Handmaid's Tale Cinematographer to Direct Spy Thriller Sleepless Nights

Bérénice Eveno, a cinematographer on The Handmaid's Tale, is directing Sleepless Nights, a six-part female-led spy thriller set in the Paris nightlife scene. Variety reported the project on 9 October 2026.

The order is for six episodes. That six-part shape is common for international thrillers. It keeps the story tight and easier to sell across borders.

NBCUniversal has commissioned the series, meaning it has ordered it for its own services. The commission covers France, Spain, Poland, Belgium, Switzerland and the former Yugoslavia. Those are the first confirmed homes for the show.

Filming is done. The series is now in post-production, meaning editing, sound, music and visual finishing are under way. Delivery is expected by the end of 2026, according to the report.

For buyers outside those first territories, the next stop is Cannes. SND will launch international sales at Mipcom, the television market where producers and distributors offer finished and upcoming shows to channels and streamers. Variety reported the sales launch.

Sawsan Abes leads the cast as Céline. She is joined by Jérémie Laheurte, Sabrina Ouazani, David Kammenos and Marin Judas in the ensemble.

Behind the camera, the series was created by Inan Çiçek and Florian Spitzer. Scripts were co-written by David Robert and Charlotte Robb. Quentin de Revel and Younes Nemiche are producing for SND Fictions.

SND Fictions is the scripted television production arm of SND, which sits within M6, the French commercial broadcasting group. The company is handling both production and the international sales push.

What makes this stand out is the directorial step. Eveno is best known for shooting other directors' work. Here she takes charge of the whole series.