Apple, Witherspoon develop Sleeping drama

Apple is developing an original series based on a novel by Kathleen Barber and starring Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures).

Reese Witherspoon

Are You Sleeping, created and written by Nichelle Tramble Spellman, will be produced by Reese Witherspoon’s prodco Hello Sunshine and Chernin Entertainment/Endeavor Content.

The show will be executive produced by Witherspoon and Lauren Neustadter for Hello Sunshine and Peter Chernin, Jenno Topping and Kristen Campo for Chernin/Endeavor, alongside Spencer and Tramble.

Are You Sleeping is the latest commission in the tech giant’s efforts to ramp up its programming and content offering which is set to accelerate in 2018.

The series is a murder-themed psychological thriller which Sarah Koenig, creator of hit podcast Serial, will consult on.

Apple made its first foray into scripted series towards the end of 2017 with a two-season order for a drama starring and exec produced by Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston.

Last Summer, the company announced a US$1bn budget to invest in new shows and it’s added an array of staff to support the push into originals.

Hires include former Sony execs Jamie Erlicht and Zack Van Amberg, Amazon’s Morgan Wandell as head of international creative development, and former Channel 4 chief creative officer Jay Hunt to lead its efforts in Europe.