A TV series based on the hugely successful 1980s erotic thriller movie Fatal Attraction is being developed at Paramount Plus, with Dawson Creek’s Joshua Jackson and Cloverfield‘s Lizzy Caplan set to lead. Starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, the original film was one of the highest-grossing of 1987 and it was nominated for 6 Oscars, including Best Picture. It is widely considered one of the best ’80s movies.
It sounds as though the TV show will be set in the present day. According to Deadline, it “explores the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes towards strong women, personality disorders and coercive control.”
Jackson was a child actor in The Mighty Ducks films before breaking teen hearts everywhere as Pacey in Dawson’s Creek between 1998-2003. “Joshua is an incredible talent who creates beautifully complicated characters on both the screen and stage,” said Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount Plus Original Scripted Series. “He and Lizzy Caplan are perfectly matched to tell a nuanced and modern narrative about the complexities of the human psyche. We’re thrilled to partner with them to bring this provocative and captivating story to a new generation.”
Jackson also starred in fan favourites Scream 2, Urban Legend, Cruel Intentions and The Skulls in the late 1990s. His post-Dawson’s Creek career dipped somewhat before he got a main role on the long-running sci-fi mystery series Fringe, which ran from 2008-2013. He also had a recurring role in The Affair (2014-2019).
He recently appeared in When They See Us on Netflix, Little Fires Everywhere on Hulu and Dr Death on Peacock.
Lizzy Caplan has starred in many successful TV series including True Blood, New Girl and season two of Castle Rock – as Annie Wilkes (famously played by Kathy Bates in Misery). Between 2013-2016, she was the co-lead of TV show Masters of Sex with Michael Sheen, in which they played pioneers in the field of sex research.
The director of Fatal Attraction, Adrian Lyne, has his first film release for twenty years coming out this year. The new erotic thriller (what else would it be?) stars Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas and is called Deep Water.
We’re not sure when the new Fatal Attraction will be starting, but check out our guide to the best TV series to binge while we wait.