Four-time Academy Award nominee Annette Bening will star in Peacock’s upcoming limited drama series “Apples Never Fall,” based on “Big Little Lies” and “Nine Perfect Strangers” author Liane Moriarty’s No. 1 New York Times bestselling novel.
The role marks “The Kids Are All Right” actress’ first TV project in nearly 20 years, since she starred in HBO’s “Mrs. Harris” (2005), which garnered her an Emmy nomination in the miniseries or movie category.
“Apples Never Fall” hails from writer, showrunner and executive producer Melanie Marnich (“The OA”) and Oscar-nominated EP David Heyman (“Gravity”). Chris Sweeney (“The Tourist”) is set to direct multiple episodes, including the pilot.
Bening will portray Joy Delaney, a former tennis coach who shares four adult children with her husband. The series centers on their family, who appears to be enviably content by all measure. After decades of marriage, the couple has finally sold their famed tennis academy and is ready to start what should be the golden years of their lives. However, everything changes when a wounded young woman knocks on Joy and Stan’s door, bringing the excitement they’ve been missing. But when Joy suddenly disappears, her children have to reexamine their parents’ marriage and their family history with fresh and terrified eyes. Set against the backdrop of competitive tennis, the story traverses a family’s darkest secrets and asks, “Can we ever really know the people closest to us?”
The series will be produced by Universal International Studios’ Heyday Television. Additional executive producers include Moriarty, Albert Page and Jillian Share.
Bening has received Oscar nods for “The Kids Are All Right,” “Being Julia,” “American Beauty” and “The Grifters.” She is also a two-time Golden Globe Award winner, SAG Award winner and Tony Award nominee. Next up, she’ll be starring in Netflix’s upcoming film “Nyad,” from Academy Award, BAFTA and Emmy-winning duo Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin.
