Documenting the trial of Michael Peterson, convicted of murdering his wife, docu-series “The Staircase” is next getting a scripted adaptation for HBO Max, arriving this May.
The eight-episode original limited series, created by Antonio Campos, debuts Thursday, May 5 on HBO Max. You can watch the official “The Staircase” teaser trailer below.
The first three episodes debut May 5, with subsequent episodes airing each week. Notable for horror fans, Leigh Janiak (Fear Street) directed two of the episodes.
“Based on a true story, The Staircase explores the life of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette).”
The docuseries is titled “The Staircase” because Peterson claims his wife Kathleen fell down the stairs in their home, though many believe he actually bludgeoned her to death.
The cast for the series also includes Rosemarie DeWitt, Juliette Binoche, Parker Posey, Odessa Young, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Sophie Turner, Michael Stuhlbarg and Tim Guinee. Campos and Maggie Cohn write/produce/show-run.