Octavia Spencer to star in new Apple series Are You Sleeping, produced by Reese Witherspoon

On the heels of Octavia Spencer’s Oscar-nominated movie Hidden Figures getting a TV adaptation, the actress has landed a starring role in Apple’s first straight-to-series order. Titled Are You Sleeping, it will be produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine production company, Deadline reports.[caption id="attachment_4455515" align="alignnone" width="825"]

Octavia Spencer. Image via Twitter[/caption]The series is created and written by Nichelle Tramble Spellman of The Good Wife fame, based on the true-crime novel Are You Sleeping by Kathleen Barber. It will focus on America’s unique obsession with true-crime podcasts and its effect on the pursuit of justice. The break-out success of the true-crime podcast phenomenon Serial by host, creator and producer Sarah Koenig was symptomatic of this public phenomenon and Koenig will serve as a consultant for the show.This is the third reported original series deal between Apple and Hello Sunshine since the electronics giant officially ventured into the scripted series arena under Jamie Erlicht & Zack Van Amburg, heads of the recently formed worldwide video programming division. Are You Sleeping is yet another feather in Apple’s hot pursuit of outbidding rivals like Netflix in the acquisition of original series helmed by known Hollywood hit makers. These include the Reese Witherspoon-Jennifer Aniston's Morning Show series, which has been ordered for 2 seasons and a comedy starring Kristen Wiig.Meanwhile, Octavia Spencer has had an extraordinary year with a line up of major Hollywood projects coming up, including one which reunites her with The Help co-star Jessica Chastain. The film will be a Christmas comedy produced by Universal Studios and directed by The Big Sick director Michael Showalter. She is also reuniting with The Help director Tate Taylor for an upcoming horror movie Ma.