Caroline Kepnes Writes and Directs The Attentionist Series, Filming on Cape Cod in Fall 2026

The creator of You is returning to the world of psychological horror, and this time she is writing and directing. The Attentionist, a new limited series from writer-director Caroline Kepnes, is currently in pre-production and casting ahead of a September 21, 2026 production start in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Set on the working-class side of Cape Cod in 1994, the story follows two sisters whose longing to cross into the world of summer wealth takes a deeply sinister turn when a secret phone romance with a boy from the country club reveals something monstrous. For crew based in New England or willing to travel to the Cape, this is a production worth watching closely right now.

Caroline Kepnes is best known as the author of the You novel series, which became the foundation for the Netflix psychological thriller of the same name. You ran for four seasons and built a devoted global audience, making Kepnes one of the more recognizable names in prestige dark fiction. The Attentionist marks her directorial debut on a series, adapting her own short story originally published in Dark Stars: New Tales of Darkest Horror, a 2020 anthology edited by Paula Guran. The fact that Kepnes is both writing and directing signals a singular creative vision at the helm, the kind of author-driven project that tends to attract performers and crew who want to be close to the source material. Casting directors Joseph Middleton and Michelle Gertz are attached to find the ensemble, which based on the story's premise will center on teenage leads and likely require experienced casting expertise with younger talent.

Producers Mark Roberts and Lorena David are attached, though the production company or studio banner behind the project has not yet been publicly identified. The series is operating under a SAG-AFTRA Low Budget Agreement (Pending), which is an important detail for talent and crew to understand from the outset. That agreement tier typically applies to productions with budgets in a lower range, and while it caps certain costs, it also signals an independent or boutique production model rather than a large-studio infrastructure. This is the kind of project where department heads often wear multiple hats and where a tight, collaborative crew culture tends to define the experience. No network or streaming platform has been publicly announced, though a project with Kepnes's name attached, a built-in genre audience, and strong IP will almost certainly attract streamer attention as it moves through development.

Hyannis is the production's home base, and the location choice is as deliberate as it is practical. Hyannis sits at the heart of Cape Cod and serves as the commercial and transportation hub of the peninsula, making it the logical anchor for a Cape-set production. The story's 1994 working-class Cape Cod setting means the production will likely seek out period-appropriate locations across the broader Cape Cod region, from weathered shingled neighborhoods and ferry docks to the manicured club exteriors that represent the world the sisters are desperate to enter. Massachusetts offers a film tax credit of 25 percent on qualifying in-state production spending, which is a likely driver of the decision to shoot on location rather than replicate the Cape elsewhere. The local crew base on Cape Cod itself is limited, but Boston's production community is roughly 70 miles to the north and serves as the practical labor pool for most Massachusetts productions. Crew willing to commute or relocate to the Cape for the duration of the shoot will have a meaningful advantage in pursuing this one.

The series format and episode count have not been announced, but the scope of the source material and the low-budget SAG agreement both suggest a limited run, possibly four to six episodes. The 1994 period setting will require meaningful investment from the art, costume, and hair and makeup departments to execute credibly, and those are the departments most likely staffing up in the months ahead. The logline's emphasis on a phone romance also points toward an intimate, character-driven production rather than a sprawling ensemble, which tends to favor a leaner but highly skilled crew. Stunt needs are unclear at this stage, though the horror genre and the description of something monstrous being revealed leaves room for sequences that could require coordination. With cameras expected to roll in late September 2026, pre-production is expected to accelerate meaningfully through spring and summer.

ProductionList.com carries the full listing for The Attentionist, including production contacts, the Hyannis base of operations, and crew information as it becomes available. If you are a department head, location scout, or crew member in the New England region, or a casting professional tracking the attached casting directors, this is the moment to get your name in front of the right people. Check the listing now and set an alert for updates as the production moves closer to its fall start date.

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