Molly Smith Metzler talks about the inspirations for her Netflix limited series Sirens, including the identity of the series’ true villain.
Starring Oscar winner Julianne Moore, Sirens took flight in the American theater. Series creator Molly Smith Metzler first conceived of the characters and essential plot while a student at Juilliard. The resulting play, Elemeno Pea, was produced several times before eventually inspiring Metzler to expand its world. She introduced new locales and characters in addition to expanding its central themes in what would become Sirens, a 5-episode Netflix limited series.
Written by Metzler and directed by a team of female directors including Emmy winner Nicole Kassell (Watchmen), Sirens introduces Moore as Michaela “Kiki” Kell, the billionaire center of social life on an unnamed New England island. Imagine Martha’s Vineyard with a dash of Nantucket, and you’re not far off. Enter Devon (Meghann Fahy of The White Lotus) who desperately wants her sister Simone (House of the Dragon‘s Milly Alcock) to leave her coveted post as Kiki’s assistant and return to upstate New York to care for their ailing father. The dark comedy realizes a clash of cultures and explores themes of class, trauma, and the inescapable allure of wealth.
When asked about evolving her original play, Molly Smith Metzler explains the central themes originated in Elemeno Pea.
“It’s a story about sisters. It’s a story about trauma. It asks about class. Can you change your class in America? What do we owe the people who raised us?,” Metzler explains. “Who are we if we try to change where we come from? Can you change your stripes? All those questions are still in the spine of the play. So, it is fun to see it change, but it got a lot bigger and a lot deeper.”
Here, in an interview with The Contending, Molly Smith Metzler reveals the true-life inspirations for the setting and her characters. She talks about evolving the themes of the play and expanding her universe to include many more perspectives. She also talks about the great fortune of bringing Moore onboard and being blown away by Fahy and Alcock.
Finally, Metzler reveals the true villain of Sirens. It’s definitely not who you think it is, but you’ll have to listen to find out!
Click below or here to listen for more of our conversation with Sirens creator Molly Smith Metzler.
Sirens streams exclusively on Netflix.
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