If you were searching high and low for your next rom-com watch, the search is over. Enter: Netflix’s Forever, an adaptation of Judy Blume’s 1975 novel of the same name that puts Black love at the forefront.
In April of 2024, it was announced that star producer Mara Brock Akil, known for her work on anything from Girlfriends to Moesha, had been tapped to reimagine Blume’s best-seeling story for the small screen as executive producer and showrunner. (Regina King is also on board as an executive producer and will also serve as director for the first episode.)
According to Brock Akil, the upcoming show will examine “the idea of your first love being with you forever,” and it will do so by telling the story of two Black teens in 2028 Los Angeles.
“I’m honored to reimagine one of my favorite books, Forever,” Brock Akil told Tudum when the project was first announced. “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.”
If that alone has piqued your interest, buckle up because we finally have our first look at Netflix’s Forever adaptation. Keep reading for everything we know so far about the show.
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Does Netflix’s Forever adaptation have a release date?
At the time of writing, Netflix has yet to lock in an official date for Forever, but it is “coming soon,” so you can expect it sometime in 2025.
What will Netflix’s Forever be about?
Netflix’s official synopsis for Forever is as follows: “Judy Blume’s groundbreaking 1975 novel, Forever, is being reimagined for a new generation by Mara Brock Akil. It’s an epic love story of two Black teens exploring romance and their identities through the awkward journey of being each other’s firsts, set in Los Angeles, 2018.”
Who is in the cast of Netflix’s Forever?
Forever will star Lovie Simone and Michael Cooper Jr. in the titular roles of Keisha Clark and Justin Edwards. Keisha is described as “a young, confident, smart, and fiery track star with clear dreams for life after high school,” while Justin is “a nerd at heart disguised in an athlete’s body” who “dreams of playing D1 basketball and achieving more than his successful parents.”
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Isaiah Trickey
Additional casting includes Karen Pittman as Justin’s strict but loving mother, Dawn, and Wood Harris as Justin’s restaurateur father, Eric. Marvin Lawrence Winans III brings to life Justin’s younger brother Jaden.
