Oscar-nominated actor Jesse Eisenberg is set to star alongside Lizzy Caplan in Fleishman Is in Trouble, a new limited FX series. Eisenberg will be playing the titular character in the on-screen adaptation of Taffy Brodesser-Akner’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name.
The show will tell the story of Toby Fleishman (Eisenberg), a man in his 40s that is just putting himself back out there following a divorce from his wife. The divorcee quickly discovers the world of online dating and fully immerses himself, soon finding that he is more in demand than he was in the dating pool prior to his marriage all those years ago. The Manhattanite prepares to ship off on his first single summer in decades but his activities are quickly halted when his ex-wife, Rachel, mysteriously vanishes. Her disappearance leaves Toby alone with the couple’s children as he searches for any clues as to where she went and when/if she will return. The newly eligible bachelor must now juggle being a full-time parent, reconnecting with old friends, transitioning into a long-awaited promotion at the hospital he works at as a hepatologist, and, of course, the world of single women in New York City. Toby quickly comes to realize that to discover what happened to his ex-wife, he’ll need to focus his lens on why their marriage fell apart to begin with.
Eisenberg’s co-star, Caplan, will appear in the series as the narrator, Libby. She and Toby were close friends, but lost touch over the years. Now that Toby’s time has opened up, he is reconnecting with old friends, Libby included. Formerly holding a position working for a men’s magazine, Libby has since quit her job and writing in general to focus on being a stay-at-home mom.
Author Brodesser-Akner will spearhead the series as head writer and also serve as executive producer alongside Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, and Susannah Grant. Additionally, Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris will executive produce as well as direct several episodes of the limited series. The show will be under the production of ABC Signature and will air on FX on Hulu.
Eisenberg, known for his Oscar-nominated role in 2010’s The Social Network, as well as films such as Zombieland and Now You See Me, is gearing up for the upcoming film, When You Finish Saving the World, which he wrote, and will be his directorial debut.
Currently, there is no air date for Fleishman is in Trouble, but we will keep you up to date as details emerge.