Amanda Seyfried plays lead role in Skinny Deep moving from HBO Max to Amazon

A new series adaptation of Carl Hiaasen's novel Skinny Dip is in development at Amazon, marking the fourth attempt in six years to bring the book to the screen.Amanda Seyfried is on board to star in Skinny Deep. The series is being developed by Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis, known from Once Upon a Time, together with Bill Lawrence (Ted Lasso, Shrinking). Earlier this year, the project was still being developed by HBO Max, but that platform eventually decided not to proceed.


Amanda Seyfried

Seyfried, who was recently seen in the Peacock miniseries Long Bright River and is currently promoting the film The Housemaid by Paul Feig, plays the role of Joey Perrone. The story follows a woman who is pushed off a cruise ship by her marine-biologist husband but survives and plans revenge with the help of a former police officer.

According to the description, Joey’s second wedding anniversary went completely differently than expected: instead of a pair of earrings, her husband Chaz had other plans, which led her to narrowly escape death and decide to take revenge. Together with a fallen ex-police officer, Joey does everything she can to make Chaz pay for his actions.

Skinny Dip has had a long and eventful development. In 2011, HBO was already working on an adaptation with Michael Keaton as executive producer. In 2018, The CW developed a pilot with Sarah Wright Olsen in the role of Joey, but it was not picked up for a full series. A year later, Quibi tried again with the same creative team. Earlier this year, HBO Max was still working on the series with Horowitz, Kitsis, and Lawrence.

The project is part of a series of Hiaasen adaptations that are currently appearing on television or in development. Bill Lawrence is producing Bad Monkey, based on Hiaasen’s 2013 novel of the same name, for Apple TV, with Vince Vaughn in the lead role; this series has already been renewed for a second season.

Additionally, ABC is scheduled to launch RJ Decker later this season, based on Hiaasen’s 1987 novel Double Whammy, with Scott Speedman in the lead role and created by Elementary creator Rob Doherty.

Lawrence has previously expressed his great appreciation for Hiaasen’s work, stating that he began reading the author’s books when he was about fifteen years old and considers him a personal hero.