Melanie Lynskey to play Erin Patterson in Paramount+ drama Mushroom Murders
Paramount+ has ordered a six-part Australian drama covering the period between the 2023 mushroom lunch and Erin Patterson’s arrest, with Lynskey also executive producing.
Melanie Lynskey will play convicted murderer Erin Patterson in Mushroom Murders, a six-episode Australian drama greenlit by Paramount+, Variety reported on October 28. The series will cover the 97 days between a 2023 lunch in rural Victoria and Patterson’s arrest, bringing a closely followed criminal case to scripted television.
Lynskey, who stars in Yellowjackets, will also executive produce the limited series, according to Variety. The Sydney Morning Herald reported that filming will take place in Victoria. Neither report established a filming start or release date.
What Mushroom Murders will cover
The drama begins with the meal Patterson served at her Leongatha home and follows the period before her arrest, according to Variety. That 97-day span gives the series a defined focus rather than covering the entire subsequent court case. The Herald reported that Patterson was found guilty of murdering her in-laws, Don and Gail Patterson, and Gail’s sister Heather Wilkinson, and of attempting to murder Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson. The case involved death cap mushrooms.
The Herald said Mushroom Murders was announced among the projects at the combined Ten and Paramount Australia upfronts on October 28. Tamara Simoneau, Paramount Australia’s vice president of content, told the Herald that several scripts about the case had been circulating. She said the company was pleased with the project it had chosen and with Lynskey’s casting.
Who is making the Paramount+ series
Anya Beyersdorf, Daina Reid and Deb Balderstone created the series and will serve as executive producers, Variety reported. Reid is set to direct all six episodes. Beyersdorf will write alongside Dianne Taylor and Belinda Chayko, while Soapbox Pictures will produce the drama. Xavier Marchand and Paramount+’s Sophia Mogford are also executive producers.
Beverley McGarvey, president of Network 10 and head of streaming for Paramount Australia, described the project in comments reported by Variety as an addition to the company’s premium drama slate. She also singled out Lynskey’s work both on screen and as an executive producer. The announced cast and creative team establish the series’ direction, while its broadcast date has yet to be announced.
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Sources and context
- Melanie Lynskey to Play Erin Patterson in ‘Mushroom Murders’ Limited Series at Paramount+Variety
- Kiwi star to play convicted murder Erin Patterson in first TV drama covering the caseThe Sydney Morning Herald
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.