The Staircase (American miniseries) explained

Genre:
Creator:Antonio Campos
Composer:Danny Bensi & Saunder Jurriaans
Country:United States
Num Episodes:8
Runtime:59–73 minutes
Network:HBO Max

The Staircase is an American biographical crime drama television miniseries created by Antonio Campos, based on the 2004 true crime docuseries of the same name created by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. The series stars Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, a writer convicted of murdering his wife Kathleen Peterson (Toni Collette), who was found dead at the bottom of the staircase in their home. The series premiered on HBO Max on May 5, 2022.

Premise

Michael Peterson, a crime novelist, is accused of killing his wife Kathleen after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home. As the investigation continues, the family is thrown into a tumultuous legal battle. Meanwhile, a French documentary team takes an interest in the story.

Cast and characters

Main

Recurring

Production

Development

The series is a passion project for Antonio Campos, who began developing a scripted adaptation of the true crime docuseries The Staircase in 2008. On November 21, 2019, it was announced that Annapurna Television had officially put the project into development and was shopping the project to premium networks and streaming services. Campos was attached to write the series, as well as executive produce alongside Harrison Ford.[1] On September 22, 2020, during an interview about his new film The Devil All the Time with Rian Johnson for Interview magazine, Campos revealed that HBO Max had landed the project for development.[2] On March 31, 2021, it was announced that HBO Max had given the project a limited series order consisting of 8 episodes, with Campos set as showrunner and director of 6 of the episodes and American Crime Storys Maggie Cohn joining as writer, executive producer, and co-showrunner. In addition, Ford was no longer attached as executive producer.[3] Upon the series order announcement, Campos said:

On July 19, 2021, it was announced that Leigh Janiak is set to direct two episodes of the series.[4]

Casting

Harrison Ford was initially set to star in the lead role of Michael Peterson before being replaced by Colin Firth in March 2021.[1] [3] The following month, Toni Collette joined the cast in a lead role.[5] Rosemarie DeWitt, Juliette Binoche, and Parker Posey were added to the main cast in May 2021,[6] [7] [8] with Sophie Turner, Odessa Young, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, and Michael Stuhlbarg joining the next month.[9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] In July 2021, Tim Guinee and Vincent Vermignon joined the cast of the series.[15] [16] In August 2021, Justice Leak was cast in a recurring role.[17]

Filming

Principal photography for the series began on June 7, 2021, in Atlanta, Georgia, and was scheduled to conclude in November 2021.[18] [19] The final day of filming in Atlanta was Monday, December 13, 2021. The actors on set that day were Odessa Young (Martha Peterson), Trini Alvarado (Patty Peterson), Morgan Henard (Dennis Rowe), Donny Boaz (Tyrone Lacour), Monika Gossmann (Agnes Schafer), and Bastian Gunther (German Father).

Release

The miniseries premiered on May 5, 2022, with the first 3 episodes on HBO Max.[20] The miniseries was released on December 27, 2022, on DVD.[21]

Reception

The series received positive reviews from critics, with praise towards Firth's performance. The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 92% approval rating with an average rating of 7.80/10, based on 71 critic reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Staircase doesn't hold many surprises for those already intimate with the original documentary, but this dramatization brings a fresh perspective and texture to the mystery—along with a terrific performance by Colin Firth."[22] Meanwhile, Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 80 out of 100 based on 29 critics, indicating "generally favourable reviews".[23]

Members of the original documentary team criticised the series, with creator Jean-Xavier de Lestrade stating that he felt "very uncomfortable, because I feel that I’ve been betrayed." The original documentary team in particular criticised the series for misrepresenting the relationship between Sophie Brunet and Peterson, for suggesting that the team made editorial choices in order to portray Peterson in a more sympathetic way, and for falsely attributing work done by producer Allyson Luchak to Denis Poncet instead.[24] David Rudolf also raised concerns about the series' factual accuracy, saying that there were "many things in the first five episodes, which I've seen that are inaccurate, misleading, and outright false."[25] As well, Peterson criticised the series, saying that he hadn't been informed that the series was being made, and accused de Lestrade of selling out the story to HBO.[26]

