Oscar nominated documentary filmmaker Liz Garbus has signed on to direct Hulu’s forthcoming scripted Orphan-inspired miniseries.
According to Deadline, Garbus will be executive producing alongside leading star Ellen Pompeo in addition to directing. The miniseries is based on the real-life story of Ukrainian-born Natalia Grace and her adoptive parents.
Garbus gained recognition for her work on documentary films such as The Farm: Angola, USA, and What Happened, Miss Simone?, which both earned Oscar nominations. She has also directed two docuseries: I’ll Be Gone in the Dark and the recent series Harry & Meghan. The untitled Hulu project marks Garbus’ second venture into scripted dramas after previous helming one episode of The Handmaid’s Tale in 2021.
The untitled Orphan miniseries will center around a Midwestern couple who adopts what they believe is an 8-year-old girl with a rare form of dwarfism. “As they begin to raise her alongside their three biological children, they slowly start to believe she may not be who she says she is,” reads the synopsis. “They start questioning her story, leading them to be confronted with hard questions of their own about the lengths they’re willing to go to defend themselves, falling into a battle that’s fought in the tabloids, the courtroom, and ultimately their marriage.”
The project will be written and executive produced by Katie Robbins, with Erin Levy serving as an executive producer and showrunner. Pompeo and Laura Holstein will be executive producing through their Calamity Jane banner along with Mike Epps, Dan Spilo, Niles Kirchner, and Andrew Stearn. It is a production by ABC Signature.