Anne Hathaway Stars In ‘Fear Not’ Limited Series Ordered By Paramount+ From Bash Doran & MGM Television

EXCLUSIVE : Paramount+ has greenlighted Fear Not, a six-part limited series starring and executive produced by Oscar winner Anne Hathaway ( The Devil Wears Prada ). The project, from writer Bash Doran ( Boardwalk Empire ), Steve Stark’s Toluca Pictures ( Wednesday ) and MGM Television , is based on the 2023 Vanity Fair article “True Crime, True Faith: The Serial Killer and the Texas Mom Who Stopped Him.” Fear Not was one of the first big buys for the new Paramount+ regime, led by Cindy Holland, Direct-to-Consumer chair for Paramount, and Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals for Paramount+. It originally landed at the streamer in a competitive situation in early September, just a couple of weeks after Skydance’s acquisition of Paramount Global was completed August 7. Written by Doran, Fear Not tells the story of prolific serial killer Stephen Morin - accused of more crimes than Ted Bundy - and the unlikely bond he formed with Margy Palm (Hathaway), the last woman he ever kidnapped. Morin’s abduction of Palm, which started as a deadly captive situation, took an unlikely turn; one which included compassion, prayer, and profound courage. Palm’s devotion to her faith and her insistence that Morin could be transformed, became the impetus of a relationship that lasted long after Palm was returned to safety - until Morin received the death penalty. Watch on Deadline Produced by MGM Television, Fear Not is executive produced by Doran; Stark and Stacey Levin for Toluca Pictures; Helen Estabrook for Vanity Fair Studios; Anne Hathaway, Adam Shulman and Johnathan Rice for Somewhere Pictures; and Margy, Bart and Noelle Palm. For Doran, this marks the third green light in five months, joining pilot orders for Foster Dade at Hulu and How To Survive Without Me at HBO Max, both with Greg Berlanti. “At Paramount+, we are always looking for stories that captivate and entertain our audience, and this series will do exactly that,” Wiseman said. “By grounding this chilling true story in the lived experience of our protagonist, Anne is bringing a level of nuance and gravity to the screen that only a performer of her caliber can. We are thrilled to collaborate with Anne, Bash and the rest of this illustrious team and we can’t wait for viewers to see what is sure to be an enthralling limited series.” Fear Not ‘s path to the screen started in October 2023 with a heated bidding war for the rights to VF’s article, which appeared in the magazine’s September print issue under the headline “Sympathy For the Devil.” It was won for MGM Television by studio-based Toluca Pictures after partnering with Hathaway’s Somewhere Pictures. Doran was brought in as a writer for the project, which was initially set up for script development at MGM Television’s sibling Prime Video under the previous Amazon MGM Studios regime. After the streamer opted not to proceed with Fear Not, the package - now including a finished pilot script by Doran - was taken out. It was pursued by...

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