Have you ever fantasized about someone or had an all-consuming obsession? Well, you will now, after watching the trailer for Vladimir — a subversive new series starring Rachel Weisz, John Slattery, and Leo Woodall.

Vladimir, which Julia May Jonas adapted from her book of the same name, centers on an unnamed protagonist (Weisz) at a cusp moment in her personal and professional lives. Watch the cast and crew explain how they adapted the series in a new video on Tudum.

The protagonist doesn’t feel desired in the way she used to — either sexually or as an educator with, in the eyes of her student body, a stale view of feminism. Her formerly buzzy writing career has also atrophied, thanks to a years-long case of writer’s block. “At the beginning of the series, my character and her husband have been the king and queen of the English literary department,” Weisz tells Tudum. “She is losing her throne.” Even her sole child, Sid (Ellen Robertson), swats her away.

To add insult to injury, her husband, John (Slattery), with whom she has an open marriage, is facing allegations of sexual assault from the college where they’ve both worked for decades. These scrutinized relationships — which took place many years ago and were believed to be consensual — were with college-aged students. Since his suspension as department head, John now spends his days tending his lettuce garden and putzing around the house. 

Despite how complicated the situation is, the trial jeopardizes Weisz’s character’s standing on campus and her feminist credentials — flicking another domino in her unraveling. “She has her own reasons for being worried about the outcome of this hearing,” adds Slattery. 

Then the protagonist meets Vladimir (Leo Woodall), a handsome new teacher, and her obsession with him soon takes on a messy life of its own. “It’s that feeling of being so full of creative energy because you have this lust or obsession for someone. Many people have felt that kind of opening [up] — how fun it is to want something,” says Jonas. “Her mind is going wild.”

As the series’ slippery central character, Weisz speaks directly to the camera — yet over the course of eight episodes, it’s hard to know when she’s telling the truth entirely. “The narrative she tells isn’t always accurate,” says Weisz. “But that seems like a very human trait — to adjust the truth for one’s audience when things are going out of control.” 

The result is a twisty, playful exploration of desire, aging, and power, set against a lush liberal arts campus populated by some favorite and fresh faces: Weisz, Slattery, and Woodall are joined by Jessica Henwick, Kayli Carter, Matt Walsh, Ellen Robertson, and more. To feed your own obsession, scroll through the first images from the series. 

Stay tuned to Tudum for all the updates before Vladimir comes to Netflix March 5.