Little Fires Everywhere showrunner Liz Tigelaar on the challenges of adapting the hit novel

Adapting a bestselling novel for television is never an easy task, especially when it requires setting a home on fire. “Burning down a house is a big deal,” says Little Fires Everywhere showrunner Liz Tigelaar. “There are things, sometimes, you can write in a book that’s just like a quick little sentence. But when you have to see it on screen, you’re like, ‘okay, we’ve got to make this work.’” Luckily, Tigelaar had a stellar team by her side to bring Celeste Ng’s hit novel to life, including Kerry Washington and Reese Witherspoon who both executive produce the series and star in lead roles. Back in January at the Television Critics Association press tour, we sat down with Tigelaar to dive into the challenges of adapting Little Fires Everywhere into a limited series for Hulu. The showrunner also touched on the thematic potency of the series’ Shaker Heights, OH setting, explained how director Lynn Shelton was brought on board, and revealed how a subplot was inspired by the painful realities of the Brett Kavanaugh hearings.