| Genre: | |
| Developer: | Alice Birch |
| Based On: | |
| Composer: | Murray Gold (all episodes) |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
| Num Episodes: | 6 |
| Runtime: | 52–64 minutes |
| Network: | Amazon Prime Video |
Dead Ringers is an American psychological thriller drama television miniseries developed by Alice Birch. It is based on the 1988 film of the same name by David Cronenberg, itself adapted from the 1977 novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 21, 2023.
In August 2020, it was announced Amazon Prime Video had given a straight-to-series order to a television series based upon David Cronenberg's 1988 film Dead Ringers, with Annapurna Television set to produce, and Alice Birch set to serve as head writer and executive producer.[1] Sean Durkin, Lauren Wolkstein and Karyn Kusama will direct episodes of the series.[2] [3]
Upon the initial announcement, it was revealed Rachel Weisz would star in the series.[1] In July 2021, it was announced Michael Chernus had joined the cast as a series regular.[4] In August 2021, it was announced Poppy Liu and Britne Oldford had joined the cast as series regulars, with Jeremy Shamos, Jennifer Ehle and Emily Meade set to recur.[5] [6] [7]
Principal photography began by August 2021 in New York City.[8] [9]
The series had its world premiere at the 2023 Canneseries on April 15, competing for Long Form competition.[10] All six episodes of the series were released on April 21, 2023.[11]
[12] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[13]
The series was included in several mid-year lists of the best TV shows of 2023, such as The Guardian, Time and Variety.[14] [15] [16] Alison Herman of Variety wrote, "Rachel Weisz has the dual role of a lifetime as the Mantle twins. [. . . ] Gender-swapped reboots too often carry a whiff of sanctimony, but [the series] is as perverse and profane as any great Cronenberg homage. [. . . ] Dead Ringers is more than a gimmick; it’s a cerebral spin on a nightmare."
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Astra TV Awards | Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Rachel Weisz | [17] | |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | [18] | |||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | [19] | |||
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Rachel Weisz | [20] | ||