Kate Beckinsale Is Coming to Television in Amazon Thriller The Widow

Kate Beckinsale is the next A-list movie star heading to television, joining Viola Davis, Reese Witherspoon and many others. She will star in the new show The Widow for Amazon Studios from ITV, a U.K. television network. The show is written and executive produced by Harry and Jack Williams, best known for their Golden Globe-nominated show The Missing. According to THR, The Widow will include eight episodes and will begin production this month in South Africa, Wales and Rotterdam, Netherlands.

The story follows the titular widow, Georgia Wells (Beckinsale), who becomes a changed woman after cutting herself off from her previous life. Her life is upended when she witnesses her seemingly dead husband on the news, thus plummeting her into a journey deep into the African Congo seeking to uncover the truth about her past.

“Kate Beckinsale is a brilliantly talented actress and we’re thrilled she’s joining us on this journey—we couldn’t imagine anyone more perfect for the role,” the Williams brothers said in a statement Wednesday. “The Widow is our most ambitious and cinematic piece to date and we can’t wait to bring the dark heart of the Congolese jungle to the screen.”

The Widow is not the first collaboration between Beckinsale and Amazon. She previously starred in the critically acclaimed comedy Love & Friendship from director Whit Stillman, which earned her a Critics Choice Award nomination. Most recently, she appeared in Marc Webb’s The Only Living Boy in New York. This is the first time that Beckinsale will play a series regular on a scripted show.

The Widow becomes the next female-fronted scripted series premiering on Amazon, joining the ranks of The Man in the High Castle, Catastrophe and the Golden Globe-nominated The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, among others.