Social pariahs and climbers fall hook, line, and sinker for love and deceit in the Starz adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons. The latest in the line of steamy interpretations of the iconic romance novel written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos in 1782, love really proves to be ageless no matter who wields it as a weapon. One of fall’s most highly anticipated new series, read on to find out how to watch Dangerous Liaisons.
The updated take on the iconic love story and characters is courtesy of series creator Harriet Warner (Tell Me Your Secrets). A love-fueled fever dream of deception in high society, the upcoming series serves as an origin story for how the conniving Marquise de Merteuil and immoral Vicomte de Valmont came to set fire on not only each other’s lives but everyone around them in Paris amidst treacherous affairs. While the series may be compared with the 1988 film under the same name, the series often emulates the campy, slick vibes of yet another adaptation of Dangerous Liaisons, Cruel Intentions. The 1998 cult classic stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Reese Witherspoon, and Ryan Phillippe as vicious high schoolers and this adaptation pays homage to the over-the-top film with its own parade of catfights, rendezvous, and vulgar deeds.
The famous story surrounding plots of revenge in pre-Revolution Paris may be familiar to most thanks to Glenn Close and John Malkovich bringing Merteuil and Valmont to life in the critically acclaimed 1988 film. Unable to admit their true feelings for each other, the pair conspire to ruin other people’s lives in ways of seduction and extra-marital affairs. The film co-stars Michelle Pfeiffer as the married Madame de Tourvel whom Valmont plans to seduce just for the fun of it, and Merteuil ups the ante by saying she will finally give into temptation and be with him if he is successful. The film was nominated for numerous Academy Awards including a Best Actress nomination for Close, and it went on to win three, including Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.
In the upcoming period drama on Starz, the prequel origin story focuses on how Merteuil and Valmont came to be such volatile, embittered souls living in wealth and misery. Alice Englert (Ratched) is taking on the role Glenn Close made famous as her younger self, Camille. Yet to be living a life of glamour, she claws her way into high society with dreams of becoming a force to be reckoned with. Nicholas Denton (Glitch) co-stars as the illustrious and cruel Pascal Valmont, and the pair fight their feelings for each other while using others to get what they want.
The rest of the cast features actress Leslie Manville (Let Him Go) as Geneviève de Merteuil, Kosar Ali (Rocks) as Victoire, Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) as Jacqueline de Montrachet, Paloma Faith (Pennyworth) as Florence de Régnier, Michael McElhatton (Game of Thrones) as Jean de Merteuil, Nathanael Saleh as Azolan, and Hakeem Kae-Kazim (Black Sails) as Majordome. If you’re interested in the series, check out details related to the premiere date, trailer, plot, and more below.
When and Where to Watch Dangerous Liaisons
Dangerous Liaisons will premiere Sunday, November 6 on the Starz network at 8 p.m. ET with the episode “Love and War.” Season 1 contains a total of 8 episodes, and each one will be aired weekly on Sunday nights through its finale on December 25, 2022. Episodes will be made available to stream on the Starz streaming platform after they've aired. Viewers will need appropriate cable subscriptions that include Starz to watch the series. Viewers can also subscribe to a premium Hulu subscription with a Starz add-on on option for 8.99/month. Episodes can additionally be purchased after airing on platforms such as iTunes, Amazon Video, and Google Play.
Watch the Trailer for Dangerous Liaisons
The trailer for Dangerous Liaisons is a decadent affair as individuals dip their feet into forbidden love and cruel punishments. Camille and Valmont are first introduced in the trailer as two, power-hungry socialites desperately in love with one another. As Camille asks to be taken away from her drab life, other plots of deceit are laid out and the pair quickly find themselves at odds with one another. The trailer hints at Camille’s ultimate rise to power, and also gives a sneak peek of other messy love triangles and sordid affairs that threaten to squander her dreams of grandeur.
What to Expect in Dangerous Liaisons
Expect lots of broken hearts and rage in the upcoming adaptation of the classic romance novel. While the series focuses on both the younger versions of Camille and Valmont, it's primarily an origin story of one woman’s ascent to prominence as her happiness descents. Throughout the past several years period romance dramas have continued to rise in demand, and the series is yet another extravagant period piece with grand ballrooms, sky-high wigs, and clever modern inflictions to its dialogue. If you’re in need of escapism and want to jump from your living room couch into lavish parties, Dangerous Liaisons is the show for you.
Other Titles Like Dangerous Liaisons to Watch
Bridgerton (2020-present) - This Netflix original puts all the other romance dramas to shame. Bridgerton hurls love triangles and scandals a mile a minute and follows the Bridgerton family in their quest for marriage and status. Based upon the best-selling novel series written by Julia Quinn, the series is set in the Recency era in London and dedicates each season to a different Bridgerton sibling as they try to find love. Season 1 proved to be dynamite as it features Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor)as she falls in love with the ever-elusive Duke, Simone Basset (Regé-Jean Page). The series set records for the most watched original Netflix series, and Season 2 went on to focus on the eldest Bridgerton son Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) as he falls for Kate Sharma (Simone Ashley). The upcoming season three will yet again star another Bridgerton sibling on the hunt for marriage, this time around featuring Colin (Luke Newton) and his love story with Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan).
The Gilded Age (2022-present) - Backstabbers and petty coats wield rumors and money like deadly weapons in the HBO Max original, The Gilded Age. A runaway hit thanks to some truly stunning mansions and larger-than-life performances at the behest of renowned divas, The Gilded Age has all the killer ingredients for a period-piece extravaganza. Set in New York City during what is known as the American Gilded Age, it is out with the old and in with the new as old money reckons with fresh faces hungry for power in the city that never sleeps. It’s 1882, and the young, poor Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson) is forced to move in with her aunts in New York City in the wake of her father’s death. Christina Baranski (The Good Fight) and Cynthia Nixon (Sex and the City) play her aunts, Agnes van Rhijn and Ada Brook respectively, and while Agnes is stuck in her old ways and unwilling to welcome change, Ada is all for it. The series also features Carrie Coon (The Leftovers) and Morgan Spector (The Plot Against America) as the wealthy Bertha and George Russell, and despite the cold welcome from various older New York socialites, the younger couple aims to break through into high society.
Harlots (2017-2019) - If it’s lust and illicit affairs you crave, Harlots has got it. Nasty women and corruption rule the Hulu original series, and the dark period drama is too often slept on when viewers go on the hunt for their next historical romance obsession. Traveling back in time to the 1760s in a dirty, violent London, the series focuses on the various brothels in the city run by women to claim some independence in the workforce. Various brothels compete to be number one in vicious ways, and the ruthless madams Margaret Wells (Samantha Morton) and Lydia Quigley (Leslie Manville) face off with brutal schemes in attempts to rule over the city and deny men all the power they crave.