Elizabeth Holmes: Amanda Seyfried to replace Kate McKinnon as Theranos founder in Hulu’s The Dropout

McKinnon left the project earlier this year

Amanda Seyfried at the New York premiere of ‘The Art of Racing in the Rain’ on 5 August 2019 in New York City (ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images)

Amanda Seyfried will portray Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes in the upcoming series The Dropout.

Seyfried will replace Kate McKinnon for the role after the Saturday Night Live cast member exited the project in February.

Seyfried will also act as a producer on the show, Deadline reported on Monday.

The series is based on the podcast of the same name hosted by Rebecca Jarvis and released by ABC News in 2019.

No reason was given when McKinnon’s departure was announced earlier this year, but many comedians and actors have had to shift their schedules due to production delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

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In 2019, the documentary The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley, directed by Alex Gibney, also examined the Theranos story. Journalist John Carreyrou investigated the now-defunct company in his book Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, published in 2018.

A film adaptation of the book, starring Jennifer Lawrence as Holmes, has been announced, with Adam McKay directing.

Elizabeth Holmes appears at a status hearing on 17 July 2019 in San Jose, California (Kimberly White/Getty Images)

In real life, Holmes was indicted in 2018 on charges of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She has pleaded not guilty and is still awaiting trial after the pandemic delayed the proceedings.