The Staircase

Subterms

    Latest story

    175 Shares189 Views

    Toni Collette to Star Opposite Colin Firth on HBO Max's Crime Drama 'The Staircase'

    by

    WENN/FayesVision/Ivan Nikolov

    Based on the 2004 true-crime docuseries of the same name, the eight-episode series itself focuses on Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife Kathleen in 2001.

    May 3, 2021

    AceShowbiz –
    Toni Collette has been cast as the wife of killer Michael Peterson on a new HBO Max drama. The Australian actress will team up with Colin Firth for “The Staircase” – the eight-episode series which focuses on the 2001 death of Kathleen Peterson.

    Michael Peterson was convicted of the murder of his wife after claiming she died after falling down the stairs, high on alcohol and Valium. An autopsy suggested she died from multiple injuries, including blunt force trauma to the back of her head. His charge was eventually reduced to manslaughter in 2017 and he was released from prison.

    “The Staircase” is based on the true-crime docuseries of the same name which premiered in 2004. The docuseries was released as a 13-episode show in 2018 on Netflix. The new drama project, in the meantime, has “Christine” director Antonio Campos and “American Crime Story” writer Maggie Cohn serving as its writers and executive producers.

      See also…

    Campos himself has been tapped to direct six of the eight episodes.

    Meanwhile, Collette will make her directorial debut with an adaptation of Lily King’s bestseller “Writers & Lovers”. The “Muriel’s Wedding” star is also adapting the screenplay with Nick Payne and executive producing.

    “I have been wanting to direct for quite some time but have been a bit busy with my day job,” Collette told Deadline. “l couldn’t be more thrilled to be bringing Lily King’s beautiful, funny, moving novel to life.”

    The story revolves around an aspiring novelist who finds herself dating two men at the same time, following the death of her mother.

    You can share this post!

    Next article

    Maria Menounos Mourns Mother’s Passing After Nearly Five-Year Battle With Stage 4 Brain Cancer

    Related Posts More

    More stories

    • 175 Shares139 Views

      in Television

      Colin Firth to Channel Convicted Felon Michael Peterson in TV Adaptation of 'The Staircase'

      by

      WENN/Anita Bugge/Future Image

      The limited series project for HBO Max and Annapurna Television will have ‘The Devil All the Time’ director Antonio Campos serving behind the lens for six of its eight episodes.

      Apr 1, 2021

      AceShowbiz –
      Actor Colin Firth is stepping into the shoes of American novelist and convicted criminal Michael Peterson to star in a TV adaptation exploring the 2001 murder of his wife.

      The case, including Peterson’s subsequent trial and 2003 conviction, was documented in 2004 true crime series “The Staircase”, which examined whether the writer was telling the truth when he claimed his wife, Kathleen, had died at their home after falling down the stairs – even though the medical examiner ruled she had been stabbed to death.

      He spent eight years in prison, before he was granted a new trial in 2011, only to accept an Alford plea – a guilty plea in which the defendant maintains their innocence – for the reduced crime of manslaughter, and be sentenced to time served.

        See also…

      The docuseries, directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, was twice updated with developments in the case in 2013 and 2018, and now the mystery will be dramatized with Firth in the lead role.

      “The Devil All the Time” director Antonio Campos will shoot six of the eight episodes, which he co-wrote with Maggie Cohn for U.S. streaming service HBO Max and Annapurna Television.

      In a statement, Campos says, “This has been a project I have been working on in one way or another since 2008. It’s been a long and winding road, but well worth the wait to be able to find partners like HBO Max, Annapurna, co-showrunner Maggie Cohn and the incredible Colin Firth to dramatize such a complex true-life story.”

      Producers at Annapurna have been developing “The Staircase” adaptation since 2019, with Harrison Ford once attached to star as Peterson, reports TheWrap.com.

      You can share this post!

      Next article

      Kylie Jenner Contributes to the Building of Teen Cancer Center With $500K Donation More