Damn it, just looking at the cover for Stephanie Danler’s SWEETBITTER novel is making me thirsty for a glass of red. I mean, I could deal without the jagged bits of glass carving up my insides, but nonetheless, it’s wine-o-clock somewhere, right? Pardon me for a moment, won’t you? Ah, that’s better, but shh, I’m still on the clock.
Today, it’s been announced that Brad Pitt‘s Plan B productionhas won the bidding-war to develop a potential half-hour drama based on Danler’s above mentioned novel. The story of SWEETBITTER follows a 22-year-old named Tess who, shortly after arriving in New York, lands a job at a celebrated downtown restaurant. Swiftly introduced to the world of drugs, alcohol, love, lust, dive bars and fine dining, she learns to navigate the chaotically alluring, yet punishing life she has stumbled upon.
Danler’s novel chronicles her own real-life experience with regard to moving to The Big Apple. Positioned as a fish-out-water/coming-of-age tale, SWEETBITTER will explore the seedy underbelly of high-end dining, while showcasing a series of pitfalls that come from getting swallowed up in the shady and potentially dangerous practices of New York’s restaurant elite. Danler herself wrote the script with Stu Zircherman attached to develop the writings alongside her.
Ack! We’ve all seeen Ryan Reynold’s WAITING, right? If that’s what happens behind-the-scenes of fast food establishments, I can only imagine what goes down behind the closed kitchen doors of a fancy-AF restaurant. As someone who’s lived in New York for over 36 years, I can tell you first hand to never screw with the people who serve your food. New Yorkers are a devious and vengeful lot, and if you’re not careful, they’ll serve you more than “special sauce” with your meal.
You can expect to hear more about SWEETBITTER and when it will premiere on Starz in the months to come.