The Seduction Season 1: Release date news, streaming details, cast details, and more about the upcoming HBO drama

Drama lovers must gear up for a fresh twist to one of the most famous stories in French literature as The Seduction is just a few days away. What's special about this upcoming series is that it will serve as a prequel to Les Liaisons dangereuses which is known as a classic 18th-century novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos.

Instead of following the exact same story from the novel, this upcoming drama will highlight how young Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil rose to power during pre-revolutionary Paris. Despite being a key figure in the original story, Isabelle's early years aren't detailed.

But it will finally happen now with The Seduction, arriving on November 14, 2025 on HBO Max. Since the story is all about power and influence, the drama won't have too many episodes.

Season 1 is expected to have six episodes, with the last episode scheduled for December. The drama will follow a weekly release schedule, which means viewers will get a chance to go back to pre-revolutionary Paris every week.

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The Seduction release date and streaming details

HBO Max is offering readers a new take on one of the most well-known stories in French literature, Les Liaisons dangereuses, in its upcoming series coming on November 14, 2025. This new show reinvents the world of the 18th-century novel, written by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, in a fresh, modern, and feminist way.

Rather than being a retelling of the original story, The Seduction serves as a prequel, exploring how young Marquise Isabelle de Merteuil and the way she gained immense control.

Often depicted in literature as power-hungry, clever, and conniving, Isabelle's life as a young woman has never been fully explored until now. The Seduction reveals how the young Isabelle learned to navigate a world in which women were conditioned to sit quietly and obey orders rather than act with charm and humor to survive.

As mentioned above, the first chapter only has 6 episodes (each 50 minutes long) with the finale to be released on December 19 on HBO Max. This way, viewers can gradually unfold Isabelle's story.

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The Seduction plot and cast details

The Seduction is a story about a young woman trying to write her own destiny in a world created to try to repress her. The character Isabelle, played by Anamaria Vartolomei, starts out in Paris as a bright, intelligent, but underestimated young woman prior to the French Revolution.

She grows into a character with the sophistication who understands that intellect, ultimately paving the way for the powerful character established in novels such as Les Liaisons dangereuses.

Director Jessica Palud has suggested that the story is essentially an "18th-century #MeToo story," about Isabelle's independence. Palud said:

"In the book, we understand she experienced some trauma because she was taken advantage of by Valmont."

He continued:

"In 'The Seduction', we made her much more feminist. You could say that the story of Merteuil is really the #MeToo of the 18th century."

This also means that the show isn’t just about seduction in the romantic sense. It also shows how women of that era had to use whatever means they had to gain respect and control in a world dominated by men.

Other cast members in this upcoming drama include Diane Kruger as Rosemonde, Vincent Lacoste as Valmont, Emily in Paris star Lucas Bravo as Isabelle's ex-lover, Gercourt and more.

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