New HBO series "The Time Traveler's Wife": what is known about the project

What's the story about?

For television, Audrey Niffeneger's eponymous and much-loved novel was adapted by Steven Moffat ("Doctor Who," "Sherlock"). Its plot follows the mysterious and magical love story of Claire and Henry and their marriage, with one problem - time travel.

Who plays the roles?

Rose Leslie ("Game of Thrones") as Claire Abshire. She's fearless, smart and energetic - and has kept a magical secret most of her life. Since the age of six, Claire has had an imaginary friend: a kind and cheerful man, sometimes old, sometimes young, who appears in the woods behind her house and tells her stories about the future. Mystic Henry's visits are highlights of her dull childhood. As the years pass and she transforms into a beautiful young woman, she begins to realize that her friend is not just a figment of her imagination, he is a time traveler visiting her from the future. And he's not just from the good old future, he's from her future. Claire, indeed, meets her fate. One day she meets a young man named Henry Detumble, whom she immediately recognizes, but doesn't want him to recognize her so she can become the time traveler's wife.

Theo James ("Divergent") as Henry Detumble. Since the age of eight, Henry has been traveling through time. It's not a superpower, it's a condition; he can't control it. Sometimes when Henry is stressed, and sometimes for no reason, he drops out of the current moment and appears naked in the past or the future. One minute he's making breakfast, and the next minute he appears naked at a party in 1973. For how long he might be stuck there, he never knows. His life is a roller coaster ride of constant danger and anxiety. It all goes on until he meets a redheaded beauty in the library where he works. Her name is Claire Abshire, and even though he hasn't seen her before, she claims to have known him all his life. Eventually his "curse" brings him something good, Claire and Henry connect.

In addition to Rose Leslie and Theo James, the HBO series stars Desmin Borges as Gomez, Natasha Lopez as Cherisse, Michael Park as Phillip Ebshire, Jamie Ray Newman as Lucille Ebshire, Kate Siegel as Annette Detumble and more.

Who is behind the filming?

All six episodes of the new series were directed by David Nutter ("Game of Thrones", "The Sopranos"). He also served as its executive producer, along with Steven Moffat, Sue Vercia ("Sherlock," "Love for Six"), Brian Minchini ("Doctor Who," "Torchwood") and Joseph E. Iberti ("Watchmen," "Underground Empire").

"It's a story of loss, but not tragedy," Moffat said of his new brainchild. "It's about a time traveler, but not of the science fiction genre. Despite Claire and Henry's complicated relationship, it's a story of great, conventional love - but not necessarily in that order. It's a dream project for me. I've always adored Audrey Niffenegger's extraordinary, touching novel, and it has inspired me many times, so adapting it for television thrilled me. Working with David Nutter is a joy and an honor at the same time. Rose Leslie and Theo James as Claire and Henry, Natasha Lopez and Desmin Borges as Cherisse and Gomez show the love story we need right now."

How did the writers resolve the ethical issue in the TV show?

In the story, Henry and Claire spend a lot of time together. Claire appears now and then as a child and now as an adult. Henry, on the other hand, travels through time always naked and cannot be affected in any way. That's why some viewers may be surprised, to say the least, by this moment, says Steven Moffat.

"There will be people - and there always are people - who distort the meaning of the book to then resent it," says the screenwriter. "If I look at a picture of my wife when she was a child, I know this adorable little girl. And I love her because I love that person ... But there's no sexual connotation to it because it's non-sexual. Love is more than sex. We shouldn't look at everything through the lens of desire and sex. So I guess this is a misguided discussion. It's unrealistic. People want to get angry. I challenge anyone who finds anything in a book or a movie or a TV show that suggests that is behaving inappropriately."

How did the lead actress in The Time Traveler's Wife (2009) react to the series?

Rachel McAdams, who played Claire in the film adaptation of Niffeneger's novel 13 years ago, thinks the series is more suited to the work than the film. "Adapting a book is always hard, and this is one of my favorite books, and it's always so pathetic to leave the details out. Because you have to squeeze the whole narrative into an hour and a half," the 43-year-old actress told IndieWire. She said she's excited about the opportunity to expand the show and would love to watch the series. "I don't like to revisit my own movies, but this project I'm really looking forward to," Rachel noted.