A Man in Full is based on The New York Times bestselling novel by the respected author and journalist Tom Wolfe. The adaptation of the novel follows real estate giant Charlie Croker, played by Jeff Daniels, in a struggle for survival after the collapse of his business. The highly anticipated project will be carefully scrutinized by fans of Wolfe hoping that the adaptation, coming to Netflix on May 2, will match the quality of the book.
A Man in Full Plot Summary and First Thoughts
The series adaptation of A Man in Full is set to follow the novel’s plot, the story of a business mogul who finds his empire slowly being taken away from him. Against the backdrop of potential race riots in Atlanta, Charlie Croker is facing bankruptcy, while his wife tries to maintain her position in high society without him. Other players in the story include Ray Peepgrass, taking advantage of Croker’s bad fortune, and Conrad Hensley, a young prisoner who discovers philosophy while in prison.
The book was the second one from Wolfe, after the success of The Bonfire of the Vanities, however the film version of this novel was an unmitigated disaster, and there will no doubt be many who remember that particular flop. Hopefully, lessons about adapting this kind of novel have been learned, and the first encouraging proof of this is that Netflix has opted to make this a six-episode series, giving plenty of space for the story to be told.
A Man in Full | Image via Netflix
The project is also in good hands, as the showrunners include David E. Kelley and Regina King, and with an A-list cast too, there is a lot of talent on board. Finally, the teaser trailers imply a layered story with a lot of drama and intrigue, without giving too much away about the plot. A Man in Full looks like a confident, well-crafted show and a possible winner for Netflix.
A Man in Full Cast
A Man in Full has a star-studded lineup, and the cast is clearly one of the main attractions here.
- Jeff Daniels is Charlie Croker, the man at the heart of the drama.
- Diane Lane is playing Charlie’s wife Martha.
- Sarah Jones plays Serina, Charlie’s second wife.
- Lucy Liu plays Joyce Newman, a successful business owner.
- Tom Pelphrey plays Ray Peepgrass, a loan officer with a seedy demeanor and petty vices.
- William Jackson Harper plays the Mayor of Atlanta, up for re-election.
- Aml Ameen plays Charlie’s lawyer, Roger White.
How many episodes will A Man in Full have?
A Man in Full will have six episodes, which should give the story the space it needs to be properly adapted. It will be a limited series and all of the episodes will be available to stream on the release date of May 2, 2024.
A Man in Full is based on a book
A Man in Full is the second novel by Tom Wolfe, after the hugely popular Bonfire of the Vanities. Upon its long-anticipated release, it received critical praise initially, but criticism would come from other American authors, including Norman Mailer and John Updike. Wolfe would address this criticism in another book called Hooked Up, which was a collection of essays, many of which had been printed in magazines.
Wolfe was part of the New Journalism movement in the US, using many literary techniques in his writing, and his novels were often satirical, reflecting current trends in society. Wolfe died in 2018 at the age of 88.
