India, Jan 16 : Paramount has greenlit a new true crime limited series titled Fear Not, with Academy Award winner Anne Hathaway set to play the lead role, according to Variety.
The series is based on Julie Miller’s Vanity Fair article, “True Crime, True Faith: The Serial Killer and the Texas Mom Who Stopped Him.” Bash Doran has been onboarded as writer and showrunner for the project.
According to the official logline, Fear Not tells the unsettling real-life story of Stephen Morin, a serial killer accused of committing more crimes than Ted Bundy, and his final victim, Margy Palm, portrayed by Hathaway. What begins as a horrifying abduction evolves into a complex and deeply emotional relationship rooted in faith, empathy and resilience.
Palm’s belief that Morin could change and her courage in confronting him ultimately played a critical role in events that extended far beyond her release, culminating in Morin being sentenced to death.
In addition to starring in the series, Hathaway will also serve as an executive producer through her banner Somewhere Pictures, alongside Adam Shulman and Johnathan Rice. The project is produced by MGM Television, with Steve Stark and Stacey Levin executive producing for Toluca Pictures. Helen Eastbrook will represent Vanity Fair Studios, while Margy Palm and her family members Bart and Noelle Palm are also attached as executive producers.
Fear Not strengthens Paramount’s growing slate of female-led projects following the Paramount–Skydance merger. Under Cindy Holland, Chair of DTC at Paramount, and Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals, the platform has placed increased emphasis on women-driven storytelling.
Jane Wiseman said the series exemplifies Paramount’s focus on powerful, character-led narratives. “By grounding this chilling true story in the lived experience of our protagonist, Anne brings a level of nuance and gravity that only a performer of her calibre can,” she said.
For Bash Doran, the project marks another high-profile television venture. He recently co-wrote Hulu’s drama pilot Foster Dade with Greg Berlanti and has another pilot, How to Survive Without Me, in development at HBO Max. His earlier credits include Boardwalk Empire, Masters of Sex, Traitors and Life After Life.
Fear Not is also a rare television lead role for Hathaway, who previously appeared in the series Get Real and more recently starred in Apple TV+’s WeCrashed. The Oscar and Golden Globe winner is best known for films such as Les Misérables, Rachel Getting Married, The Devil Wears Prada and The Dark Knight Rises.
Hathaway will next be seen in The Devil Wears Prada sequel and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming epic The Odyssey.