Elizabeth Banks grew up in Massachusetts, where she says the Karen Read case divided families, friendships and towns. Now she’s set to portray Read and executive produce Amazon’s newly approved drama, a project she says her team has spent years developing.
The untitled series will run for 8 hour-long episodes and draw on “Karen,” the Law&Crime and Audible Original podcast. The adaptation was first reported to be in development in 2025.
Community divisions and the public’s obsession with true crime are themes the series will explore as suspicion spreads in several directions. At the center of its premise is Read, whose boyfriend, a Boston police officer, is found dead in the snow during a blizzard. Suspicion falls on her. The show follows the claim made by Read and her legal team: she is innocent, and a conspiracy is shielding those responsible.
“I grew up in Massachusetts, and like so many people there, we watched this case divide families, friends, and entire towns,” Banks said. “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 Noble, who co-created “The Sex Lives of College Girls” with Mindy Kaling, will write the series and serve as showrunner and executive producer. David E. Kelley and Matthew Tinker are also executive producers, with Warner Bros. Television serving as the studio. Banks will produce through Brownstone Productions alongside Max Handelman and Krissy Wall, with executive producers from Audible and Law&Crime also involved.
Banks said Noble’s scripts treat the case’s complexity and the public response with care. Noble said his reasons for telling the story include concerns about the justice system, the abuse of power against women and “a victim who deserves to be remembered.”
