In a nutshell:
A Netflix drama from legendary producer Shonda Rhimes following a journalist looking into the case of Anna Delvey, the fake heiress who conned New York’s elite.
Who will star in ‘Inventing Anna’?
Julia Garner, best known for her Emmy-winning role in Ozark as well as her masterful turn in the bone-chilling workplace thriller The Assistant, will take the lead as Anna Delvey. Veep’s Anna Chlumsky will play Vivian Kent, the journalist investigating her, and Scandal’s Katie Lowes will appear as Rachel, a friend who fell victim to Delvey’s schemes. Among those also lending support is Laverne Cox as a celebrity trainer, Arian Moayed as Delvey’s lawyer, Anders Holm as Vivian’s husband, Anna Deavere Smith as a veteran magazine journalist and Jennifer Esposito as the owner of a glamorous lifestyle brand.
Who’s writing and directing ‘Inventing Anna’?
Shonda Rhimes is Inventing Anna’s creator and showrunner, marking the first time the TV stalwart has taken the helm of a series since Scandal. The show’s other writers include Matt Byrne, Jess Brownell, Abba Ajayi and Nick Nardini, while Tom Verica, Daisy Von Scherler Mayer, Ellen Kuras, Nzingha Stewart and David Frankel are all slated to direct. When it comes to telling stories about well-heeled women taking New York by storm, the latter is something of an expert, having directed The Devil Wears Prada and episodes of both Sex and the City and The Morning Show.
What’s the plot of ‘Inventing Anna’?
The true story of Anna Sorokin, a Russian-born grifter who posed as a wealthy German heiress named Anna Delvey and swindled $275,000 from contacts and financial institutions, is packed with moments that are ripe for retelling – from lavish trips to Venice and Marrakech, to Delvey’s eventual arrest in a sting operation in 2017. Inventing Anna is billed as a fictionalised version of this now-infamous tale. The log line for the show reads: “A journalist with a lot to prove investigates the case of Anna Delvey, the Instagram-legendary German heiress who stole the hearts of New York’s social scene – and stole their money as well. But is Anna New York’s biggest con woman or is she simply the new portrait of the American Dream? Anna and the reporter form a dark, funny love-hate bond as Anna awaits trial and our reporter fights the clock to answer the biggest question in NYC: who is Anna Delvey? The series is inspired by the New York Magazine article ‘How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People’ by Jessica Pressler.” Pressler is also the author of ‘The Hustlers at Scores’, on which Lorene Scafaria’s 2019 film Hustlers is based.
What will the costumes in ‘Inventing Anna’ look like?
Anna Delvey had a well-documented penchant for Celine glasses, Gucci sandals and sheer Saint Laurent blouses, and if the early stills from the show are anything to go by, the costume department will be going all out. Expect dramatic silhouettes and show-stopping accessories.
When will ‘Inventing Anna’ be released?
On 22 November 2021, Netflix confirmed that Inventing Anna will arrive on 11 February 2022.
Is there a trailer for ‘Inventing Anna’?
An official teaser was released on 22 November. It shows Delvey partying in New York, taking selfies by the pool (presumably in Marrakech) and sitting front row at a fashion show. Meanwhile, Chlumsky’s character Vivian suspects that she may have a story and we see her piecing together Delvey’s past. The most hair-raising moment? When Garner looks into the camera, her eyes shining, and says, “Anna Delvey is a masterpiece bitches.”
How should I entertain myself until ‘Inventing Anna’ premieres?
Jessica Pressler’s aforementioned article ‘How Anna Delvey Tricked New York’s Party People’ is an excellent starting point. Those eager to spend time with other chancers posing as aristocrats should also read Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr Ripley as we await the remake of the beloved 1999 film of the same name, this time starring Dakota Fanning and Andrew Scott. And for the truly committed? Check into New York’s 11 Howard, the hotel where Delvey stayed, on and off, for months before being evicted.
