Netflix is developing a new series based on The Nanny Diaries, with Scarlett Johansson producing

What we know about the new series

Variety confirmed the project on 23 April 2026. Amy Chozick, known for The Girls on the Bus and her New York Times journalism career, and Jenny Bicks, whose credits include all six seasons of Sex and the City and HBO’s Divorce, are writing the scripts together and will serve as co-showrunners.

According to Deadline, the official logline puts a sharper spin on the source material: Annie is described as a broke, aspiring writer who takes a nanny job for a magnetic Upper East Side socialite, then lands a book deal to expose the lives of the ultra-rich — all while growing unexpectedly attached to the world she is supposed to infiltrate.

That is a meaningful departure from the 2007 film, which followed the book’s plot closely. The series takes the same satirical core — Manhattan’s elite dissected through the eyes of an outsider — and adds a double-life, undercover-journalism angle.

A series adaptation of THE NANNY DIARIES is in development at Netflix from executive producer Scarlett Johansson. pic.twitter.com/SZoI8vo9qg

— ‏ً (@fiImfag) April 23, 2026

How the project came together

Greg Berlanti and Johansson reportedly first discussed adapting the novel into a television series while shooting the Apple film Fly Me to the Moon in 2024, which Berlanti directed and Johansson starred in. The conversation eventually led to this Netflix deal.

Johansson is producing through her These Pictures banner alongside Jonathan Lia and Keenan Flynn. Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, and Leigh London Redman executive produce via Berlanti Productions, with Gary Barber and Sean Hoagland of Spyglass Media Group also attached. Warner Bros. Television is the studio, operating under its overall deal with Berlanti Productions.

The book’s history and the 2007 film

McLaughlin and Kraus, both former nannies themselves, published The Nanny Diaries in 2002. According to Deadline, the novel has since been translated into more than 20 languages and hit number one on the New York Times bestseller list.

The 2007 feature adaptation, written and directed by Shari Springer Berman and Robert Pulcini, starred Johansson alongside Laura Linney, Paul Giamatti, Alicia Keys, and Chris Evans. According to Screen Rant, the film earned approximately $47.8 million at the global box office against a $20 million budget — a modest return that meant the story never quite had its moment. This Netflix series is the first major revisit in nearly two decades.

The authors wrote a sequel novel, Nanny Returns, in 2010. No word yet on whether that storyline feeds into the new show’s development.

Why Netflix is betting big on books right now

The timing is no coincidence. According to Deadline, book adaptations drove over 9 billion global views on Netflix in 2025, representing nearly 20% of total view hours. The platform’s Global Top 10 lists featured a book adaptation every single week throughout the year, a streak that has continued into 2026.

The Nanny Diaries joins Netflix’s growing literary slate, which already includes Black Hole, The Corrections, Lights Out, and So Far Gone, according to Deadline. The streamer’s adaptations of Bridgerton, His & Hers, The Queen’s Gambit, and Leave the World Behind have all placed on the Most Popular English-language lists.

UK streaming: what to expect

Cast and production timeline

No casting announcements have been made. According to Soap Central, industry watchers anticipate the show could realistically reach screens in 2027, given it is currently in early development with scripts still being written. Johansson will not appear on screen — her role is solely as executive producer.

The project sits alongside other high-profile Johansson productions currently in development, including Tower of Terror, The Girl in the Lake, and Sasha. It marks a busy run for her These Pictures banner.