Dakota Fanning will star in and help produce a new thriller series for Apple TV, created by Emmy Award-winning writer Alex Cary. The untitled project is a major collaboration between Apple and Sony Pictures Television, continuing their successful partnership on other hit shows. The series got a formal greenlight after Apple won a competitive bidding situation for the project last year and set up a writers room.
The show will feature Fanning as an undercover agent for the U.S. Department of the Treasury. Her character embeds herself within a massive international company with deep political power and criminal connections. The core of the story involves her becoming conflicted as she starts to believe the man she is supposed to take down, the heir to the corrupt empire, might actually be a good person worthy of her love.
The Creative Team Behind the Series
The series was created by Alex Cary, who is known for his work on the acclaimed drama “Homeland” and the limited series “A Spy Among Friends.” Cary won an Emmy Award as part of the “Homeland” team. He will serve as the showrunner and an executive producer for the new thriller through his production company, FLW Productions, as part of his ongoing deal with Sony Pictures TV.
Director Kari Skogland will also be an executive producer. Skogland has directed episodes of major series like “The Handmaid’s Tale” and “The Loudest Voice,” and recently directed the Apple series “Smoke.” Julie Gardner, an executive producer known for “Doctor Who” and Apple’s “Lady in the Lake,” will produce for Bad Wolf America.
A key part of the production team is Lewellen Pictures, the company run by Dakota and Elle Fanning. Dakota Fanning will executive produce alongside her sister Elle Fanning and their producing partner Brittany Kahan Ward. This makes the new thriller a family project for the Fannings. The sisters are also working together on the upcoming Apple TV series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles,” where Elle stars and both serve as producers.
Dakota Fanning’s Recent Projects and Role
This series continues Dakota Fanning’s move into leading roles in television. She recently starred in several high-profile limited series. In 2024, she appeared in two Netflix shows: “Ripley,” opposite Andrew Scott, and “The Perfect Couple,” with Nicole Kidman. She also starred with Sarah Snook in Peacock’s thriller “All Her Fault,” which was nominated for a Golden Globe.
In the new Apple thriller, Fanning plays an undercover Treasury agent. Her mission is to infiltrate a global corporation described as having “world-changing political and criminal tentacles”. The official description from Apple states her character “becomes conflicted between her mission and a belief that her principal target, the heir apparent to all that corrupt power, is at his core a good man and worthy of her love”. This sets up a complex story of duty, morality, and personal connection.
Apple TV and Sony Pictures Television Partnership
The new thriller is produced by Sony Pictures Television, which has a strong existing relationship with Apple TV. Sony TV produces several other popular Apple series, including “For All Mankind,” “The Afterparty,” “Platonic,” and the upcoming “Star City,” a spinoff of “For All Mankind”. Other collaborations include “Black Bird,” “Pluribus,” and “Dark Matter,” showing a deep and ongoing partnership between the studio and the streamer.
Apple TV announced the series order on January 15, 2026. The service has built a reputation for premium original shows since its global launch in 2019, earning thousands of award nominations. This new thriller fits into their catalog of dramatic series, which includes hits like “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo”.
Apple TV is available worldwide in over 100 countries. It can be watched on the Apple TV app across many devices, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, smart TVs, gaming consoles, and through web browsers. A subscription costs $12.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial for new users. For a limited time, people who buy and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, or Mac can get three months of the service for free.
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What We Know About the Show’s Development
The project moved forward after a competitive bidding situation among streaming services last year. After Apple secured the rights, they commissioned a writers room to develop the series further. The successful work in that writers room led to the official greenlight and series order announced this week.
The show does not yet have a title or a public release date. This is common for projects in the early stages of development. With a full series order now in place, the next steps will involve finalizing scripts, full casting beyond Fanning, and the start of production.
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