Social media may have been skeptical about Amanda Seyfried stepping into Kate McKinnon’s shoes when it was announced that she would replace the SNL star Elizabeth Holmes in the upcoming miniseries The Dropout.
But the latest stills from the Hulu project seem to show that Seyfried is more than capable of presenting a believable portrayal of the disgraced former businesswoman and has the intense eyes to prove it.
The Dropout, based on the popular podcast of the same name, follows the story of Holmes and her now-defunct health tech company. Holmes claimed Theranos would revolutionize current blood testing technology allowing for potential diagnoses via tiny volumes of blood, utilizing pinpricks for procedures that would normally take vials of blood. Several government and journalistic investigations later, and Holmes has found herself brought up on charges of fraud and the centerpiece of a trial which could land her behind bars for as long as twenty years, not to mention fines and restitution in the millions of dollars range.
The series originally starred SNL comedian Kate McKinnon, who bears a good resemblance to Holmes, but Mackinnon dropped out of The Dropout in February.
Seyfried, best known for starring in Mamma Mia! and its sequel and the cult-favorite teen comedy, Mean Girls, was brought in to replace her in the starring role. She earned a nomination for the Best Supporting Actress earlier this year for her role in Mank.
Three of the stills from the miniseries show Seyfried clad in Holmes’ signature all-black look said to be inspired by Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Another shows her alongside Naveen Andrews, who will be portraying former Theranos COO, Sunny Balwani.
Apple TV will release a competing project starring Jennifer Lawrence called Bad Blood, so let’s hope no costume designer had to deal with a turtleneck shortage.
Hulu will premiere the first three episodes of The Dropout on March 3, 2022.