When it comes to steamy adaptations, Dangerous Liaisons tends to be one of the most popular pieces of work. The Pierre Choderlos de Laclos novel has been reworked multiple times in the past, and there are a few adaptations to come soon. One of those is The Seduction, a French-language adaptation that you’ll want to watch if you need your steamy, historical fiction fill.
The series has been described as “a free adaptation” of the novel, and the promo for the series certainly gives us that look. In a time and world where women had little sexual freedom, this series delves into the dangers of giving into that, while also focusing a little on the plan to destroy Parisian high society as they know it.

When will The Seduction come to HBO Max?
The new series will premiere on HBO Max on Friday, Nov. 14. The Seduction is a weekly release, so don’t worry if you can’t jump straight into it. This is a series that will offer you plenty of time to catch up.
The exact time of the release can differ by show, and when Deadline announced the release, there wasn’t a confirmation of release time. It’s possible that The Seduction will be released at 3 a.m. ET/12 a.m. PT each Friday, but keep in mind that Peacemaker tended to be released later in the day. I’d say that as it’s a Friday show and not as profilic as Peacemaker that the series will get the usual early-morning drop.
What to expect from The Seduction
The series follows Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont as they put together a plan to destroy each other. Power is everything in this world, and sometimes, you need to be the villain to others just so that you can be the hero in your own story.
Merteuil has been betrayed by Valmont, and to get her own back, she decides to enter a daring journey to be the leading courtesan in Paris. That means she needs to use the power of seduction, but that usually leads to women getting a reputation that will destroy them, and it may just do that to Merteuil as she ends up in way over her head.
Based on the trailer, it looks like Merteuil will have a friend and mentor in Diane Kruger’s Madame de Rosemonde. However, I have to ask in a world of intrigue and seduction, how much can one person be trusted?

The Seduction cast
Anamaria Vartolomei will take on the role of Merteuil with Vincent Lacoste is Valmont. As already mentioned Kruger will star as Rosemonde.
The rest of the main cast is made up of:
- Lucas Bravo as Comte de Gercourt
- Noée Abita as Madame de Tourvel
- Julien de Saint-Jean as Louis de Germain
- Fantine Harduin as Cécile de Volanges
- Samuel Kircher as Chevalier Danceny
- Sandrine Blancke as Madame de Volanges
The Seduction premieres on Friday, Nov. 14 on HBO Max.
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