The Staircase: Colin Firth to star in HBO Max documentary adaptation

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

As far as true crime documentaries go, The Staircase is often help up as one of the classics of the genre. The documentary, which tells the stranger-than-fiction story of Michael Peterson, an American novelist accused of murder his wife, began life as a French TV documentary miniseries by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade for Canal +. Netflix eventually ordered additional episodes and took over distribution of the entire series, and the saga became a cultural phenomenon. An adaptation has been in the mix for sometime. Originally, Harrison Ford was set to make his streaming TV debut as Peterson, but now Ford is out and Colin Firth is in for what Deadline is calling a limited series remake. 

Scheduled to air on HBO Max, Firth will star in this eight-episode drama for director Antonio Campos (Christine, Simon Killer, Afterschool). As per the Deadline report: 

Antonio Campos said: “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, HBO Max, added: “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 Staircase will continue to captivate audiences with every bizarre twist and turn.”