Mara Brock Akil, known for producing and writing series like The Game and Being Mary Jane will be writing a Netflix series adaptation of Judy Blume’s Forever. According to Today, this series was first announced as in development by Netflix in September 2021. Brock Akil will act as an executive producer and showrunner for this series.
Forever, written by Judy Blume, was published in 1975. And, according to Goodreads, it was controversial due to its sexual content. Forever is a book that was intended for an older audience, which set it apart from Blume’s other books like Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, and Freckle Juice.
Forever follows Katherine and Michael, who meet at a party and quickly fall in love. However, Katherine’s parents urge the two to test the strength of that love by spending the summer apart.
In a statement, Brock Akil said:
Judy Blume’s ability to capture the real emotions we experience during the various rites of passage of our youth influenced my life choices and writing voice. I’m honored to reimagine one of my favorite books, ‘Forever.’ I am thrilled to have the opportunity of a lifetime to partner with a childhood icon and bring this story to my Netflix home, where the idea of your first love being with you ‘Forever’ is shared with the world through the lens of Black love.
Mara Brock Akil
According to Today, the Netflix adaptation of Forever is a reimagining of the novel. The logline for the series is “an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts.”
Currently, the series is in pre-production, so we’ll have to wait just a bit longer for its premiere!
