"Étoile" Trailer: Luke Kirby and Charlotte Gainsbourg Trade Ballet Stars in a Last-Chance Industry Shakeup in New Prime Series from Mrs. Maisel Creators

Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino pirouette into new territory with this stylish, sharp-tongued comedy series set in the high-stakes world of international ballet.

After five seasons of recreating the world of 1950s and ’60s stand-up comedy, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel creators Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino return with a new show that’s pretty far from anything they tackled in their Emmy-winning hit. However, it’s still an exploration of a world many haven’t seen portrayed on screen before—the world of ballet, or more specifically, what might be considered the dying industry of ballet.

In Étoile, a new Prime Original series, Emmy-winner Luke Kirby (best known as comic Lenny Bruce from The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) and French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg (Antichrist, Nymphomaniac) star as the managing directors of two of the most prominent ballet companies in the world—one in New York, the other in Paris. With the industry declining in both popularity and, more importantly, ticket sales, these two temperamental artists—each driven by their own grand ambitions—decide to join forces. Against their better judgment, they come up with a bold idea: swap their top ballet stars in a bid to generate buzz and reignite public interest.

And if they fail, so does ballet itself—an industry they’ve fought so hard to be part of, and one they’re now desperately trying to preserve, only to watch it slowly slip away. (You know, they could just as easily be talking about the movie industry. Geez!)

French actress Lou de Laâge (The Innocents) stars as a celebrated French ballet diva who’s sent to New York against her wishes. Despite her superstar status in the ballet world, her overly demanding personality quickly puts a strain on the New York company. At the same time, the New York ballet dancers find themselves going up against the strict expectations of the French bosses—who demand nothing short of perfection every time.

Said to be loosely inspired by Frederick Wiseman’s 2009 documentary La Danse, which offered a fly-on-the-wall look at seven ballet productions staged by the Paris Opera Ballet, the series will run for eight episodes, with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino directing.

The cast also includes Gideon Glick (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), David Alvarez (West Side Story), Ivan du Pontavice (Rupture), Taïs Vinolo (The Show Must Go On), David Haig (Four Weddings and a Funeral), LaMay Zhang, and Simon Callow (Outlander), as well as Yanic Truesdale (Gilmore Girls) in a recurring guest role.

Étoile is set to premiere globally on April 24th on Prime Video. Watch the trailer, above.

Here’s the show’s official synopsis:

Étoile is set in both New York and Paris, and follows the dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies as they embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions: swapping their most talented stars.