Gwyneth Paltrow has taken on her first-ever leading television role in an upcoming A24 drama series called “The Apology,” which has landed a two-season order at Netflix.
The Oscar winner will play Evelyn Amspoker, whose son was murdered 18 years ago in an unsolved case that gripped the nation. “When a stranger suddenly appears and confesses, justice finally seems possible,” according to the newspaper, until Evelyn and her husband, Caleb, learn that the killer might get off with a reduced sentence. “Faced with this unbearable truth, Evelyn and Caleb decide to take matters into their own hands.”
The show comes from creator, showrunner and writer Joe Murtagh (“The Woman in the Wall”) and director Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”). Cut To’s Joe Hipps serves as executive producer alongside Murtagh, Vinterberg and Paltrow. A24 is the studio.
While Paltrow’s filmography includes star roles in “Emma,” “Sliding Doors,” Shakespeare in Love” and “The Talented Mr. Ripley” — as well as major roles in the “Iron Man” franchise and “Marty Supreme” — her television career is less illustrious. Paltrow had five episodes on “Glee” as Holly Holiday and had a supporting role in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series “The Politician.” She has starred in random projects but has never helmed a small screen title.
The ambitious two-season order for “The Apology” comes amid a management shakeup at Netflix, which follows the announcement that the company was laying off 6% of its employees. Chief content officer Bela Bajaria was ousted from the streamer last week and replaced by Peter Rice, while film chief Dan Lin left the company Monday morning. Meanwhile, TV boss Jinny Howe, who oversees scripted series in the US and Canada, has weathered the storm.
Deadline broke the news.
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