Enigma Variations: The Perpetual Pursuit of Love and Identity

Production Details

Title: Enigma Variations

Working Title: Dolce

Format: Limited Series / Netflix

Production Begins: June 15

Filming Dates: June 15 – October 15, 2026

Filming Location: Jersey City, NJ – New York

Producer: Michael Ellenberg, Lindsey Springer, André Aciman, Monica Levinson

Writer/Producer: Amanda Kate Shulman

Director: Oliver Hermanus

LP: Deb Dyer

1AD: Josh Muzaffer

Cast: Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Synopsis

Enigma Variations charts the life of a man named Paul (Taylor-Johnson), whose loves remain as consuming and as covetous throughout his adulthood as they were in his adolescence. Whether the setting is southern Italy, where as a boy he has a crush on his parents’ cabinetmaker, or a snowbound campus in New England, where his enduring passion for a girl he’ll meet again and again over the years is punctuated by anonymous encounters with men—whether he’s on a tennis court in Central Park or on a New York sidewalk in early spring. Paul’s attachments are ungraspable, transient, and forever underwritten by raw desire. Ahead of every step Paul takes, his hopes, denials, fears, and regrets are always ready to lay their traps. Yet the dream of love lingers. We may not always know what we want. We may remain enigmas to ourselves and to others. But sooner or later, we discover who we’ve always known we were.

Production Companies

Media Res

6255 W. Sunset Blvd Suite 680
Los Angeles, CA 90028

resumes@mediares.studio

Wandering In Rome Productions, LLC

6255 W. Sunset Blvd Suite 680
Los Angeles, CA 90028

resumes@mediares.studio

Netflix

5808 Sunset Boulevard, 12th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90025

310-734-2900
lahiring@netflix.com

About Enigma Variations

Enigma Variations explores the intricate life of Paul, a man whose enduring passions shape his experiences from adolescence to adulthood. The series traverses various locations, from the warmth of southern Italy to the chilled landscapes of New England, showcasing the complexity of love and desire throughout his journey. Each encounter resonates deeply, revealing Paul’s ongoing confrontation with his own emotions. As he navigates fleeting relationships and anonymous connections, the series reflects on the nature of longing and the search for understanding amid the ambiguities of existence.