Rachel Weisz stars in “Vladimir,” a limited series premiering on Netflix March 5, adapted from Julia May Jonas’s 2022 novel of the same name. The eight-episode comedy-drama centers on a college professor whose life is upended by an obsession with a younger colleague.
Weisz plays a literature professor whose husband is under investigation for misconduct at the school, according to reporting from the Los Angeles Times. As her personal life unravels, she finds herself increasingly fixated on Vladimir, played by Leo Woodall. The series, described as “sexy” by Netflix Tudum, explores themes of desire and obsession, flipping traditional narratives by centering a woman’s perspective.
Jonas herself wrote the pilot episode, initially without a specific actor in mind for the lead role. Weisz had read the novel after a friend recommended it, prior to receiving the script. The character, known only as “M” in the scripts, proved complex for Weisz, who found herself still grappling with her interpretation of the role even after completing post-production editing, the Los Angeles Times reported.
John Slattery and Jessica Henwick also star in the series, alongside Woodall. The adaptation aims to capture the immersive quality of Jonas’s novel, inviting viewers into the protagonist’s internal world, as described by Harper’s Bazaar. The story subverts the typical trope of an older man’s obsession with a younger woman, instead focusing on a woman’s infatuation with a younger male colleague.
The series is currently slated for release on March 5, 2026, according to Netflix and Wikipedia.
