True crime fanatics have been talking about this case since the early 2000s, but now the ever-growing fanbase will be getting a big-budget dramatization about it with a star-studded cast on HBO Max. Based on the Jean-Xavier de Lestrade documentary “The Staircase,” The documentary followed the 2001 murder investigation and subsequent trials of Michael Peterson, who was suspected of murdering his wife, Kathleen.
One night in December 2001, Michael Peterson called 911 stating his wife had drunkenly fallen down a flight of stairs and was unconscious. When the police showed up, they were not convinced that this was an accident. She was found at the bottom of the stairs, completely soaked in blood. Not only was there an unusal amount of blood for an incident involving falling down the stairs, a lot of the blood had begun to congeal already, indicating a discrepancy in the timing of the fall and the phone call to the police. Additionally, the blood spray patterns did not appear consistent with that kind of injury, that Peterson claimed it was. Due to the nature of Kathleen’s injuries, the police were convinced that Michael had bludgeoned his wife to death.
Throughout the course of the investigation, it is also discovered that a close friend and neighbor had a similar staircase-related death when the Peterson family lived in Germany. Close family friend, Elizabeth Ratliff, was the widow of Michael Peterson’s best friend. Medical examiners ultimately stated her cause of death was an intra-cerebral hemorrhage followed by her collapse at the top of a flight of stairs. The depictions of how her body was found at the bottom of the stairs, and the fact that Michael Peterson was the last person to see her alive only served to fuel more scrutiny and suspicion. Elizabeth Ratliff was also the biological mother of Martha and Margaret, the two girls that the Peterson’s adopted after her death.
In addition to the suspicious circumstances, police also discovered that Peterson had been having physical affairs with younger men. Peterson claims that his wife knew about his sexuality and was okay with it, but without being able to corroborate his stories, it’s hard to know for sure.
Kathleen’s sisters, Candace and Lori, were convinced that Michael had murdered Kathleen and were consistently outspoken during the investigation and trials. The Peterson children (Todd, Clayton, and adopted sisters Margaret and Martha) stood by their father’s side. Kathleen’s daughter, Caitlin Atwater, chose to side with her aunts.
Peterson’s lawyer, David Rudolf, was tenacious and meticulous throughout the entire investigation and subsequent trials. Even if he didn’t actually believe that his client was innocent, nobody would ever guess that by the way he defended him. The trial takes many twists and turns, but none were more surprising than that of the incompetency of the prosecution and how they handled multiple aspects of their case. The entire story from start to finish is a whirlwind roller coaster that leaves viewers changing their minds back and forth constantly. Did he do it or is he actually innocent?
What is The Staircase About?
The original 10-episode documentary aired in October 2004 on a French streaming platform Canal+, and in 2013, Lestrade returned to film new developments in the case as Peterson appealed for a retrial. Three more episodes were created and Netflix re-released the full docuseries on their platform in 2018, using the same name, causing a new surge of interest in the story, which eventually caught the interest of Hollywood and sparked a bidding war between streaming services and premium cable channels.
Writers Antonio Campos and Maggie Cohn are also executive producers for the HBO MAX miniseries version of the story, which is set to be released in early May.
The miniseries will follow the events of the Peterson murder investigation, but will hopefully include some more insight about the lives of the Petersons before Kathleen’s death. There are only 8 episodes, so the information is going to be slightly condensed compared to the 13 episodes from the original true-crime documentary.
Even for those who have already seen the documentary, this miniseries is going to delve deeper into the thoughts and feelings of all those who were affected by Kathleen Peterson’s death. Many of the characters listed in the cast list were not prominent figures in the original documentary because they either did not consent to being filmed, or simply did not want any interaction with Michael or the film crew that followed him around. Hopefully the HBO Max adaptation will bring to light more of their thoughts and emotions surrounding the trial.
Who is Going to be in The Staircase?
Academy Award Winner Colin Firth best known for his roles in films like Kingsman: The Secret Service and The King's Speech will be taking on the role of novelist-turned-convicted-killer Michael Peterson. While the real Peterson was released in 2017 and is alive, Firth has stated he has not met with the real life figure to prepare for the role. Academy Award Nominee Toni Collette (Hereditary) will portray Michael's ill-fated wife, Kathleen Peterson. Michael Stuhlbarg (Dopesick) will be playing Peterson’s defense attorney, David Rudolf. Michael's adopted daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff will be played by Sophie Turner (Game of Thrones) and Odessa Young (Assassination Nation). Dane DeHaan (Chronicle) and Patrick Schwarzenegger (Daniel Isn’t Real) will star as Michael's sons Clayton and Todd. Olivia DeJonge (Elvis) will be playing the role of Caitlin, Kathleen’s daughter from a prior marriage. Rosemarie DeWitt (Little Fires Everywhere) will play the role of Kathleen's outspoken sister, Candace. Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, Cullen Moss, Tim Guinee, Vincent Vermignon, and Joel McKinnon Miller will also star in the series.
Is There a Trailer for The Staircase?
HBO Max release a trailer for the series on March 29, giving audiences their first real good look at Colin Firth and Toni Collette as Michael and Kathleen Peterson. You can check out the trailer above.
When is The Staircase Coming Out?
The series will premiere its first three episodes on May 5, 2022, and the remaining 5 will be released weekly. This continues the seemingly endless slate of content the streaming service is delivering to its subscribers this year after the affects of the Pandemic caused their filming slate to be temporarily paused.
Where Can I Watch The Staircase?
The miniseries will be available to stream on HBO Max, with episodes dropping weekly. If you want to learn more about the Michael Peterson case in the meantime, you can stream the entire original docuseries on Netflix.