Colin Firth (The Kings Speech, The Kingsmen) is set to star in HBO Max’s series adaptation of the true crime documentary series The Staircase. Firth will take on the lead role of Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife.
The series will consist of eight episodes, and it will focus on Peterson, who claimed that his wife, Kathleen, died after falling down a flight of stairs in their home in 2001. However, the police suspected he bludgeoned her to death and staged the scene to look like an accident.
The series is being written and executive produced by showrunners Antonio Campos (The Sinner, The Punisher) and Maggie Cohn. Campos will also direct six of the eight episodes.
Campos said in a statement, “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.”
Sarah Aubrey, head of original content for HBO Max said, “It is a thrill to collaborate with Antonio Campos, Maggie Cohn and Annapurna Television for the exploration of this true-life story that’s rife with dramatic revelations. With the enormously talented Colin Firth at the center of this adaptation, the story of ‘The Staricase’ will continue to captivate audiences with every bizarre twist and turn.”
Sue Naegle, chief content officer of Annapurna added, “Annapurna couldn’t be more excited to partner with HBO Max, Antonio Campos, Maggie Cohn and Colin Firth on this unbelievable true-life saga. We were enthralled by the docuseries and know that this story will be just as fascinating as a limited series in the hands of Antonio and Maggie, with Colin at the center.”
Firth is a hell of a talented actor, and this is sure to be a great role for him to take on. This will be his first TV project in years.
Source: Variety