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryNomineeResult
Hollywood Critics Association TV AwardsBest Streaming Limited or Anthology SeriesThe Staircase[27]
Best Actor in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or MovieColin Firth
Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or MovieToni Collette
Best Writing in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Primetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieColin Firth[28]
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or MovieToni Collette
Television Critics Association AwardsOutstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and SpecialsThe Staircase[29]
Golden Globe AwardsBest Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Television FilmColin Firth[30]
Satellite AwardsBest MiniseriesThe Staircase[31]
Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series or Television FilmToni Collette
Writers Guild of America AwardsLimited SeriesAisha Bhoori, Antonio Campos, Maggie Cohn, Aja Gabel,
Emily Kaczmarek, Craig Shilowich, and Sebastián Silva
[32]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Harrison Ford to Star in 'The Staircase' Series Adaptation for Annapurna TV (EXCLUSIVE) . Otterson . Joe . Variety . November 21, 2019 . April 7, 2021 . March 31, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210331081944/https://variety.com/2019/tv/news/harrison-ford-the-staircase-series-1203411141/ . live.
  2. Web site: Antonio Campos Tells Rian Johnson About Making The Devil All the Time . Johnson . Rian . . September 22, 2020 . April 7, 2021 . January 14, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210114185736/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/antonio-campos-tells-rian-johnson-about-making-the-devil-all-the-time . live.
  3. Web site: 'The Staircase': Colin Firth To Star In TV Drama Adaptation Of Classic True Crime Documentary For HBO Max From Antonio Campos & Maggie Cohn . White . Peter . . March 31, 2021 . April 7, 2021 . April 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210407124038/https://deadline.com/2021/03/the-staircase-colin-firth-tv-drama-otrue-crime-hbo-max-antonio-campos-maggie-cohn-1234725366/ . live.
  4. Web site: Leigh Janiak To Direct Two Episodes Of HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . July 19, 2021 . July 19, 2021 . July 19, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210719193918/https://deadline.com/2021/07/leigh-janiak-to-direct-two-episodes-of-hbo-maxs-true-crime-series-the-staircase-1234795817/ . live.
  5. Web site: Toni Collette To Play Kathleen Peterson In 'The Staircase' Limited Series For HBO Max . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . April 29, 2021 . April 29, 2021 . April 29, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210429210954/https://deadline.com/2021/04/toni-collette-kathleen-peterson-the-staircase-limited-series-hbo-max-colin-firth-1234746971/ . live.
  6. Web site: Rosemarie DeWitt Joins Toni Collette & Colin Firth In Michael Peterson Limited Series 'The Staircase' At HBO Max . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . May 4, 2021 . May 4, 2021 . May 4, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210504172347/https://deadline.com/2021/05/rosemarie-dewitt-toni-collette-colin-firth-michael-peterson-limited-series-the-staircase-hbo-max-1234749599/ . live.
  7. Web site: Juliette Binoche Joins Michael Peterson Limited Series 'The Staircase' At HBO Max . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . May 20, 2021 . May 22, 2021 . May 21, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210521104134/https://deadline.com/2021/05/juliette-binoche-toni-collette-colin-firth-michael-peterson-limited-series-the-staircase-hbo-max-1234761435/ . live.
  8. Web site: Parker Posey Joins Michael Peterson Limited Series 'The Staircase' At HBO Max . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . May 26, 2021 . June 1, 2021 . June 1, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210601120701/https://deadline.com/2021/05/parker-posey-michael-peterson-limited-series-the-staircase-hbo-max-1234764770/ . live.
  9. Web site: Sophie Turner Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . White . Peter . Deadline Hollywood . June 1, 2021 . June 1, 2021 . June 1, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210601203232/https://deadline.com/2021/06/sophie-turner-joins-hbo-maxs-true-crime-series-the-staircase-1234767395/ . live.
  10. Web site: Odessa Young Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . June 7, 2021 . June 7, 2021 . June 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210607203104/https://deadline.com/2021/06/odessa-young-hbo-max-true-crime-series-the-staircase-cast-1234770775/ . live.
  11. Web site: Patrick Schwarzenegger Joins 'The Staircase' True-Crime Series On HBO Max . Andreeva . Nellie . Deadline Hollywood . June 10, 2021 . June 10, 2021 . June 10, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210610210409/https://deadline.com/2021/06/patrick-schwarzenegger-cast-the-staircase-hbo-max-1234773246/ . live.
  12. Web site: Dane DeHaan Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . June 15, 2021 . June 15, 2021 . June 15, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210615161025/https://deadline.com/2021/06/dane-dehaan-hbo-max-true-crime-series-the-staircase-1234775042/ . live.
  13. Web site: Olivia DeJonge Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Pedersen . Erik . Deadline Hollywood . June 25, 2021 . June 25, 2021 . June 26, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210626162558/https://deadline.com/2021/06/olivia-dejonge-hbo-max-true-crime-series-the-staircase-1234781355/ . live.
