A combo you'd never expect in a true-crime series, but one that will thrill you regardless. HBO has a forthcoming series entitled The Staircase, and, as you might have guessed, Colin Firth and Toni Collette have signed on to star alongside each other in the eerie adaptation of the true story. Can you believe?
The series will be based on the account of Michael Peterson, the American novelist who was convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen in their North Carolina home. In December 2001 Peterson called the authorities claiming that Kathleen had fallen down the stairs in their house; a version of events that police were simply not buying, drawing the conclusion that Peterson bludgeoned Kathleen to death with a blow poke, which he ended up being tried for in court.
While a seemingly straightforward account of the events that transpired, the story is so much more, and is rife with twists of all kinds, like a suspiciously similar death in Germany, bisexuality (of all things), small-town bigotry (as expected), family drama (of course) and many others that we won't blurt out before the release. Essentially, enough wild content to have HBO going absolutely bezerk with a dramatic true crime bonanza of sorts.
The Staircase will be written and executive produced by Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn. As for when it will be released, there has been no confirmed date yet. HBO acquired the series in March, so we're hoping to have an update on the status soon. Until then, let's sit back and imagine what it will be like to hopefully once again witness a queer Colin Firth grace the screen.
In fact, here he is in the trailer for The Staircase, a repressed-seeming family man. The trailer also offers up our first glimpse of the rest of the cast. An outfit that includes Sophie Turner, Dane DeHaan, Odessa Young, Rosemarie DeWitt, Patrick Schwarzenegger, plus Juliette Binoche and Parker Posey.
If you can't wait for some true crime Collette action until then, Netflix's Unbelievable should tide you over in a harrowing fashion while we wait for the release.
