Beauty School : The Staircase Teaser: Colin Firth Leads HBO Max’s True-Crime Miniseries

HBO Max has released the first teaser for its upcoming true-crime miniseries The Staircase. The series is based on the true story of Michael Peterson, who was convicted of murdering his second wife in 2003. The limited drama is scheduled to make its debut on May 5 with the first three episodes, followed by one new episode each week through June 9.

The video introduces a seemingly happy and loving family disrupted by the sudden death of the family matriarch, Kathleen Peterson. But what seems to be an unfortunate accident metastasizes into a chaotic murder case, when Kathleen’s husband Michael is accused of foul play.

The Staircase will be led by Oscar winner Colin Firth as Michael and acclaimed actress Toni Collette as Kathleen. They are joined by Michael Stuhlbarg, Juliette Binoche, Dane DeHaan, Olivia DeJonge, Rosemarie DeWitt, Tim Guinee, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Sophie Turner, Vincent Vermignon, Odessa Young and Parker Posey.

“Based on a true story, the limited drama explores the life of Michael Peterson, his sprawling North Carolina family, and the suspicious death of his wife, Kathleen Peterson,” reads the logline.

Peterson was arrested for Kathleen’s murder in 2001. He initially claimed that her death came as a result of a falling down the stairs, delirious from a combination of alcohol and Valium. However, the autopsy report refutes Peterson’s claims, as it was concluded that she died from sustaining multiple injuries. These included multiple blows to the back of her head with a blunt object.

The Staircase is written and directed by Antonio Campos (The Devil All the Time, The Sinner) and Maggie Cohn (American Crime Story), who are both serving as showrunners. The Max Original is a co-production between HBO Max and Annapurna Television, with Campos and Cohn as executive producers.