The Dish: Emily Ratajkowski makes screenwriting debut in bold new Apple TV+ drama

Emily Ratajkowski is stepping into new territory with her first screenwriting project, an Apple TV+ drama called The Dish, exploring female identity and modern motherhood. The series is in early development, and the title is not finalized yet. Ratajkowski is co-writing and executive producing alongside author Stephanie Danler, best known for her novel Sweetbitter and memoir Stray. Ratajkowski is also set to star, marking her transition from acting roles in Gone Girl and I Feel Pretty. This move follows the success of her New York Times best-selling essay collection My Body and her shift toward developing her own material.

A24 is producing the project, continuing its partnership with Apple TV+ after titles like Sofia Coppola’s On the Rocks. Lena Dunham will executive produce under her Good Thing Going banner, reuniting with Ratajkowski after the Netflix series Too Much, in which Ratajkowski played Wendy Jones. For Danler, this series follows her experience adapting Sweetbitter for Starz, which was based on her time working at Union Square Cafe.

Dunham, known for HBO’s Girls and films like Catherine Called Birdy, brings her long-standing focus on female-driven stories to the production. This collaboration brings together three creatives with distinct perspectives on womanhood, relationships, and self-discovery. It sets the stage for a contemporary drama rooted in personal experience.

Inside Apple TV+’s The Dish with Emily Ratajkowski, Stephanie Danler, and Lena Dunham

The new Apple TV+ project, The Dish, will focus on examining the realities of female identity and the complexities of modern motherhood through a contemporary lens. While plot details are being kept under wraps, sources indicate the show will explore the ways personal ambition, relationships, and societal expectations intersect in women’s lives.

Emily Ratajkowski’s involvement extends beyond her on-screen role, as she will be shaping the characters and themes from the ground up with co-writer Stephanie Danler. This will allow the series to blend perspectives from both the entertainment and literary worlds. Danler brings experience in developing layered characters, while Ratajkowski contributes insights drawn from her public and personal life.

A24’s role as the studio signals a production style known for letting creative voices take risks and work outside traditional television formulas. Apple TV+ has been strategic in partnering with A24 on projects that target niche but highly engaged audiences, and this series aligns with that approach.

Lena Dunham’s presence as executive producer under her Good Thing Going banner adds another creative dimension. She has a history of building shows that address women’s experiences with a mix of intimacy and social commentary.

The collaboration reunites Ratajkowski and Dunham after Too Much, their recent Netflix project. However, this time Ratajkowski will be driving the story rather than joining an existing creative team.

For Danler, The Dish offers a chance to work on a long-form narrative outside the restaurant-world backdrop of Sweetbitter. This allows her to bring her style of sharp observation to new subject matter. The three women’s combined experiences—spanning acting, directing, writing, and producing—suggest the series will aim for authenticity in both character work and subject matter.

With Apple TV+ still early in development, casting beyond Ratajkowski has yet to be announced, and no production timeline has been confirmed. However, the involvement of high-profile talent from multiple creative industries, paired with A24’s backing, positions the show for success. It is already one of the more anticipated female-led dramas currently on the streamer’s slate.

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