Paramount+ Turning Classic ’80s Movie Into a Show

Paramount+ is developing a new series based on the classic 1987 thriller Fatal Attraction. Masters of Sex star Lizzy Caplan was cast as Alex, the role played by Glenn Close in the original film. Fatal Attraction was based on the novel Diversion by James Dearden, who was nominated for an Oscar for adapting his own book.

The Fatal Attraction series is billed as a “deep-dive reimagining” of the story. It will “explore fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity, through the lens of modern attitudes towards strong women, personality disorders and coercive control,” according to Paramount+. Alexandra Cunningham (Dear John) will serve as executive producer, showrunner, and writer. Kevin J. Hynes (Perry Mason) is an executive producer on the project and has co-story credit with Cunningham. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey are also executive producing for Amblin Television.

“Alexandra brings an incredibly strong and nuanced point of view to a story that became a cultural phenomenon, but has thus far only been told from the male gaze,” Nicole Clemens, President, Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, said in a statement. “Partnered with Kevin, they will bring the next explosive chapter of this story to a new generation, with a balanced eye to the complexities of the human psyche.”

Caplan scored a breakout role in Mean Girls (2004) and earned an Emmy nomination for Masters of Sex in 2014. She also starred as Annie Wilkes in Castle Rock Season 2 and played twin sisters in the Apple TV+ series Truth Be Told. Her movie credits include Cloverfield, Hot Tub Time Machine, Bachelorette, 127 Hours, The Interview, and Now You See Me 2.

Fatal Attraction hit theaters in 1987 and was an instant success for Paramount Pictures. Michael Douglas starred as a married man who has an affair with Close’s Alex and comes to regret it when Alex refuses to let it end. The movie was nominated for six Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actress for Close, and Best Director for Adrian Lyne.

While Fatal Attraction still holds a spot in pop culture, Lynne has struggled to find success with other projects. His latest movie, Deep Water, was pulled from Disney’s theatrical release schedule. Despite starring Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas, the erotic thriller is now expected to go straight to streaming, Deadline reported Monday. The movie is Lynne’s first since 2002’s Unfaithful and is an erotic thriller similar to his past work. Deep Water will likely stream on Hulu in the U.S. and was scheduled to hit theaters next month.