If you know the name Michael Peterson, t’s probably not because you’ve read one of his novels. Instead, Peterson’s claim to infamy is his sensational trial near the turn of the 21st century for the murder of his wife, Kathleen Peterson. Incredibly, Peterson allowed a French documentary crew to record him and his family in the aftermath of the murder charge. Now, HBO Max is dramatizing the story of Michael and Kathleen Peterson in a new miniseries called The Staircase.
In the first trailer for The Staircase, Michael discovers the body of his wife at the bottom of the staircase with head trauma. However, suspicion soon turns to Michael himself due to some sordid details in his personal life coming to light. Regardless, Michael is so convinced that he will be found innocent that he opens up his family to additional scrutiny from outsiders.
Colin Firth and Toni Collette headline the miniseries as Michael and Kathleen Peterson, respectively. Rosemarie DeWitt also stars as Candace Hunt Zamperini, with Juliette Binoche as Sophie Brunet, Parker Posey as Freda Black, Cullen Moss as Jim Hardin, Sophie Turner as Margaret Ratliff, Odessa Young as Martha Ratliff, Patrick Schwarzenegger as Todd Peterson, Dane DeHaan as Clayton Peterson, Olivia DeJonge as Caitlin Atwater, Michael Stuhlbarg as David Rudolf, Tim Guinee as Bill Peterson, Joel McKinnon Miller as Larry Pollard, Vincent Vermignon as Jean-Xavier, and Frank Feys as Denis Poncet.
Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn created and developed The Staircase for television. The first three episodes will premiere on HBO Max on May 5. The five remaining episodes will be released weekly.
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