Meghann Fahy is returning to HBO. The two-time Emmy nominee will star in The Trial of Louise Woodward, a five-episode limited series based on a real court case that gripped audiences on both sides of the Atlantic in the late 1990s, the network announced Thursday.
The case centered on Louise Woodward, an 18-year-old British au pair who in 1997 was accused of shaking to death a baby left in her care by an American host family in Massachusetts. The trial played out in front of television cameras and generated intense media coverage in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
Matthew Barry is writing the series and will serve as showrunner. Barry previously wrote on the HBO drama Industry. Susanne Bier, an Emmy-winning director, will direct all five episodes and also executive produce. Other executive producers include Big Light Productions founder Frank Spotnitz, Emily Feller, Tobi de Graaff and Antoine Douaihy. Production is scheduled to begin in August, with a 2027 premiere planned, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The project reunites Fahy and Bier, who previously worked together on the Netflix limited series The Perfect Couple. It also brings Fahy back to HBO, where she earned her first Emmy nomination for season two of The White Lotus.
Barry described the case as one that still carries weight today. "The trial of Louise Woodward raised profound questions about childcare, working mothers, class, and the role of an emerging 24/7 media," he said in a statement. "Thirty years later, those questions feel more urgent and relevant than ever. I'm grateful to be working with Susanne and our partners at HBO to bring this story, in all its complexity, to the screen."
HBO drama head Francesca Orsi said the network was eager to bring the team together. "We are thrilled to partner with Matthew Barry and Susanne Bier on this new series and to welcome Meghann Fahy back to the HBO family," Orsi said. "Matthew's compassionate approach to this gripping true story, paired with Susanne's powerfully distinct directorial vision and Meghann's exceptional talent, has brought together an extraordinary creative team whose work we're excited to share with our audience soon."
Fahy's other recent credits include the feature film Drop, the Apple TV+ series Sirens and Peacock's upcoming series The Good Daughter.