Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean) is set to star in Hulu’s new series The Other Typist, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The announcement marks Knightley’s first move to television since being the voice of Tinkerbell in 2011 Syfy mini-series Neverland.
Adapted from a Suzanne Rindell novel under the same name, the series is a period piece set in New York City during the rancor of the Prohibition Era. Knightly is set to play Odalie, an elegant police department typist, who draws her co-worker, Rose, into her world of danger and intrigue. The series will explore many genres and themes. It has been categorized as a psycho-sexual suspense thriller which touches upon themes of class, obsession, identity, and desire.
Ilene Chaiken (The L Word) will write the pilot script and run the show with Knightley, who is also listed as an Executive Producer. Chaiken holds an impressive resume, creating The L Word and the up-coming reboot The L-Word: Generation Q. She has also worked on Hulu’s The Handmaid’s Tale and served as the show-runner on Fox’s Empire for it’s first three seasons. For her work on The Handmaids Tale, she has received two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Drama and has won one.
Knightly is credited with bringing the book to Fox Searchlight Television and their sister production company 20th Century Fox Television, where Chaiken has an overall deal. This project is not the first time Fox Searchlight and 20th Century have teamed up to develop a television series. The duo is also working on The Dropout staring Kate McKinnon.
Hulu is hoping to strike lighting once more with their literary adaptations. Since the platform has been launched, it has successfully adapted The Handmaid’s Tale, Normal People, Little Fires Everywhere and Catch-22 into well-received television.