How a Century-Old Story Inspired the New Series Irma Vep

In its way, Olivier Assayas’ 1996 film Irma Vep has become as much of a cultural touchstone as Louis Feuillade’s Les Vampires, the silent French serial to which Assayas’ movie paid homage. Not only did the film—about the making of a contemporary Les Vampires remake—become an influential cult favorite, it gave star Maggie Cheung the best role of her career as Maggie Cheung, an actress starring as Irma Vep in an adaptation of Les Vampires. Now Assayas returns to Irma Vep for HBO, loosely adapting his film into an eight-episode limited series airing Monday nights on HBO. Starring Alicia Vikander,… Read Full Article