The true crime boom in Hollywood means that some stories get told twice, including the case of Candy Montgomery. Jessica Biel played the accused murderer in a Hulu series, and Elizabeth Olsen plays her in an upcoming HBO Max series. Biel’s came first, and rather than start a feud, she wished Olsen the best of luck.
“The METAVERSE IS REAL,” Biel joked on Feb. 16. “Can’t wait to watch [Elizabeth Olsen] KILL in this role. Go rewatch [Candy on Hulu] as we wait for Love & Death on [HBO Max]!!” Biel also wished Olsen a happy birthday, since the WandaVision actress turned 34 on Feb. 16. Biel included a behind-the-scenes photo from her series, next to a picture from Olsen’s.
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Montgomery was accused of using an axe to kill her lover’s wife, Betty Gore, on June 13, 1980, in Wylie, Texas. She was married to Pat Montgomery when she started an extramarital affair with Gore’s husband, Allan. While Allan was out of town, Montgomery allegedly killed Gore. After she was arrested, Montgomery pled self-defense. A jury found her not guilty in October 1980.
Since then, the case has attracted Hollywood producers multiple times. The first dramatization of the case was A Killing in a Small Town, a 1990 CBS movie based on John Bloom and Jim Atkinson’s book Evidence of Love. Barbara Hershey won an Emmy for playing Montgomery, although her name was changed to Candy Morrison for the film.
Biel starred as Montgomeryย in Candy, a five-episode Hulu limited series created by Nick Antosca (Brand New Cherry Flavor) and Robin Veith (Mad Men). This take on the story starred Melanie Lynskey as Gore, Pablo Schreiber as Allan, Timothy Simons as Pat, and Raul Esparza as Don Crowder. All episodes were released in May 2022. The show earned mostly favorable reviews, but its only Emmy nomination was for its main title design.
Love & Death is also based on Bloom and Atkinson’s book, and was created by David E. Kelley with Lesli Linka Glatter as director. Olsen plays Montgomery, while Jesse Plemons plays Allan. Lily Rabe plays Gore, and Patrick Fugit plays Pat. Tom Pelphrey, Krysten Ritter, Keir Gilchrist, and Elizabeth Marvel also star in this take on the story. The first three episodes will be released on April 27, with subsequent episodes being released weekly. Nicole Kidman is one of the executive producers. HBO Max released the first trailer for the series earlier this month.
