“The Staircase,” a new true-crime drama miniseries starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette, will premiere on May 5, HBO Max has announced.
The series is based on the true story of Kathleen Peterson, who in 2001 was reported dead by her husband Michael after having fallen down the stairs of their home. Michael was soon charged with her murder, leading to a court case that drew headlines and revealed secrets about the couple’s relationship. The story received renewed interest in 2018, when Netflix released the documentary miniseries “The Staircase,” which covered the case from 2001 to 2017.
In HBO Max’s series, Firth portrays Michael, while Collette plays Kathleen. In a teaser HBO Max released alongside the date announcement, Firth narrates a speech intercut with scenes showing both the happy times in the family and the media circus they become embroiled in following Kathleen’s death.
“It’s my life on the line and I want to tell my story,” Firth says during a family toast shown in the teaser. “And I promise you, when we are on the other side of this, things will be better. To la familia, and to the ones we miss.”
Alongside Firth and Collette, “The Staircase” also stars Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Vincent Vermignon, Odessa Young and Parker Posey. The show is created by Antonio Campos, who showruns and executive produces the show with Maggie Cohn. Campos directed six episodes of the series, while Leigh Janiak directed two. The show is co-produced with Annapurna Television.
“The Staircase” will launch with its first three episodes, followed by one episode weekly through June 9. Watch the full teaser below.