Back in March, it was reported that The Haunting of Bly Manor star Victoria Pedretti was cast to star in Hulu’s Saint X, an adaptation of the novel of the same name. Now, Variety is reporting Pedretti has exited the project, with Fear the Walking Dead star Alycia Debnam-Carey set to replace her.
Saint X is a psychological drama based on the 2020 debut novel by Alexis Schaitkin. The novel follows the aftermath caused by a young women’s death that continues to have ripples years later. Years after the unsolved murder has become national news, the young woman’s sister Emily (Debnam-Carey) sets out on a mission to find out the truth about what happened to her sister after accidentally running into the man who was the prime suspect in the killing. Debnam-Carey’s character is described as being smart and ambitious with a perfect life that begins to crumble as she begins her pursuit of the truth.
As Variety reports it, Pedretti made the decision to exit the series after encountering creative differences. It is unknown how much of the series will now have to be re-shot with Debnam-Carey. This also isn’t the first bit of trouble Saint X’s production has encountered. Variety is also reporting that production “shut down in the Dominican Republic after a large number of crew members walked off the show reportedly over a pay dispute.”
Debnam-Carey previously starred in The 100 on The CW and currently stars on AMC’s Fear the Walking Dead. She is also set to star in the Prime Video series The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart alongside Sigourney Weaver. She also recently made her directorial debut on an episode of Fear the Walking Dead. Debnam-Carey is joined in the series by Josh Bonzie, Jayden Elijah, and West Duchovny.
Hulu has ordered eight episodes of Saint X, which will all be written by Leila Gerstein. Additionally, Dee Rees, the writer and director of the Academy Award-nominated film Mudbound, is directing all eight episodes of the series. Executive producers on the series include Rees, Schaitkin, Stephen Williams, David Levine, Zack Hayden, Aubrey “Drake” Graham, Adel “Future” Nur, Jason Shrier, and Steve Pearlman.
Stay tuned to Collider for any future updates on this project. Read the series’ official synopsis below:
Explores how a young woman's mysterious death creates a traumatic ripple effect that ultimately pulls her surviving sister into a dangerous pursuit of the truth.