*Mara Brock Akil, the powerhouse creator behind “Girlfriends,” “The Game,” and “Being Mary Jane”, is back with a new Netflix series, “Forever,” that promises to redefine first love for a new generation. Forever, a reimagining of Judy Blume’s iconic 1975 novel, showcases Brock Akil bringing her signature touch to the timeless coming-of-age tale.
Brock Akil, serves as the show’s executive producer and showrunner, was drawn to Forever because of its raw honesty about first love. In an interview with EUR, she shared how impactful Blume’s storytelling was during her own adolescence.
“I remember how crazy I was about the book—not just me, my whole friend group. We were passing that book around. Pages were falling out. We were paper clipping it together,” she recalled with a laugh. “That visceral, human feeling and excitement you look for… I wanted to take that feeling and put it into today’s version of that.”
The Netflix adaptation of Forever brings Blume’s characters into 2018 Los Angeles, where the complexities of first love are explored through a Black lens.
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Brock Akil explains that her goal was to showcase the universality of young love while adding layers of Black culture and authenticity.
“Judy wrote such a beautiful, authentic story, I was able to project myself into that, into the pages of that, and use my details. Now I get to show you a little bit of what it could look like if the characters were Black,” she shared.
And if you’re wondering how this vision was brought to life so perfectly, Brock Akil enlisted the expertise of Regina King to direct the first episode. King and Brock Akil’s working relationship stretches back to “Being Mary Jane,” where King first stepped into the director’s chair.
“When you want to do something right, you go get the best. I really enjoyed getting an opportunity to have a project that would excite Regina to want to collaborate,” Brock Akil noted. “Us being able to put all of our details… where Keisha is from, we both are from that neighborhood. To put all of that love into the lens, into the details, into the references, that’s a joy to sort of world-build.”
Mara Brock Akil has always been known for her beautifully layered portrayals of Black love and community, and Forever is no different.
When asked where she saw Forever fitting within the legacy of Black romance stories she’s created, Brock Akil didn’t hesitate.
“I want them to delight in the scope and the intimacy, the epicness of our details, our culture,” she said passionately. “You know, it’s funny that there’s a saying where people say, ‘Oh, they love our culture, but they don’t love us.’ I think it’s time for people to love us. And there’s a chance to sort of, as we remember our first loves… there’s an opportunity to love Justin and Keisha, which just translates to more love outside of the storytelling into real life.”
Forever also delves into broader themes beyond just romantic love. Brock Akil drew from her own experiences of first-time motherhood and parenting during turbulent times.
“The first time being a mom, making some of the mistakes out of love… you realize you started to parent out of fear,” she shared. “I have compassion for not only myself, but parents who parent during this time, especially between Trayvon Martin’s death and George Floyd’s. It felt like we were alone in screaming about the safety of our children.”
These firsts—first love, first heartbreak, first moments of fear and joy—are captured with the richness and honesty that Brock Akil is known for.
And she’s brought in the sounds of the time as well.
“This generation had a certain sound of music… the SoundCloud era. I wanted to bring that into the narrative,” she explained.
She added: “Young people were making beats, creating entire futures from it. It was really fun to bring back those memories—the sound, the love, the joy, sneaking around and trying to be near the one you love.”
All eight episodes of “Forever” are available to stream on Netflix
Jill Munroe is a Los Angeles-bred entertainment journalist, producer, and host. Follow her socials @StilettoJill or visit JillMunroe.com. Catch her live M-F on KBLA Talk 1580 from 6PM to 7PM.
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