Prime Video has ordered an untitled eight-episode drama series inspired by the Law&Crime and Audible Original podcast Karen, about the Karen Read case. Elizabeth Banks will star and executive produce, and Justin Noble will write, showrun and executive produce.
What is the Karen Read series about?
The description reads, “When a Boston police officer is found dead in the snow during a blizzard, all eyes are on his girlfriend, Karen Read. But when she and her legal team claim she’s not only innocent, but that she’s the victim of a conspiracy protecting the real assailants, the story spreads like wildfire, dividing a community in ways they’ve never seen. As endless suspicion mounts, in multiple directions, this genre-bending true crime series explores society’s explosive obsession with true crime.”
What did Elizabeth Banks and Justin Noble say about the series?
Banks said, “I grew up in Massachusetts, and like so many people there, we watched this case divide families, friends, and entire towns. We have spent years with this material because the questions it raises go far beyond one courtroom: why we choose the stories we believe, and what happens when trust in our institutions breaks down. Justin has written a series that respects and treats with care the complexity of what happened and the public reaction to it. We are grateful to Prime Video, Warner Bros. Television, and our partners at David E. Kelley Productions, Wondery and Law&Crime for believing in it from the start.”
Noble said, “This case has more twists and turns than any story I’ve ever consumed, real or fictional. It makes M. Night Shyamalan look like Nora Ephron. But the reason this story resonates and must be told is because of the profound takeaways it leaves us with: about a deeply imperfect justice system that urgently needs change, about the mistreatment of women by those who weaponize and abuse their power, and about a victim who deserves to be remembered.”
Peter Friedlander, head of global television at Amazon MGM Studios, said, “At its core, this series is about more than a single case — it’s about what happens when truth becomes a matter of perspective and an entire community is forced to confront its own deepest divisions. With Justin Noble’s sharp, nuanced storytelling, Elizabeth Banks’ captivating presence, and the powerhouse creative team behind this project, we believe this will be a defining series that sparks conversation around the world.”
Marshall Lewy, head of Audible Content, North America, said, “The Karen Read case gripped the country because it tapped into questions about truth, loyalty, and who we choose to believe. Karen, the Law & Crime podcast and an Audible Original, set the standard for telling this story and is exactly the kind of IP that translates powerfully to television. We’re thrilled to work with this incredibly talented team.”
The project came to Audible through last year’s integration of Wondery’s narrative podcast studio. Aaron Hart, who led TV and film for Wondery and now co-heads it at Audible, shepherded it. Audible now has nine TV adaptations from the past five years, including Dr. Death, WeCrashed and last year’s Dying for Sex.
Noble, whose credits include The Sex Lives of College Girls and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, writes, showruns and executive produces. Banks, whose credits include Cocaine Bear and Pitch Perfect, executive produces alongside Max Handelman and Krissy Wall of Brownstone Productions. David E. Kelley and Matthew Tinker executive produce through David E. Kelley Productions. Aaron Hart, Lewy, Jeni Mulein and Jen Sargent executive produce for Audible, and Rachel Stockman and Dan Abrams executive produce for Law&Crime. The series is from Warner Bros. Television.
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