Anne Hathaway Goes Dark: Paramount+ Greenlights Fear Not, a Chilling True-Crime Limited Series
- Je-Ree
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Paramount+ is starting 2026 by choosing violence, psychological, moral, and emotional. The streamer has officially greenlit Fear Not, a limited series starring and executive produced by Oscar winner Anne Hathaway, and it’s shaping up to be one of the most unsettling prestige dramas on the upcoming TV slate. Based on a real-life story that’s as haunting as it is complicated, Fear Not signals Paramount+’s continued push into darker, riskier storytelling territory.
Written by Bash Doran (Outlaw King, Boardwalk Empire), Fear Not centers on Stephen Morin, a prolific serial killer accused of committing more crimes than Ted Bundy. But this is not a killer-centric spectacle. The series is grounded in the perspective of Margy Palm, portrayed by Hathaway, the final woman Morin ever kidnapped and the one who survived. What begins as a terrifying abduction transforms into something far more difficult to process: a relationship shaped by faith, compassion, and Palm’s belief that even someone like Morin could be transformed.
Yes, that premise is deliberately uncomfortable. That’s the point.
Rather than leaning into shock value, Fear Not is based on the Vanity Fair article “Sympathy for the Devil” by Julie Miller and focuses on Palm’s lived experience. Her devotion to her faith and refusal to abandon empathy ultimately forged a connection with Morin that lasted long after her release, continuing until his execution. It’s a story about survival, conviction, and the messy gray areas that prestige TV loves to explore but only when it’s brave enough to do so.
Paramount+ Head of Originals Jane Wiseman praised Hathaway’s involvement, highlighting the “nuance and gravity” she brings to the role. That tracks. Hathaway has spent the past few years stacking her résumé with emotionally demanding projects, and Fear Not fits neatly alongside her packed 2026 lineup, which includes The Devil Wears Prada 2, Mother Mary, The Odyssey, Verity, and Flowervale Street. Casual year, clearly.
Produced by MGM Television, the limited series boasts an impressive executive producing team, including Hathaway, Adam Shulman, and Jonathan Rice, along with Vanity Fair Studios and the Palm family themselves an important detail that suggests the series aims for sensitivity over sensationalism.
At The TV Cave, Fear Not lands squarely in the “proceed with caution, but absolutely watch” category. True-crime adaptations are tricky business, but with Anne Hathaway anchoring the story and a creative team focused on character over carnage, this one has the potential to be disturbing in all the right ways. Expect awards buzz, heated discourse, and a lot of viewers sitting silently through the credits when it finally arrives.