Apple’s ‘Safe Houses’ eyes Ana de Armas and ‘Blood Diamond’ lead for star-studded spy thriller
Hollywood A-listers Ana de Armas and Jennifer Connelly are among the top talents being considered to star in Apple International's spy series, 'Safe Houses,' Deadline exclusively reported on February 10. Acclaimed screenwriter-director Gideon Raff has adapted the eight-part series from Dan Fesperman's 2018 novel of the same name. Raff will also serve as the showrunner, executive producer, and direct a few episodes alongside Otto Bathurst, of 'Peaky Blinders' fame. The international espionage thriller is co-produced by Apple Studios and the independent studio, Wiip.
'Safe Houses' centers on the story of two women who get entangled in the CIA's secret operations. Sofia Jiménez is a fugitive CIA agent who gets wrongfully accused of killing a high-ranking CIA officer in Madrid. His widow, Ambassador Elizabeth Winthrop, crosses paths with Jiménez after she sets out on a mission to find the truth. During their investigation, they stumble upon a massive conspiracy with the power to shift the global political landscape. Connelly is being considered to play Winthrop, while de Armas is being sought for the role of Sofia Jiménez.
Raff’s foray into espionage thrillers began with the Israeli series 'Prisoners of War' in 2010. It was later developed for American audiences by Howard Gordon and Alex Gansa as the award-winning series 'Homeland' on Showtime. Raff co-wrote the pilot episode of 'Homeland,' and received the Emmy award for 'Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series' alongside Gordon and Gansa in 2012. He also created the six-part English-French miniseries 'The Spy' (inspired by Israel's top Mossad agent, Eli Cohen) for Netflix in 2019.
The Cuban actress de Armas rose to prominence after starring in the neo-noir sci-fi drama 'Blade Runner 2049,' 'Knives Out,' and the James Bond film 'No Time to Die' opposite Daniel Craig. Moreover, her turn as Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik's biographical drama 'Blonde' earned her an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, making her the first Cuban to be nominated. Last year, the 37-year-old actress played the assassin Eve Macarro in John Wick's spin-off installment, 'Ballerina.' If she signs on for the role, 'Safe Houses' will be de Armas's first American television series, as she has only starred in Spanish-language shows in the past.
On the other hand, Jennifer Connelly is known for her work in 'Requiem for a Dream,' 'Dark City,' 'Blood Diamond,' 'Little Children' and, most recently, played Tom Cruise's love interest in 'Top Gun: Maverick'. She won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Alicia Nash in Ron Howard's biopic, 'A Beautiful Mind', in 2002. On television, Connelly appeared in sci-fi shows such as 'Snowpiercer' (2020–2024) and 'Dark Matter' (2024-present). Her role in 'Safe Houses' will mark her second collaboration with Apple TV after 'Dark Matter.' In addition to Raff, Alexandra Milchan will serve as the series's executive producer. Paul Lee and David Flynn will executive produce for Wiip. Sara Gonzalo will have producing credit, and Fesperman will serve as consulting producer on 'Safe Houses.'
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