Nicole Kidman and Ella Fanning Lead A24's Legal Thriller 'Discretion' for Paramount+, Filming in Dallas in 2026

One of the more intriguing packages to emerge from the current development landscape, 'Discretion' is a legal thriller series headed to Paramount+ with a genuinely stacked creative and talent lineup. Nicole Kidman and Ella Fanning are attached to star, A24 is producing alongside Blossom Films, and principal photography is scheduled to begin in June 2026. That timeline puts serious pre-production work well underway in the months ahead, and crew professionals in Texas and beyond should have this one firmly on their radar.

The series is adapted from the work of Chandler Baker, a novelist who brings a rare firsthand perspective to the material. Baker herself is writing the screenplay, drawing on her own background as a corporate attorney to inform a story set deep inside the world of Dallas law. Baker is perhaps best known for her novel 'Whisper Network,' a workplace thriller that became a word-of-mouth bestseller and was praised for its sharp, insider-informed depiction of corporate culture and the legal profession. That same sensibility, grounded in observed reality rather than procedural formula, is expected to carry into the series. Susannah Grant serves as a producer, and her presence signals a particular kind of character-driven storytelling commitment. Grant is the acclaimed writer and producer behind 'Erin Brockovich,' 'Unbelievable,' and 'Poised,' with a long track record of female-centered narratives that balance legal and institutional drama with deeply human performances. Her alignment with this material feels like a natural fit.

On the talent side, Nicole Kidman's involvement immediately elevates the profile of the production. Kidman has been one of the defining forces in prestige streaming drama over the past decade, with 'Big Little Lies' and 'Nine Perfect Strangers' (both produced through her Blossom Films banner, which is attached here as a co-producer) reshaping what limited series television can look like. Her presence as both a producer and star on this project carries real weight. Blossom Films' co-production role is not incidental: this is a production company with a demonstrated ability to attract top-tier talent and deliver high-end, award-contending television. Ella Fanning, meanwhile, brings her own considerable dramatic range to the project. Fresh from her widely praised work in 'The Great' on Hulu, where she played Catherine the Great across multiple seasons with a blend of dark comedy and emotional complexity, Fanning is at a career moment where serious prestige drama is a natural next step. The prospect of her sharing the screen with Kidman in a high-stakes legal thriller will generate real anticipation among audiences and industry alike.

Dakota Fanning is listed as a producer on the series, joining Per Saari, Jordan Cerf, Joe Hipps, and Brittany Kahan Ward in the producing ranks. The Fanning sisters collaborating behind and in front of the camera on a major streaming project is a notable story in itself, though Dakota's producing credits, while growing, are still establishing their track record on this scale. Saari and the broader producing team bring additional infrastructure to what is shaping up to be a well-resourced production.

The studio and platform combination here is worth pausing on. A24 bringing a project to Paramount+ represents the kind of creative-meets-commercial pairing that has become increasingly common as streamers compete for prestige content. A24 needs little introduction: the studio has redefined independent and elevated genre filmmaking over the past decade with projects ranging from 'Hereditary' and 'Midsommar' to 'Succession' collaborator territory, and their television ambitions have been growing steadily. Paramount+ has been investing heavily in prestige limited series to compete with Netflix, HBO Max, and Apple TV+, and a Kidman-fronted legal thriller from A24 fits squarely within that strategic push. Budget-wise, Kidman's involvement and A24's production standards suggest this will operate at the higher end of the streaming drama scale, likely as a union shoot with a generous department budget.

The series is set in Dallas, and while a confirmed physical production location has not yet been announced, the narrative setting strongly suggests the production will base in North Texas to capture the specific visual and cultural texture of the city. Texas has been aggressively courting film and television production in recent years, and Dallas in particular has seen increased activity as the Texas Moving Image Industry Incentive Program offers meaningful rebates that make the state competitive with Georgia and New Mexico. The Dallas-Fort Worth area has a growing local crew base, solid stage infrastructure including the Lone Star Film Studios facility, and has hosted productions ranging from 'Walker' to portions of larger features. Department heads and experienced Texas-based crew should note that a production of this scale, if it does base in Dallas, will likely supplement local hires with imported keys in areas like cinematography, production design, and costume, but will draw substantially from local talent in supporting crew roles. A production start of June 2026 means the locations department, production designer, and department heads across most categories are likely to begin formal hiring conversations in late 2025 and early 2026.

For crew, this is a prestige limited series or ongoing drama (episode count has not been publicly confirmed) in the legal thriller genre, which historically demands a strong art department capable of rendering convincing corporate and courtroom environments, a wardrobe department fluent in high-end professional dress, and a locations team with deep knowledge of Dallas's architectural and institutional landscape. The character-driven nature of the source material and the caliber of the talent involved suggest a production that will prioritize performance and atmosphere over action spectacle, though the genre certainly allows for tense, visually sophisticated filmmaking.

ProductionList.com maintains a live listing for 'Discretion' that will be updated as crew attachments, department contacts, production office addresses, and scheduling details are confirmed. With filming still roughly a year out, now is exactly the right time to identify this opportunity, flag it with your reps, and position yourself for conversations that will begin picking up considerably in the coming months. Check the full listing for the latest intel, and set a watch on this one.

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