Dakota Fanning to play female lead in TV adaptation of 'The Alienist'

Actress Dakota Fanning is set to star as the female lead on TNT's upcoming series "The Alienist", a period thriller based on a novel by Caleb Carr. The entertainment network announced that the 22-year-old star would join Daniel Bruhl and Luke Evans on the show, reported AceShowbiz.

Fanning will portray Sara Howard, a "headstrong secretary at a police headquarters." Bruhl will star as criminal psychologist aka alienist Dr Lazlo Kreizler and Evans will essay the role of John Moore, a newspaper reporter.

Based on Caleb Carr's novel of the same name, the psychological thriller will begin the production early this year in Budapest. It chronicles a story of three investigators who are teaming up to solve a series of murders in the Gilded Age of New York City in 1986.

Fanning's last TV appearance was on an episode of Friends in season 10. Her other TV credits include Justice League Unlimited, Family Guy and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

The Alienist is slated to premiere in late 2017 on TNT.