The CW has found an actress to star in its Nancy Drew series. Newcomer Kennedy McMann will play the iconic title role.
“Set in the summer after her high school graduation, 18-year-old Nancy Drew thought she’d be leaving her hometown for college,” per the official description. “But when a family tragedy holds her back another year, she finds herself embroiled in a ghostly murder investigation — and along the way, uncovers secrets that run deeper than she ever imagined.” The Magicians writer Noga Landau will pen the pilot script along with Gossip Girl and The O.C. veterans Josh Schwartz and Stephanie Savage.
This marks the first series regular role for McMann, a Carnegie Mellon graduate who’s appeared in recent episodes of Law & Order: SVU and Gone. Also joining the cast: Leah Lewis (Charmed, The Good Doctor), who co-stars as George, a tough girl from the wrong side of the tracks who becomes a suspect in the central murder case.
Based on the beloved teen detective novels by Carolyn Keene, Nancy Drew earned a pilot order at The CW last month. Vampire Diaries and The Gifted veteran Melinda Hsu Taylor will serve as showrunner, with Larry Teng (Supergirl) directing the pilot.
