In 2020, Daisy Edgar-Jones and Paul Mescal burst onto the scene in Hulu’s take on Sally Rooney’s bestselling novel, Normal People. Since then, they’ve both become major names, and for Edgar-Jones specifically, she’s gone on to make even more successful book-to-screen adaptations. So, while interviewing her about her new film on the 2025 movie schedule, which is based on the novel On Swift Horses, I had to ask how the Hulu hit impacts her work on other adaptations.
When I watched the book-to-screen adaptation of Shannon Pufahl’s On Swift Horses, I couldn’t help but reminisce on the other projects Edgar-Jones has done that are based on books. From the box office and streaming hit Where the Crawdads Sing to one of the best true crime series of 2022, Under the Banner of Heaven, it’s an impressive list. However, I was mostly thinking about Normal People. So, I asked her if that 2020 show has impacted how she makes adaptations today, and in response, she said:
I think they really have impacted how I kind of approach book adaptations now. Because I think, especially when I was approaching Normal People, it was such a zeitgeist-y book at that time, and I was really like, ‘Oh my gosh. I really feel quite a lot of pressure to get this right.’
Well, they got it right, and to this day, people use their Hulu subscription to stream Normal People, and the book is still widely read. So, it makes sense that she felt the pressure. However, they crafted something beautiful and captured the tone of Marianne and Connell’s love story perfectly.
That is the lesson the Twisters actress took with her, too, as she told me:
But I think what that taught me was what you need to try and do is capture the tone of that story, I think, and what you felt when you read it. And so now it helps me feel a lot more free.
Clearly, she did this immaculately in Normal People, seeing as people like me still talk about it and are moved by it. It’s so loved, Edgar-Jones has been asked about a potential Season 2, and Paul Mescal has been asked about playing Connell again, too, proving the immense love people have for this adaptation.
At this point, Daisy Edgar-Jones is a pro at capturing a character who originated in a book. She’s also done it again with her newest film, On Swift Horses. Speaking specifically about how Normal People impacted her work on this piece of historical fiction, the actress said:
So when I read this book, I found it so beautiful. But I was really excited to see how you then kind of absorb it all, and then kind of let go of it, so that you can just try and capture the tone. And really, it's about pairing the filmmaker with the material, I think. And [director Daniel Minahan] is so perfect for this adaptation, he just got those characters and the story so well.
They certainly did a good job. Like Normal People, On Swift Horses is a deeply emotional story about people coming of age. However, this story is set right after the Korean War, not in the modern day. It explores ideas of sexuality, gambling, luck and love, and it’s a beautiful and sweeping tale.
Overall, I think this movie is another example of a wonderful piece of work from Daisy Edgar-Jones, and it seems like she should keep with her adaptation game, as she said:
I seem to always be doing book adaptations.
Now, if you are looking to see these adaptations for yourself, you can purchase the books these projects are based on wherever you buy your novels. If you want to watch the projects, Normal People is on Hulu, and On Swift Horses is playing in theaters right now.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
