Elle Fanning is heading back to television in a major way — and this time, she'll be going toe-to-toe with Nicole Kidman in a high-stakes legal thriller that already has Hollywood buzzing.
Paramount+ has announced that Discretion, the forthcoming drama from A24, will be directed by Matt Shakman, who has been tapped to helm the pilot and three additional episodes of the series. Kidman and Fanning both star and executive produce, with production set to begin later this year.
What Is Discretion About?
Written by Chandler Baker — author of The Husbands — and based on his own fictional short story, Discretion centres on Lenny (Fanning), a summer associate at a prestigious Dallas law firm who begins unravelling a web of NDAs concealing a deeply troubling secret.
When she discovers she has signed the very same agreement, her investigation puts her squarely in the crosshairs of Sharon (Kidman), the firm's most powerful female partner — and the woman who was supposed to be mentoring her.
The series landed at Paramount+ last October in what was described as a very competitive situation, arriving with a straight-to-series order — a mark of serious confidence from the streamer.
"Who gets to keep secrets, and at what cost?" — the central question posed by the show's official synopsis, which neatly captures the moral tension at the heart of the series.
A Reunion in the Making
For Shakman and Fanning, this is a welcome reunion. The director previously helmed the pilot of Hulu's The Great — the darkly comic period drama that earned Fanning widespread acclaim — a job that landed Shakman an Emmy nomination for directing. The pair clearly have an easy working relationship, and the ambition of Discretion suggests they're ready to raise the stakes considerably.
Shakman is no stranger to prestige television on a grand scale. He earned an Emmy nomination for directing WandaVision for Marvel Studios and Disney+, and his recent credits include pilots for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, The Consultant, and Welcome to Chippendales. He also recently wrapped the pilot and finale of Apple TV's Wild Things, starring Jude Law and Andrew Garfield. On the film side, he directed The Fantastic Four: First Steps and is attached to an untitled Planet of the Apes project at 20th Century.
Fanning's Busy Season
The announcement comes as Fanning is also generating considerable attention for another project entirely. The actress recently appeared alongside Michelle Pfeiffer at The Hollywood Reporter and Apple TV+'s Leading the Narrative: The Women of Apple TV+ event in Los Angeles, where the pair discussed their upcoming series Margo's Got Money Troubles.
Created by David E. Kelley and based on Rufi Thorpe's bestselling 2024 novel, the Apple TV+ drama follows a young single mother navigating unexpected hardship as she tries to build a life for herself and her son.
Speaking about what drew her to the role of Margo, Fanning was characteristically thoughtful about the character's appeal.
"At every turn she picks the harder route but then faces this adversity and finds her power with optimism and positivity. I felt like they were people I've met before — people who could easily be judged at first glance."
With two major television projects in the pipeline — one a heartfelt drama opposite Pfeiffer, the other a sharp legal thriller with Kidman — Fanning is firmly establishing herself as one of the most in-demand actresses working in prestige TV right now. Whether it's warmth or menace the story calls for, she appears more than ready to deliver both.
