Frances McDormand and Bill Murray star in trailer for HBO’s Olive Kitteridge

HBO has been one of the premier destinations for original programming for over twenty years ranging from mini-series to films and documentaries. Recently, the mini-series THE NORMAL HEART and MILDRED PIERCE received critical acclaim and HBO hopes to do it again with the adaptation of OLIVE KITTERIDGE.

Directed by THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT filmmaker Lisa Chodolenko and based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, OLIVE KITTERIDGE stars a top notch cast that includes Frances McDormand, Richard Jenkins, Bill Murray, and Zoe Kazan.

OLIVE KITTERIDGE tells the poignantly sweet, acerbically funny and devastatingly tragic story of a seemingly placid New England town wrought with illicit affairs, crime and tragedy, told through the lens of Olive, whose wicked wit and harsh demeanor mask a warm but troubled heart and staunch moral center. Richard Jenkins portrays Olive’s husband Henry. The story, which spans 25 years, focuses on her relationships with her husband, Henry, the good-hearted and kindly town pharmacist; their son Christopher, who resents his mother’s approach to parenting; and other members of their community.

The powerful cast makes you wonder how this was not released cinematically, which leads me to believe the sprawling story may be too large for a two hour running time. But you can instantly tell from the newly released trailer that there are some powerful performances coming, especially from McDormand in the title role.

OLIVE KITTERIDGE has already played at some film festivals and returned with good reviews. You can check it out for yourself when it debuts on HBO on November 2nd and 3rd.