Dangerous Liaisons Teaser: A Seductive Prequel Series Is Coming To Starz

There's a thin line between love and war — especially when Camille and Valmont are involved. If those names are ringing a bell, then perhaps you're very well informed about classic French literature. Or maybe you just appreciate the power of an erotic thriller, because this particular romantic duo has taken to the big screen on more than one occasion.

Originating with the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, the complicated romance of Camille and Valmont has inspired countless adaptations over the years. Two of the most famous were released within a year of one another: Stephen Frears' "Dangerous Liaisons" and Miloš Forman's "Valmont." The two '80s movies boasted A-list casts, with "Dangerous Liaisons" starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Uma Thurman, while "Valmont" featured Colin Firth, Annette Bening, and Meg Tilly. Both versions stuck pretty close to the original novel, tracing the tale of two ex-lovers who hatch a deceitful scheme that, unsurprisingly, goes awry. A couple of years later, the same story served as inspiration for the '90s classic "Cruel Intentions," a modern update that made stars of Ryan Phillippe, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Michelle Gellar, and Selma Blair.

Because people failing to communicate their feelings is the most classic story of them all, "Dangerous Liaisons" is getting yet another day in the sun thanks to an upcoming eight-episode Starz series featuring Alice Englert ("The Serpent," "Beautiful Creatures"), Nicholas Denton ("The Diver"), Lesley Manville ("Phantom Thread," "The Crown"), and Carice van Houten ("Game of Thrones"). Once again, love and revenge will take center stage in 18th-century France — but this time, there's a twist. Rather than reimagining the story exactly as we've seen it so many times before, this version of "Dangerous Liaisons" is a bold prelude to the events of the novel.

"Dangerous Liaisons" follows the origin story of how the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont met as passionate young lovers. Set in Paris, on the eve of the French Revolution, the series will see the couple put their seduction and manipulation skills to great use in the hopes of getting the upper hand on both French nobles and each other.

Alice Englert and Nicholas Denton are set to star as the notorious lovers. We'll meet Englert's Camille when she's taken in by the current Marquise de Merteuil (Lesley Manville), and over the course of the season, she'll learn to navigate her own path in a world of men, using the power of secrets to take back control. Just as relentless is Denton's Valmont, who will stop at nothing to regain his title and status in aristocratic society.

Here's the series' official synopsis:

"'Dangerous Liaisons' is a bold prelude of Laclos' classic 18th century novel focusing on the origin story of how his iconic characters, the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, met as passionate young lovers in Paris on the eve of the revolution. This modern take on a classic story takes audiences through wonder and terror, beauty and degradation, seduction and deception in pre-revolutionary Paris. Driven to right the wrongs of their past, the young couple's survival depends on their skills of seduction and manipulation of not only the French nobility but of each other. Their on- again off-again love story is the heart of the series. It's not love ... it's war."

"Dangerous Liaisons" is set to premiere Sunday, November 6, 2022. New episodes will be available weekly, airing on Starz and premiering at midnight on the Starz app, all Starz streaming, and on-demand platforms.