Hulu to Develop ‘Little Fires Everywhere’ With Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington

Hulu will develop Little Fires Everywhere, a limited series from Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington, based on Celeste Ng’s 2017 book. The project will be produced by Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, Washington’s Simpson Street and ABC Signature Studios. Witherspoon and Washington will also star.

Liz Tigelaar will write the project and be showrunner and executive producer.

“Celeste wove a beautiful, riveting story that spoke to all of us, and when we heard the vision Reese, Kerry and Liz have for the series, we knew immediately that we had to bring it to Hulu,” said Hulu chief content officer Joel Stillerman. “We’re honored to bring this powerful story to the screen with Hello Sunshine, in their first studio project. This is exactly the type of compelling and culturally relevant content that embodies our Hulu Originals brand.”

Little Fires Everywhere follows the fates of the picture-perfect Richardson family and an enigmatic mother and daughter who upend their lives. The story explores what Hulu calls “the ferocious pull of motherhood.”

“At Hello Sunshine, we strive to shine a light on female-driven stories that are rooted in inspiration, emotion and truth--all of which form the bedrock of Celeste Ng's ingenious work,” says Witherspoon. “Hulu has a rich history of transforming groundbreaking literature into groundbreaking television, and we are confident that their talented team will use this story to spur a long-overdue dialogue around race, class, and what it means to be a mother. With Kerry Washington, Liz Tigelaar and now Hulu, Hello Sunshine has brought together a dream lineup of creative collaborators, and we are privileged and humbled to have the opportunity to work with them to bring this important project to life.”

Tigelaar most recently was executive producer and showrunner of Hulu original series Casual. She will executive produce Little Fires Everywhere alongside Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine, and Washington for Simpson Street, with Pilar Savone overseeing the project for their shingle.

“As producers, we at Simpson Street are so proud to be part of this team to tell this extraordinary story inspired by Celeste Ng’s phenomenal novel and we are thrilled to be embarking on this journey with Hulu,” said Washington. “As an actress, I am floored to have the opportunity to work alongside Reese Witherspoon exploring the rich themes of this story playing these dynamic characters.”

Hulu original series include Catch-22, Castle Rock, The Handmaid’s Tale and The Looming Tower.

“We’re thrilled to be in business with these incredible women, each a powerhouse in her own right. This is another example of an exciting partnership for ABC Signature as we continue to build our production slate in the streaming space. We’re excited to have another project with our friends at Hulu, which is an ideal home for this project,” said Patrick Moran, president, ABC Studios/ABC Signature.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.