News, Television, Women Writers

Octavia Spencer-Starrer “Are You Sleeping” Gets Series Order from Apple

Spencer in “The Shape of Water”

It’s official: Octavia Spencer is getting her own show. Best known for her many supporting roles, the Oscar winner is finally getting the opportunity to take the lead in “Are You Sleeping,” which just received a series pickup from Apple. Deadline confirmed the news.

Created by Nichelle Tramble Spellman (“The Good Wife”), “Are You Sleeping” is based on Kathleen Barber’s 2017 novel of the same name. The series will “examine the nation’s long-held obsession with true-crime stories and the recent boom in podcasts dedicated to probing unsolved and disputed cases.” It “questions the consequences when crime-solving plays out on a public stage.” Spellman is the showrunner.

Ten episodes have been ordered by Apple. No word on when the series will premiere.

Spencer, Spellman, and Hello Sunshine’s Reese Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter are among “Are You Sleeping’s” exec producers.

Witherspoon, who is reprising her role as Madeline in Season 2 of HBO’s “Big Little Lies,” has another series in the works at Apple. She’ll star alongside Jennifer Aniston in a morning show drama. The Oscar and Emmy winner is exec producing.

Spencer received Oscar nods for “The Shape of Water,” “Hidden Figures,” and “The Help,” and won for her role in the latter. Her upcoming projects include a holiday comedy with Jessica Chastain and “Ma,” a thriller about a lonely woman who befriends a group of teens.

“My dream role is that of a producer, a woman behind the scenes who creates roles for diversity in film,” Spencer has said. “And when I say diversity, I mean I want to see women of all shapes and sizes, people of all shapes and sizes, people with disabilities. It’s about creating a landscape that demonstrates what our society is as a whole.”

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