First look at Hulu's Looking For Alaska shows Miles and Alaska's first connection . . July 19, 2022 . July 23, 2019 . July 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220719045944/https://ew.com/tv/2019/07/23/hulu-looking-for-alaska-first-look-photos/ . live .
  6. Web site: Green . John Green . Looking for Alaska . . July 19, 2022 . September 10, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220910095709/https://www.johngreenbooks.com/looking-for-alaska . live .
  7. Web site: Interview with Josh Schwartz . Summer 2007 . 15 September 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20100115063036/http://www.buzzsugar.com/636867 . 15 January 2010 . dead .
  8. Web site: John Green New York Times Bestselling Author - Movie Questions . 15 September 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130622024125/http://johngreenbooks.com/movie-questions/ . 22 June 2013 .
  9. Web site: Fault in Our Stars Writers, Producers Reuniting for Next John Green Adaptation (Exclusive) . . February 27, 2015 . 27 February 2015 . February 28, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150228094556/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/fault-stars-writers-producers-reuniting-777940 . live .
  10. Web site: Sarah Polley will adapt and direct John Green's Looking for Alaska. Entertainment Weekly's EW.com. 14 May 2015. October 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211025083220/https://ew.com/article/2014/06/26/john-green-looking-alaska-sarah-polley/. live.
  11. Web site: Breakdown Express. talentrep.breakdownexpress.com. 2016-01-22. March 22, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230322062426/https://breakdownexpress.com/login.cfm?kickedOut=%2Fprojects%2Findex%2Ecfm%3Fview%3Dbreakdowns%26action%3Ddetails%26breakdown%3D451129. live.
  12. Rebecca Thomas to direct adaptation of John Green's Looking for Alaska . Entertainment Weekly . 24 June 2015 . 26 June 2015 . June 26, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150626003443/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/24/rebecca-thomas-direct-adaptation-john-greens-looking-alaska . live .
  13. Web site: John Green's Looking for Alaska will film in Michigan this fall. On Location Vacations. 2016-01-22. Christine. August 8, 2015. October 24, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20211024085620/https://onlocationvacations.com/2015/08/08/john-greens-looking-for-alaska-will-film-in-michigan-this-fall/. dead.
  14. Web site: John Green Looking for Alaska Movie Doomed . . June 17, 2021 . September 21, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170921095050/http://www.mtv.com/news/2742735/john-green-looking-for-alaska-movie-doomed/ . dead .
  15. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'Looking For Alaska': Kristine Froseth & Charlie Plummer Set As Leads In Hulu Limited Series. Deadline Hollywood. April 6, 2019. October 30, 2018. November 9, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201109025352/https://deadline.com/2018/10/looking-for-alaska-kristine-froseth-charlie-plummer-set-as-leads-in-hulu-limited-series-1202492255/. live.
  16. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'Looking For Alaska': Hulu Limited Series Adds Six To Cast. Deadline Hollywood. April 6, 2019. March 21, 2019. November 3, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20201103075313/https://deadline.com/2019/03/looking-for-alaska-hulu-limited-series-cast-denny-love-sofia-vassillieva-jay-lee-landry-bender-uriah-shelton-jordon-connor-1202579584/. live.
  17. Web site: Petski. Denise. 'Looking For Alaska': Timothy Simons & Ron Cephas Jones Join Hulu Limited Series. Deadline Hollywood. April 24, 2019. April 5, 2019. August 5, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200805024309/https://deadline.com/2019/04/looking-for-alaska-timothy-simons-ron-cephas-jones-cast-in-hulu-limited-series-1202589200/. live.
  18. Web site: 'Looking For Alaska': Rachel Matthews & Henry Zaga To Recur In Hulu Limited Series. Deadline Hollywood. Denise. Petski. May 8, 2019. May 8, 2019. February 25, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210225110154/https://deadline.com/2019/05/looking-for-alaska-rachel-matthews-henry-zaga-recur-hulu-limited-series-1202610185/. live.
  19. Web site: Looking for Louisiana in 'Looking for Alaska'. nola.com. October 15, 2019 . June 25, 2022. June 25, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220625162850/https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/movies_tv/article_1167fa92-ec4f-11e9-9d25-4f6cad23e863.html. live.
  20. Web site: What's new on CBC Gem in April 2020 CBC Television. January 25, 2021. April 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200402050158/https://www.cbc.ca/television/what-s-new-on-cbc-gem-in-april-2020-1.5515491. live.
  21. Ginsberg . Gab . Hulu's 'Looking For Alaska' Soundtrack Features The Strokes, Modest Mouse: See Full Track List (Exclusive) . . July 19, 2022 . October 11, 2019 . July 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220719054916/https://www.billboard.com/culture/tv-film/looking-for-alaska-soundtrack-track-list-8532590/ . live .
  22. Web site: Various artists . Looking for Alaska (Music from the Original Series) . . July 19, 2022 . October 18, 2019 . July 19, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220719054916/https://open.spotify.com/album/4hRgz8S5EEyuVn2vUGwubS . live .
  23. Web site: Looking for Alaska: Season 1 (2019) . September 21, 2021 . . October 30, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191030081927/https://rottentomatoes.com/tv/looking_for_alaska/s01 . live .
  24. Web site: Looking for Alaska: Season 1 . October 18, 2019 . . October 2, 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20201002132248/https://www.metacritic.com/tv/looking-for-alaska/season-1 . live .
  25. Web site: VanArendonk . Kathryn . October 8, 2019 . Looking for Alaska Is the Rare Adaptation That Improves on the Original . July 16, 2022 . Vulture . July 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716045232/https://www.vulture.com/2019/10/looking-for-alaska-hulu-miniseries-review.html . live .
  26. Web site: Nicholson . Rebecca . October 19, 2018 . Looking for Alaska review – is this Dawson's Creek throwback too wholesome for Gen Z? . July 16, 2022 . . July 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716045232/https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2019/oct/19/looking-for-alaska-review-is-this-dawsons-creek-throwback-too-wholesome-for-gen-z . live .
  27. Sepinwall . Alan . October 9, 2019 . 'Looking for Alaska' Review: High-School Melodrama Done Right . July 16, 2022 . . July 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716045229/https://www.rollingstone.com/tv-movies/tv-movie-reviews/looking-for-alaska-review-896193/ . live .
  28. Web site: Framke . Caroline . October 15, 2019 . TV Review: 'Looking for Alaska' . July 16, 2022 . . August 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220812084028/https://variety.com/2019/tv/reviews/looking-for-alaska-review-hulu-john-green-2-1203368328/ . live .
  29. Web site: Radulovic . Petrana . October 28, 2019 . Hulu's Looking for Alaska overcomes 15 years of contentious John Green fandom . July 16, 2022 . . July 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716045229/https://www.polygon.com/2019/10/28/20932248/hulu-looking-for-alaska-john-green-tumblr-fandom . live .
  30. Web site: Fienberg . Daniel . October 10, 2019 . 'Looking for Alaska': TV Review . July 16, 2022 . . July 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220716045229/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-reviews/looking-alaska-review-1245903/ . live .

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