“Obvious Child” writer-director Gillian Robespierre and playwright Mathilde Dratwa have signed on to executive produce and write “Separation Anxiety,” a limited series based on Laura Zigman’s bestselling novel. Deadline broke the news. Julianne Nicholson, an alumna of “The Outsider” and “Masters of Sex” who took home an Emmy last year for her supporting role in “Mare of Easttown,” is starring in the series and also among its exec producers.
Described as “an honest and humorous portrait of a wife and mother in limbo,” the series tells the story of Judy (Nicholson). Formerly a successful children’s author “and now an anxious mother and wife, [Judy] sets out on a path to reclaim happiness on her own terms. Her first step? Carrying her beloved dog in an old baby carrier wherever she goes,” the source teases.
Wiip optioned rights to the novel.
Robespierre, whose small screen credits include “And Just Like That…,” “A Teacher,” and “Mrs. Fletcher,” is set to helm the pilot. Her last feature, 2017’s “Landline,” reteamed her with the star of “Obvious Child,” Jenny Slate. She and Slate also collaborated on “Stage Fright,” Slate’s stand-up special on Netflix.
“We’re excited to partner with Julianne and wiip to bring Laura’s insightful book to life. It’s so rare to see a midlife crisis from a female perspective. We were drawn to the novel’s humor and depth and to its honest portrayal of marriage and motherhood. Julianne will bring not only strength and capability to Judy, but honesty, vulnerability, kindness, and a fierce wit. It is a dream to collaborate with her,” said Robespierre and Dratwa.
Nicholson added, “Gillian and Mathilde are two wildly intelligent and thoughtful writers that I couldn’t be more excited to partner with. I know they will bring Judy and all her people to life in an unexpected, loving, and hilarious way. I can’t wait.”
Nicholson’s other credits include “I, Tonya,” “Boardwalk Empire,” and “August: Osage County.”
Dratwa’s plays include “Milk and Gall” and “A Play about David Mamet Writing a Play about Harvey Weinstein.”
