Dakota Fanning joins TNT's "The Alienist"

Dakota Fanning Joins TNT's The Alienist

Fanning to Star with Daniel Brühl and Luke Evans in Drama Series
Based on Caleb Carr's Bestseller, Co-Produced by Paramount Television and Studio T

Dakota Fanning (American Pastoral) is set to star in TNT's The Alienist, the eagerly anticipated series based on the Anthony Award-winning New York Times bestseller by Caleb Carr. Playing Sara Howard, a headstrong secretary at Police Headquarters, Fanning joins recently cast Daniel Brühl (Rush, Inglorious Bastards, Captain America: Civil War), who stars as forensic psychologist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler, and Luke Evans (The Girl on The Train, The Hobbit trilogy), who will play reporter John Moore. The series will follow the three of them as they investigate a series of brutal murders in New York during the Gilded Age.

Slated to premiere in late 2017 on TNT, a division of Turner, The Alienist will be directed and executive-produced by BAFTA-nominated director Jakob Verbruggen (Black Mirror). The series is a co-production of Paramount Television and Turner's Studio T. Emmy® winner Cary Fukunaga (True Detective), Academy Award® winner Eric Roth (Forrest Gump), Oscar® nominee Hossein Amini (Drive) and Anonymous Content's Steve Golin and Rosalie Swedlin all serve as executive producers. Production will begin in early 2017 in Budapest.

Based on the international best-selling novel by Caleb Carr, The Alienist is a psychological thriller set in the Gilded Age of New York City in 1896, a city of vast wealth, extreme poverty and technological innovation. When a series of haunting, gruesome murders of boy prostitutes grips the city, newly appointed police commissioner Theodore Roosevelt calls upon criminal psychologist (aka alienist) Dr. Laszlo Kreizler (Brühl) and newspaper reporter John Moore (Evans) to conduct the investigation in secret. They are aided by a makeshift crew of singular characters, among them the intrepid Sara Howard, a young secretary on Roosevelt's staff who is determined to become the first female police detective in New York City. Using the emerging disciplines of psychology and early forensic investigation techniques, this band of social outsiders tracks down one of New York City's first serial killers.

Fanning's character, the primly dressed but beautiful Sara Howard, is the first woman hired by the New York Police Department and she is determined to become the first female police detective in New York City. Self-possessed and intelligent, Sarah grew up as an only child who was doted on by her father. She not only "shakes hands like a man," but considers herself just as competent – if not more so – than any of the men on the force. Well-bred and well-spoken, Sara has a keen interest in crime-solving and is immediately intrigued by the case being investigated by Kreizler and Moore.

Fanning can currently be seen in the critically acclaimed, 1960s-set feature film American Pastoral, directed by and co-starring Ewan McGregor. Her recent credits include The Benefactor, with Richard Gere; The Runaways, with Kristen Stewart; Night Moves, with Jesse Eisenberg and Peter Sarsgaard; The Last of Robin Hood, with Susan Sarandon; and the blockbuster Twilight saga. She began her career as a child actress, turning in memorable performances in I Am Sam, opposite Sean Penn, and Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds, both of which earned her Critics Choice Awards. Her other credits include The Secret Life of Bees, Man on Fire, Charlotte's Web and Coraline, in which she provided the voice for the title character. In 2017, she will be seen in Please Stand By and Brimstone, followed in 2018 by roles in The Bell Jar and Ocean's Eight.

About Paramount Television

Paramount Television develops and finances a wide range of creative television programming across all media platforms. Its robust slate of programming with top distributors includes the five-time Emmy®-winning live musical event Grease: Live (FOX), which holds the record-breaking telecast title with more than 17 million viewers worldwide and is ranked as the #1 most social live musical event ever;  the Emmy-nominated Nickelodeon hit School of Rock'; Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan (Amazon); Thirteen Reasons Why (Netflix); Maniac (Netflix), Shooter (USA), Berlin Station (EPIX), The Alienist (TNT), Fatal Attraction (FOX), Galaxy Quest (Amazon), Varsity Blues (CMT) and The Warriors (Hulu). Paramount Digital Entertainment (PDE) has developed series such as Bajillion Dollar Propertie$ (NBCUniversal's Seeso), Hotwives of Orlando and Hotwives of Las Vegas (HULU), Resident Advisors (HULU), Beef (Fullscreen) and the one-hour special Crash Test (Comedy Central and Vimeo).

Paramount Television and Paramount Digital Entertainment are part of Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment. PPC is a subsidiary of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIAB, VIA), a global content company with premier television, film and digital entertainment brands.

About Anonymous Content

Founded in 1999 by Managing Partner Steve Golin, Anonymous Content is a leading management and Film, TV and Commercial production company. Anonymous Content manages the careers of many of the world’s most renowned and innovative directors, writers, actors and comedians, working closely with them to achieve their goals by both creating and finding roles for them, Founded in 1999 by Managing Partner Steve Golin, Anonymous Content is a leading management and Film, TV and Commercial production company. Anonymous Content manages the careers of many of the world’s most renowned and innovative directors, writers, actors and comedians, working closely with them to achieve their goals by both creating and finding roles for them, whether in feature films, television, commercials, music videos or brand integrated content. Anonymous Content’s clients have been recognized with Academy Awards®, Emmys®, Golden Globes®, Tony Awards®, Pulitzer Prizes® and other prestigious awards. The company’s award-winning Film & TV division boasts many commercially successful and critically acclaimed works, including Best Picture Oscar® winner Spotlight, starring Michael Keaton, Mark Ruffalo and Rachel McAdams, and Best Picture Oscar nominee The Revenant, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. Past projects include Babel, Winter's Bone, Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and 50 First Dates. The company’s TV slate includes the Golden Globe winner for Best TV Series (Drama) Mr. Robot (USA Network), Berlin Station (EPIX), True Detective (HBO), The Knick (Cinemax) and Schitt's Creek (POP), as well as the upcoming title Quarry (CINEMAX).  Through its commercial work, Anonymous Content is also the driving creative force behind countless top brands, including Prada, Nike and Coke. For more information, visit www.anonymouscontent.com.

About TNT

TNT, a division of Turner, ranks among cable's Top 5 networks with young adults and is home to one of cable's most popular slate of original series, including Animal Kingdom, Good Behavior, The Last Ship, Major Crimes, The Librarians and the upcoming Will, Claws, The Alienist, The Race Card and more. TNT also presents popular shows like Arrow, Supernatural, Bones and Castle; primetime specials, such as the Screen Actors Guild Awards® and the iHeartRadio Music Awards; and championship sports coverage, including the NBA and the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.

Turner, a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, sports, animation and young adult multi-platform content for consumers around the world. Turner brands and businesses include CNN/U.S., HLN, CNN International and CNN.com, TBS, TNT, TCM, truTV, Cartoon Network, Boomerang, Adult Swim, Turner Sports, Bleacher Report, FilmStruck, Super Deluxe, iStreamPlanet and ELEAGUE.

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