Summary
- Zero Tolerance is an upcoming Audible Original co-written by Duane Swierczynski, starring Hilary Swank, that follows an all-female squad of investigators in the U.S. Army as they uncover the truth behind sexual assaults.
- The exclusive clip features Sergeant Barnes (Swank) in a tense interview, refusing to be cornered into uncomfortable questions and staying focused on the important work she does.
- James Patterson Entertainment has successfully expanded its crime writing career to include collaborations with Audible, Amazon, and Freevee, with other projects such as "The Justice" and "The Coldest Case 2" in the pipeline.
Screen Rant is thrilled to present an exclusive clip from the upcoming Audible Original, Zero Tolerance. This is the latest in a collaboration between Audible and James Patterson Entertainment which has seen 3.5 million global listening hours so far across titles like The Coldest Case, Chasing Ghislaine, and The Guilty. This new collaboration is co-written by Duane Swierczynski and will star two-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank (Million Dollar Baby), Christine Ko, Melonie Diaz, and a full cast. Zero Tolerance will be released exclusively on Audible on August 24, 2023.
Sergeant Jo Barnes (Swank) is the head of an elite all-female squad of investigators who work within the U.S. Army to uncover the truth of sexual assaults committed within the force and bring the culprits to justice. When Private Nichelle Simmons goes missing at Fort Irwin Army Base in California, Barnes and two of her squad must travel to the base in the Mojave Desert searching for the truth tied to a Simmons accusation of a comrade of sexual assault, and his inexplicable release. The trio encounter resistance at every turn and risk great harm as they race against time to find the missing Private.
What to Expect from Zero Tolerance
In this exclusive excerpt presented by Screen Rant, Sergeant Barnes is undergoing a tense interview that sets the stage for the drama that is to unfold. A new "Zero Tolerance" bill has recently passed the US Congress, officially making sexual harassment and assault a criminal offense in the U.S. Military. While the interviewer keeps asking her leading questions, Barnes stays strong and refuses to be cornered into an uncomfortable or unwelcome answer. Barnes gets the discussion back on track of the work she does within the U.S. Army while refusing a line of questioning about a recently missing Private in California.
Zero Tolerance is the first of three new Audible Originals recently announced in partnership with James Patterson Entertainment. The Justice is an 8-part drama that follows a newly confirmed Associate Justice to the Supreme Court as she is dragged into the seedy underbelly of the highest court in the land, and becomes embroiled in a web of blackmail and murder that could taint the biggest decision of that year's term. Co-written by Aaron Cooley, The Justice stars Sanaa Lathan, Susan Kelechi Watson, Luke Tennie, and a full cast, releasing in early 2024.
Also being released in 2024, The Coldest Case 2 is a follow-up to the hugely popular Audible Original released in 2021, starring Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad) and Krysten Ritter (Jessica Jones) as twins Billy and Patti Harney. The second entry in the twin's story follows them as they investigate a series of seemingly unrelated murders of men in their 70s and 80s, and flashes back four decades to investigations their father undertook, and the decisions he made that may have some effect on their case.
James Patterson Entertainment has successfully expanded the huge commercial success of its namesake's crime writing career to include a number of projects across multiple platforms. Beyond the world of Audible Originals, JPE's collaboration with Amazon includes projects for Amazon Prime Video and Freevee. One of Patterson's most popular and bestselling crime series Alex Cross is heading to Amazon Prime in the series Cross, starring Aldis Hodge (Black Adam), and due to debut in 2024. Also in development is another Patterson series called The Women's Murder Club at Amazon, along with an adaptation of Daniel X at Freevee.
Zero Tolerance will be released exclusively on Audible on August 24.