Looking for Alaska (miniseries)
A teen seeks the Great Perhaps at a boarding school.
Looking for Alaska is a teen drama miniseries from Josh Schwartz, adapting John Green's 2005 novel. After Paramount Pictures shelved a film version, Hulu ordered eight episodes. Starring Charlie Plummer and Kristine Froseth, it debuted on October 18, 2019, earning praise for its writing, acting, and fidelity to the book.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Teen drama; Tragedy
- Based on
- Looking for Alaska, John Green
- Creator
- Josh Schwartz
- Music
- Siddhartha Khosla
- Country
- United States
- Language
- English
- Episodes
- 8
- Producer
- Samson Mücke
- Mark Rowen
- Kirk A. Moore
Facts from the source article.
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | So Here We Are | 3:51 |
| 2 | I Will Follow You into the Dark / (Death Cab For Cutie cover) | 3:53 |
| 3 | Ask Me Anything | 3:09 |
| 4 | To Be Alone with You / (Sufjan Stevens cover) | 2:53 |
| 5 | Crosses | 2:41 |
| 6 | Orange Sky / (Alexi Murdoch cover) | 4:58 |
| 7 | Macarena / (Los Del Rio Bayside Boys cover) | 3:25 |
| 8 | With Arms Outstretched | 3:42 |
| 9 | Salvation / (Black Rebel Motorcycle Club cover) | 3:52 |
| 10 | The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth | 5:45 |
| 11 | Take Me Out / (Franz Ferdinand cover) | 3:38 |
| 12 | An Honest Mistake / (the Bravery cover) | 3:48 |
| 13 | The World at Large | 4:32 |
| 14 | Looking for Alaska Score Suite | 5:10 |
| Total length | 55:23 | |
Track listing from the source article.
Premise
Miles Halter, a teenage boy obsessed with famous last words, enrolls at Culver Creek Academy in Alabama to find "the Great Perhaps," a concept inspired by the last words of poet Francois Rabelais. There he befriends his roommate Chip "The Colonel" Martin, who introduces him to Alaska Young, with whom he falls in love, and Takumi Hikohito. Through his new life, Miles learns about life, love, and letting go.
Production
Paramount Pictures acquired the film rights to the novel in 2005, but the adaptation was repeatedly delayed. Josh Schwartz was initially attached to write and direct, but Paramount shelved the project. In 2015, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber were announced as writers and executive producers, with Sarah Polley writing the screenplay and Rebecca Thomas set to direct. Filming was planned for fall in Michigan, then early 2016, but was again shelved.
In May 2018, Hulu ordered an eight-episode limited series from Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage, with Schwartz as showrunner. Charlie Plummer and Kristine Froseth were cast as leads in October 2018. Additional cast members were announced in March and April 2019. The series was primarily shot in Louisiana, with locations including a Piggly Wiggly in Independence, Miss Ann's Fast Food in Amite, and Solomon Episcopal Conference Center in Loranger standing in for the school.
Reception
The miniseries holds a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 36 reviews, with an average rating of 8.5/10, and a Metacritic score of 72 out of 100 based on 10 critics. Critics praised the writing, performances, visuals, soundtrack, and directing. Kathryn VanArendonk of Vulture called it a rare adaptation that improves on the original, while IndieWire's LaToya Ferguson gave it an "A" and highlighted Charlie Plummer's performance. The Guardian's Rebecca Nicholson gave three out of five stars, calling the young cast excellent and Emmy-worthy.
More in 2010s American Drama Television Miniseries
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