A ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series Is in the Works at Paramount Plus
The #2 movie of 1987 — bigger than Beverly Hills Cop II, The Untouchables, Lethal Weapon, Dirty Dancing, and Predator — was Fatal Attraction, an erotic thriller about a woman (Glenn Close) who becomes obsessed with a married man (Michael Douglas) after he breaks off their brief affair. The movie, which was also nominated for six Academy Awards, became one of the pop culture touchstones of the late ’80s, and basically launched the entire erotic thriller genre of that period all by itself. It didn’t really lend itself to a sequel, but there have been a couple of attempts to turn it into a television series in recent years.
The most recent attempt looks like it’s coming together over at Paramount+. Deadline reports that the streaming service has ordered a season of the Fatal Attraction TV series, which will star Masters of Sex’s Lizzy Caplan in the role played by Glenn Close in the film. More details:
Written by Alexandra Cunningham (Dirty John) from a story she co-wrote with Kevin J. Hynes, the series explores the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes towards strong women, personality disorders and coercive control. Caplan plays Alex, who becomes obsessed with her lover after a brief affair. The male lead role of the lover, Dan, played by Michael Douglas in the movie, is currently being cast.
There is a lot more competition for eyeballs these days than in 1987. But I could see a Fatal Attraction television series doing well in 2021, provided it had the right cast and edgy content. Movies have all but abandoned these sort of adult thrillers to cable television anyway. It does feel like this is one streaming series that’s not going to be ignored. (I’m sorry, I tried not to write it. I couldn’t help it.)
You can sign up for Paramount+ here.