Gwyneth Paltrow has taken her first-ever lead television role in an upcoming A24 drama series titled “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 a cold case that gripped the nation. “When a stranger suddenly appears and confesses, justice finally seems possible,” per the logline, until Evelyn and her husband, Caleb, learn the killer may get off with a reduced sentence. “Faced with that unbearable truth, Evelyn and Caleb decide to take matters into their own hands.”
The show hails from creator, showrunner and writer Joe Murtagh (“The Woman in the Wall”) and director Thomas Vinterberg (“Another Round”). Joe Hipps of Cut To executive produces alongside Murtagh, Vinterberg and Paltrow. A24 is the studio.
While Paltrow’s filmography includes star-making turns 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 career on television is less illustrious. Paltrow had a five-episode run on “Glee” as Holly Holiday and had a supporting role in Ryan Murphy’s Netflix series “The Politician.” She has guest starred in random projects but has never led a small-screen title.
The ambitious two-season order for “The Apology” comes amid an executive shake-up at Netflix, which followed an announcement that the company was laying off 6% of its employees. Chief content officer Bela Bajaria was ousted from the streamer last week and was replaced with Peter Rice, while head of film Dan Lin left the company on Monday morning. Meanwhile TV boss Jinny Howe, who oversees U.S. and Canada scripted series, has weathered the storm.
Deadline broke the news.