Anne Hathaway is returning to television to play the victim of a serial killer accused of more crimes than Ted Bundy. Hathaway has only two main series regular roles in her long list of credits. The first goes back to 1999 when she starred alongside Jesse Eisenberg in the short-lived teen drama Get Real.
Her second main cast member role came in early 2022 when she played Rebekah Neumann in Apple TV’s WeWork. Although the limited drama received largely negative reviews, particularly for Jared Leto’s lead performance, Hathaway’s work as the former chief brand and impact officer of WeWork was praised as a bright spot in an otherwise sluggish biopic.
Anne Hathaway on the phone and looking serious in WeCrashed
Now, Hathaway is returning to television in a big way for the Paramount+ six-episode true crime drama Fear Not. The project is written by former Broadwalk Empire writer Bash Doran, with the story focusing on prolific serial killer Stephen Morin. Accused of more crimes than Ted Bundy, Morin forms an unlikely bond with Margy Palm (Hathaway), the last woman he ever kidnapped.
Morin’s abduction of Palm began as a captive situation, but eventually took an unlikely turn that included compassion, prayer, and profound courage, with Palm insisting that Morin could be transformed. It became the basis of a remarkably unusual bond, which continued after Palm was rescued and until Morin received the death penalty for his crimes.
Fear Not is produced by MGM Television. Executive producers include 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.
Jane Wiseman, Head of Originals at Paramount+, reacted to the news in a statement. She praised Hathaway for bringing depth and realism to a true story and celebrated working with the creative team. In the quote, included below, Wiseman promised an engaging, high-quality show viewers will be eager to watch:
“At Paramount+, we are always looking for stories that captivate and entertain our audience, and this series will do exactly that. 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, which is based on the Vanity Fair article “Sympathy for the Devil”, has had a long path to the screen. It began with a heated bidding war in late 2023, with Prime Video initially winning it. But after the platform decided not to move ahead with the serial killer drama, it began to receive offers once again. Paramount+ eventually emerged as the victor.
Hathaway has a string of movies coming up, most notably The Devil Wears Prada sequel and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. But it seems as though Fear Not will give the star a chance to tap into the kind of dark fare.
Birthdate
November 12, 1982
Birthplace
Brooklyn, New York, USA
Height
5 feet 8 inches
Professions
Actress, Singer