FEAR STREET Director Leigh Janiak Set to Direct Two Episodes of HBO Max True Crime Series THE STAIRCASE

Director Leigh Janiak has signed on to helm two episodes of the upcoming true-crime series The Staircase that is headed to HBO Max. Janiak recently wrapped on the three Fear Street movies that just hit Netflix over the last few weeks.

The Staircase is an eight-episode limited series adaptation based on the true-crime docuseries from Christine director Antonio Campos, who is directing six of the series episodes. American Crime Story writer Maggie Cohn wrote the script for the show which explores the life of Michael Peterson (Colin Firth), his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette).

The series is based on the real-life case of Michael Peterson, who was convicted in 2003 of murdering Kathleen two years earlier. The charge was reduced to manslaughter in 2017, and Peterson subsequently was released from prison. He had claimed his wife died after falling down the stairs at their home after consuming alcohol and Valium, but an autopsy concluded she died from multiple injuries, including blows to the back of her head with a blunt object.

Rosemarie DeWitt, Juliette Binoche, Parker Posey, Odessa Young, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Sophie Turner, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Tim Guinee also star.

via: Deadline