If, like us, you've been dreaming of a brilliant new legal drama ever since we said goodbye (sort of) to The Split, now would be a good time to pay attention. Our prayers have officially been answered as Paramount+ is bringing us Discretion, a dark new courtroom series with two unlikely colleagues. The colleagues in question? Nicole Kidman and hit period drama The Great's Elle Fanning. Now that's a pairing we can get on board with.
The Paramount+ series sees the pair play colleagues at a law firm, albeit in rather different positions. While Lenny (Elle Fanning) is a new summer associate, Sharon (Nicole Kidman) is an established partner. And when Lenny uncovers some shady legal documents, she becomes entangled in a web of secrets - ones that Sharon isn’t too keen on being revealed...
With production on Discretion currently underway, here’s everything you need to know about the series before it arrives on our screens, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
What is Discretion about?
As we mentioned, the eight-part series follows two women who work at a competitive law firm - high-powered partner Sharon (Nicole Kidman) and a new summer associate Lenny (Elle Fanning). Having recently joined the Dallas company, Lenny uncovers a web of NDAs “masking a dark truth,” the official synopsis reads.
It continues: “When she realises she signed the same agreement, her discoveries put her in the crosshairs of the firm’s most powerful female partner Sharon (Nicole Kidman) - upending their mentor-protégé dynamic and raising the question: who gets to keep secrets, and at what cost?”
The series is based on a story by New York Times bestselling author Chandler Baker, who’s written books including Whisper Network and The Husbands. Before becoming a novelist, she worked as a corporate lawyer, so she has plenty of insider information about the cutthroat legal world, which we're expecting her to bring to the screen.
In an Instagram post about the adaptation, Chandler said: “My husband is always gently encouraging me to take some concentrated time away to write. This summer I decided to take him up on it and went for one night … to write Discretion, a story that [production company Linden Entertainment’s] Jordan Cerf has been (also gently) encouraging? prodding? me to write for well over a year inspired by my time as a corporate lawyer negotiating hundreds of NDAs a year. I wrote it over the course of two days and now here we are!”
Who’s in the cast of Discretion?
The cast of Discretion includes:
- Nicole Kidman (Lioness) as law firm partner Sharon
- Elle Fanning (The Great) as junior associate Lenny
- Josh Lucas (Sweet Home Alabama) as Greg
- Stephan James (I Play Rocky, If Beale Street Could Talk) as Logan
- Colton Ryan (The Girl from Plainville) as Boone, Lenny’s ex-boyfrien
Are Chandler Baker's books any good?
Yes - she’s a New York Times bestselling author, after all. The Florida-born writer specialises in mystery and thriller novels, and her book Whisper Network was selected as a Reese Witherspoon Book CLub pick. Her Christmas short story, Oh. What. Fun. was also adapted for the small screen and released on Prime Video last December. You can watch it on Prime Video now.
How can I watch Discretion?
Paramount+ hasn't yet shared a release date for Discretion, but we do know that it will be released at some point in 2027. As soon as we have a confirmed date, we'll share it here.
What other legal dramas can I watch now?
If you haven't yet seen Kathy Bates in Matlock, we'd highly recommend it. The story revolves around Madeline “Matty” Matlock (Bates), who takes on an alias to work at a prestigious law firm in a bid to avenge the death of her daughter. Series 1 is available to watch on Sky Witness and NOW. We'd also suggest giving Presumed Innocent a go. The series follows a Chicago prosecutor who was accused of murdering his colleague and lover - but is he guilty? You can watch series 1 now on Apple TV+.
