Big Little Lies series creator David E Kelley is swapping the sunny sands of Monterey, California, for the grey skies and shadowed corners of Westminster, London, as he takes on the task of adapting Sarah Vaughan’s bestselling book Anatomy of a Scandal.
While set in very different locations, the two books – Vaughan’s and also Big Little Lies, written by Liane Moriarty – both address the issue of sexual assault, and the trauma experienced by survivors.
Featuring an all-star cast including Sienna Miller, Rupert Friend, and Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery (Lady Mary Crawley), the new series is already set to become the next big water-cooler drama.
In Anatomy of a Scandal, a married Westminster politician, James (Friend), is accused of raping his aide, Olivia. His wife Sophie (Miller) is convinced of her husband’s innocence, but prosecutor Kate (Dockery) is equally convinced that he’s guilty of the crime.
Read on for everything you need to know about the upcoming adaptation of Anatomy of a Scandal.
When is Anatomy of a Scandal released on Netflix?
David E Kelley (Big Little Lies) and former House Of Cards showrunner Melissa James Gibson will team up for the six-part Netflix adaptation (via Deadline).
In May 2024 it was announced that the series would be directed by S.J. Clarkson (Succession, Jessica Jones).
However, it’s not yet known when filming will be able to begin, given the filming restrictions caused by lockdown and COVID-19, and the backlog of projects yet to be completed – so we could have a while to wait.
What is Anatomy of a Scandal about?
The 2017 book of the same name, written by Sarah Vaughan (who is also executive producing the Netflix adaptation), revolves around the marital breakdown experienced by Westminster politician James Whitehouse and his wife Sophie, after the political aide he was having an affair with – Olivia – accuses him of rape.
We also closely follow the perspective of prosecutor Kate, a high flying young barrister who is experienced in prosecuting sexual assault cases – and has just been handed the case of a lifetime.
Anatomy of a Scandal cast
The three main leads have been announced: Sienna Miller, Michelle Dockery and Rupert Friend. Miller plays Sophie Whitehouse, an Oxford graduate and happily married mother of two, while Friend plays her husband, the ambitious junior minister James.
Meanwhile Kate Woodcroft, QC, will be played by Dockery. Kate is a steely criminal barrister specialising in prosecuting sexual crimes – and she’s now handling the high-profile case involving James Whitehouse.
Anatomy of a Scandal trailer
There’s no trailer for Anatomy of a Scandal, but we will update this page with more information as it’s released.
