Oscar victor Anne Hathaway lands limited TV series role

Grey’s Anatomy and Ray Donovan producer Mark Gordon is leading the television version of Jennifer Steil’s newly-published novel. Entertainment One will finance “Ambassador’s Wife“, which will make the starry package even more of a hot property when it is shopped to TV and digital outlets.

The series circles around an American woman who is kidnapped in Yemen, Middle East. The story is inspired by the author’s personal experiences as the wife of the British Ambassador to Yemen.

This is the first high profile project from Gordon since he signed a deal with eOne last month to found a new mini film and television studio, notes Variety. eOne is financing, with Hathaway co-producing. There’s no word yet on producing auspices for “Ambassador’s Wife”.

Hathaway joins the ranks of Matthew McConaughey, Kevin Spacey, and Billy Bob Thornton as the latest big fancy movie star to appear in a limited series. The Oscar victor for Les Miserables is still working on films and will next be seen in The Intern with Robert De Niro. “We’re so fortunate to have Anne starring in this well timed, gripping, & compassionate drama. She is in a league all her own and we cannot think of anyone who can better portray Steil’s complex heroine”, Gordon said of Hathaway boarding the project.

The project, produced by Mark Gordon, has no network or distributor attached.

The book is repped by CAA for TV and The Book Group for publishing.