Elizabeth Banks has been tapped to star as Karen Read in a limited series about the high-profile murder case, with Prime Video and Warner Bros. Television developing the project, according to Deadline. The Pittsfield, Massachusetts native will also serve as an executive producer on the Read-focused series.
The Banks-led project is described as separate from another scripted series that LBI Productions is developing with Read and her lead defense attorney, Alan Jackson. There is no announced release date yet for Banks’s series.
In the case at the heart of the show, Read faced two trials over the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, John O’Keefe, who was killed in a January 2022 incident in Canton after a night of drinking. Prosecutors alleged Read struck O’Keefe with her SUV and left him in a blizzard outside a fellow officer’s home. Read was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter in a retrial after a mistrial in July 2024, following defense claims of police misconduct and theories that O’Keefe was killed by colleagues and hidden from the investigation. The O’Keefe family has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit, which is moving forward as the parties prepare for further legal proceedings.
No additional details about production timelines or a premiere window have been released. Banks has a long-standing profile in film and television, including roles in the Pitch Perfect and The Hunger Games franchises, and she was named Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding theater troupe’s Woman of the Year in 2020.
Commentary and context:
– The casting of a high-profile star like Banks could bring renewed public attention to the case and offer a dramatized portrayal that emphasizes character nuance and legal complexity.
– The project’s separation from the other Read-related series suggests producers are pursuing multiple, distinct approaches to telling this story for streaming audiences.
– This development reflects a broader trend of streaming platforms investing in true-crime narratives with prominent talent to attract global viewership.
Summary:
Elizabeth Banks will star and executive produce a Prime Video/Warner Bros. Television limited series centered on Karen Read, separate from another Read-centered project. The case surrounding John O’Keefe’s death has resulted in acquittals, ongoing civil action, and continued public interest, with no release date announced yet. Banks’s involvement adds a high-profile dimension to the ongoing portrayal of this legal saga.