What is "The Elissas" about?

"The Elissas" is a novel by Samantha Leach that tells the story of three suburban girls who meet at a boarding school for troubled teens, only to be dead eight years later.

Who are the creators behind the Netflix series adaptation of "The Elissas"?

Acclaimed creators Lena Dunham and Heather Regnier are collaborating on the Netflix series, with Dunham serving as the creator and co-showrunner.

When does the Netflix series "The Elissas" take place?

The series is set in the days following the September 11, 2001 attacks, following the lives of teens at a Brooklyn private school.

Home / Arts and Entertainment / Lena Dunham and Heather Regnier Adapt Samantha Leach's Novel "The Elissas" for Netflix

Lena Dunham and Heather Regnier Adapt Samantha Leach's Novel "The Elissas" for Netflix

13 Nov, 2025

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Summary

Lena Dunham and Heather Regnier are developing a Netflix series inspired by Samantha Leach's novel "The Elissas"
The series is set in the days following 9/11, following the lives of teens at a Brooklyn private school
The Elissas explores the power and self-determination of teenage girls in the early 2000s

Lena Dunham and Heather Regnier Adapt Samantha Leach's Novel "The Elissas" for Netflix

In a major development, acclaimed creators Lena Dunham and Heather Regnier are collaborating on a new Netflix series inspired by Samantha Leach's 2023 novel "The Elissas: Three Girls, One Fate, and the Deadly Secrets of Suburbia." The series, which Dunham will create and co-showrun with Regnier, is set to explore the lives of Brooklyn private school students in the days following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The Elissas is described as an ode to classic high school ensemble dramas, blending a gritty story of unsupervised city kids at the turn of the millennium with an examination of the inherent power and self-determination of teenage girls. The novel, published by Legacy Lit, a Hatchette Book Group imprint, tells the tale of three suburban girls who meet at a boarding school for troubled teens, only to be dead eight years later.