When it comes to a TV adaptation with pace and suspense, Reese Witherspoon has form. 

The star’s production company, Hello Sunshine, has optioned the rights to several incredible books in recent years, including Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies and Celeste Ng’s Little Fires Everywhere – both of which were made into critically acclaimed TV series. 

So we are all ears for her latest project, which comes with the support of fellow Hollywood heavyweight Julia Roberts. The two women are teaming up for a new production of upcoming thriller The Last Thing He Told Me by novelist Laura Dave.

Roberts is on-board to executively produce and star in the original miniseries for Apple TV+. The news was announced by Deadline.com and confirmed by Witherspoon, who said on Twitter that working with Roberts meant that “all my childhood dreams are now fulfilled”.

The actor also thanked Dave for her “brilliant” book, saying: “I can’t wait for everyone to read it!”

The book version of The Last Thing He Told Me is not released until May next year, but already it’s being hailed as “tense and twisty” and “beautifully written” by critics.

It follows the story of Hannah, a woman who is handed a note by her husband, Owen, shortly before he vanishes in mysterious circumstances. It simply reads “protect her”; a reference to Owen’s teen daughter Bailey. Bailey lost her mother in tragic circumstances as a child, and her relationship with her stepmother, Hannah, is fraught.

But, as the suspense around Owen’s disappearance grows, the two women must join forces to work out what happened to him – piecing together clues from his elusive past.

With Owen’s boss arrested for fraud and the police on Hannah’s tail, it’s clear that Owen is a very different person to the man he appeared to be. As the investigation continues, long-buried secrets float to the surface amid a chilling sense of unease. In the TV adaptation, Roberts will step into the lead role as Hannah.

American novelist Laura Dave has penned a series of bestselling books, including  Eight Hundred Grapes and The Divorce Party. She is on-board to write the script for this new TV series, along with her husband, the Oscar-winning script writer Josh Singer.

Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine company helped put Apple TV+ on the map with The Morning Show, in which she co-stars alongside Jennifer Aniston. The Legally Blonde star also brought Truth Be Told to the channel. Based on the bestselling novel by Kathleen Barber, the show delves into the consequences of our obsession with true crime and stars The Help’s Octavia Spencer as a true-crime podcaster.

Julia Roberts, one of Hollywood’s best-known actors, made the crossover from film to TV with her lead role on the Amazon Prime thriller Homecoming. The Last Thing He Told Me is her first project with Witherspoon.

Images: Getty, Apple TV +