Entertainment
Colin Firth to portray Michael Peterson in true crime series The Staircase adapted from docuseries
Colin Firth is set to portray Michael Peterson in an upcoming true crime series titled The Staircase, based on the docuseries of the same name and ordered by HBO Max.
In 2003, American novelist Peterson was convicted of murdering his second wife, Kathleen Peterson, two years prior after she was found at the bottom of the stairs in their home.
Eight years later, he was granted a retrial when a judge concluded that one of the witnesses against him had given ‘misleading’ testimony.
In 2017, Peterson entered an Alford plea, which is when a defendant in the US enters a guilty plea while still asserting their innocence. He was sentenced to a maximum of 86 months in jail, with credit for time already served.
The Staircase will see Academy Award-winner Firth play Peterson in an eight-episode arc, exploring his life, family in North Carolina and the suspicious death of his spouse.
Star Wars icon Harrison Ford was previously said to have been attached to the project, his last acting role on TV having been in 1993.
In 2004, a French docuseries titled The Staircase by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade was released, which followed Peterson’s trial over the death of his wife.
Peterson took part in the documentary, as did members of his family.
The upcoming limited series The Staircase is an adaptation of the docuseries, using books and reports on the case to paint a picture of Peterson’s life.
Sarah Aubrey, head of original content at HBO Max said it’s a ‘thrill’ to work with executive producers Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn in addition to Annapurna Television on ‘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 Staircase will continue to captivate audiences with every bizarre twist and turn,’ she said.
Campos, who is set to direct six out of the eight episodes, 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.’
The Staircase docuseries is available to watch on Netflix.
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