If you’ve ever turned straight to the Modern Love section of the New York Times on a lazy Sunday afternoon, then you’ll know that the newspaper column is home to an absolute goldmine of fascinating love stories. The personal reflections, all written by real-life readers, have the power to make you laugh, cry, and truly marvel at the powerful emotion that connects people all around the world.

You don’t need to be a diehard fan of the Times’ romance column, though, to appreciate the news that eight of those essays have inspired a brand new Amazon Prime anthology series called Modern Love. With an all-star cast, incredible wardrobe changes and a look at love in all of its complex and beautiful forms, rom-com fans looks set to have a beloved new series to binge-watch this autumn. Here’s everything we know so far…

What is the plot of Modern Love?

Modern Love follows the real-life love stories of readers in the weekly New York Times column of the same name. According to Amazon, the series looks to “explore love in all of its complicated and beautiful forms, as each standalone episode brings some of the column’s most beloved stories to life with a stellar cast.”

The anthology series will be made up of eight half-hour episodes based on Modern Love essays which have the most small-screen potential, and according to Anne Hathaway, who sung the praises of the series at a recent press event, they’re going to be well worth the wait.

“We know the ins and outs of romantic films so well. We’re almost ahead of them,” Hathaway said during the Television Critics Association’s press tour. “At the moment, as audience members I’m not sure the three-act structure is as satisfying as it was 20 years ago. So for me it was really exciting - this was a way to tell a genre of story that I love telling in a way that felt really fresh.”

Who’s in the cast of Modern Love?

Modern Love boasts such a spectacular casting that you’d be forgiven this was a big-budget blockbuster. Leading the cast is Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway, who has already given us an insight into her character who features in the first episode, titled Take Me As I Am, Whoever I Am.

“I am playing a woman who is learning how to find love while also [beginning to process having] bipolar disorder,” she said. “I was really humbled by this experience. It wrecked me for a month afterwards…[but being able to walk away from it] expanded my compassion so much for people who have no choice in this matter,” she revealed.

Meanwhile, Cristin Milioti said of her character: “Mine sticks pretty close to the original column, which is this woman got pregnant unexpectedly and the only person who is there for her is the doorman of her building and they develop this [father-daughter] relationship.”

There’s plenty of other star power in the series too, including Tina Fey (30 Rock), Catherine Keener (Get Out, Begin Again), Dev Patel (Slumdog Millionaire), Julia Garner (Ozark), Olivia Cooke (Ready Player One), John Slattery (Mad Men), and Fleabag’s “Hot Priest”, Andrew Scott.

Who’s directing Modern Love?

Not only has Modern Love attracted some of the biggest names in Hollywood, but there are plenty of stars behind the camera, too. According to Vulture, episode directors include Catastrophe’s Sharon Horgan, Shameless star Emmy Rossum and Sensation’s Tom Hall, while John Carney, who created Once, Sing Street and Begin Again, serves as the executive producer for the series. 

Is there a trailer for Modern Love?

Yes, and we get a glimpse into the many different facets of each lovers’ story, ranging from couples counselling and infidelity drama, to pregnancy struggles.

The thing that’s got everyone talking, though, is Anne Hathaway, who knows exactly how to make an entrance in the premiere episode, by way of a pink fur-trimmed coat and a fiery new hairdo. 

Is there a release date for Modern Love?

Modern Love will be available for to stream on Amazon Prime Video on 18 October. 

Images: Amazon Prime