  14. Web site: Michael Stuhlbarg Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . June 30, 2021 . June 30, 2021 . June 30, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210630235218/https://deadline.com/2021/06/michael-stuhlbarg-joins-hbo-maxs-true-crime-series-the-staircase-1234784556/ . live.
  15. Web site: Tim Guinee Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Andreeva . Nellie . Deadline Hollywood . July 1, 2021 . July 1, 2021 . July 1, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210701170856/https://deadline.com/2021/07/tim-guinee-cast-the-staircase-hbo-max-true-crime-series-1234784972/ . live.
  16. Web site: Vincent Vermignon Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series 'The Staircase' . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . July 9, 2021 . July 9, 2021 . July 9, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210709203131/https://deadline.com/2021/07/vincent-vermignon-hbo-max-true-crime-series-the-staircase-1234789871/ . live.
  17. Web site: 'The Staircase': Justice Leak Joins HBO Max's True-Crime Series . Petski . Denise . Deadline Hollywood . August 5, 2021 . August 5, 2021 . August 5, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210805200128/https://deadline.com/2021/08/the-staircase-justice-leak-hbo-max-true-crime-series-1234809927/ . live.
  18. Web site: The Staircase . Production List . May 3, 2021 . May 3, 2021 . May 3, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210503220540/https://productionlist.com/production/the-staircase/ . live.
  19. Web site: Casting Call for HBO Max . Oz Magazine . May 11, 2021 . June 7, 2021 . June 7, 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210607174243/https://www.ozmagazine.com/single-post/casting-call-for-hbo-max . live.
  20. Web site: Chapman . Wilson . March 29, 2022 . HBO Max's 'The Staircase,' Starring Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, Reveals First Teaser and May Premiere Date . March 29, 2022 . . July 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220706200540/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/the-staircase-hbo-colin-firth-teaser-premiere-date-1235217949/ . live .
  21. Web site: Kevin . Lovell . 'The Staircase: Limited Series'; Arrives On DVD December 27, 2022 From Warner Bros . Screen-Connections . October 26, 2022 . January 24, 2023 . January 24, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230124064440/https://screen-connections.com/2022/10/26/the-staircase-limited-series-dvd-release-details/ . live .
  22. the_staircase_2022. The Staircase. tv. 1. January 28, 2023.
  23. the-staircase-2022. The Staircase. tv. 1. January 28, 2023.
  24. Web site: The Staircase Filmmakers Feel "Betrayed" by HBO Max's Adaptation . . Miller . Julie . May 13, 2022 . May 20, 2022 . May 20, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220520150809/https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/the-staircase-documentary-hbo-max . live .
  25. Web site: How Accurate Is 'The Staircase' on HBO Max? 'Misleading' Says Michael Peterson's Lawyer. Newsweek. Mitchell. Molli. 9 June 2022. 13 June 2022. June 13, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220613125846/https://www.newsweek.com/how-accurate-staircase-hbo-max-true-story-michael-peterson-lawyer-david-rudolf-1714216. live.
  26. Web site: 'The Staircase' subject Michael Peterson slams HBO Max series over 'egregious fabrications' and feels 'pimped out' by documentary maker. Insider. Adekaiyero. Ayomikun. 10 June 2022. 13 June 2022.
  27. Web site: Schneider . Michael . 2022-07-07 . 'Severance,' 'Ted Lasso' Lead Streaming Nominees for 2nd Annual HCA TV Awards . 2022-07-08 . Variety . en-US . July 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220708235255/https://variety.com/2022/tv/awards/severance-ted-lasso-hca-tv-awards-2022-1235310661/ . live .
  28. Web site: Andreeva . Nellie . Hipes . Patrick . July 12, 2022 . Emmy Nominations: The Complete List . July 12, 2022 . . July 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220712160512/https://deadline.com/2022/07/2022-emmy-nominations-list-1235062260/ . live .
  29. Web site: 'Abbott Elementary' Tops 2022 TCA Awards . Hailu . Selome . August 6, 2022 . . August 6, 2022 . August 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220806180119/https://variety.com/2022/tv/news/tca-television-critics-awards-2022-abbott-elementary-1235335161/ . live .
  30. Web site: Golden Globes: List of Nominees. The Hollywood Reporter. December 12, 2022. December 12, 2022. Chuba. Kirsten. Hilary. Lewis. December 12, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20221212130132/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/golden-globes-nominations-2023-list-nominees-1235279872/. live.
  31. Web site: IPA Reveals Nominations for the 27th Satellite™ Awards . December 8, 2022 . . December 8, 2022 . December 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221208134154/https://www.pressacademy.com/news/ipa-reveals-nominations-for-the-27th-satellite-awards/ . live .
  32. Web site: WGA Awards TV Nominations: 'Abbott Elementary,' 'Better Call Saul,' 'The Crown,' 'Severance', 'Yellowjackets' Among Shows Vying For Top Prizes. Deadline Hollywood. Erik. Pedersen. January 11, 2023. January 12, 2023. January 11, 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230111191729/https://deadline.com/2023/01/wga-awards-tv-nominations-2023-list-1235218393/. live.