Lebanese filmmaker Mounia Akl has been announced as the director of the upcoming limited series "The Unheard," starring British actresses Kate Winslet and Maxine Peake. The five-episode drama, written by British screenwriter Jack Thorne, is scheduled to begin filming in 2027 for distribution on Netflix, although no release date has been disclosed.

"The Unheard" centers on two sisters who become fugitives following the collapse of a revenge plan. As they evade law enforcement, they grapple with personal secrets that have led them down a path of violence. The story has drawn comparisons to the 1991 film "Thelma & Louise," directed by Ridley Scott, due to its themes of sisterhood and flight.

This project marks Winslet’s first drama series with Netflix. She is an acclaimed actress with multiple Emmy Awards, including for her work on HBO’s "Mare of Easttown" (2021) and "Mildred Pierce." Alongside Winslet and Peake, the series is produced by Warp Films, Plan B (the production company of American actor Brad Pitt), and Matriarch Productions, headed by British actor Stephen Graham.

Mounia Akl gained international recognition with her debut feature, "Costa Brava, Lebanon," filmed in late 2020 and premiered at the Venice Film Festival in 2021. The film, which explores a Lebanese family’s struggle after relocating from Beirut to the mountains only to face a new environmental threat, won several awards, including the NETPAC Prize at the Toronto International Film Festival and the FIPRESCI Award for best debut film at Egypt’s El-Gouna Film Festival. The site of the film’s events, Costa Brava, is a real location outside Beirut that opened in 2016.

Akl’s earlier work includes the short film "Submarine," which screened in the Cinefondation section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2016 and dealt with Lebanon’s ongoing garbage crisis. Reflecting on her approach to filmmaking, Akl has noted a focus on family dynamics as a lens for understanding broader societal issues, emphasizing that she prefers to provoke questions rather than deliver direct messages through her work.

While Netflix remains quiet on the series’ release timeline, anticipation is growing for "The Unheard," which brings together notable talent in direction, writing, and acting to explore complex familial and social themes.