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The limited HBO Max miniseries stars Colin Firth as crime novelist Michael Peterson, who was accused of murdering his wife, Kathleen (Toni Collette).
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The murder case famed for the “owl theory” is now a star-studded true crime drama miniseries. Based on a French documentary, The Staircase is streaming on HBO Max and stars Oscar winner Colin Firth as Michael Peterson, a North Carolina crime novelist accused of murdering his wife Kathleen, played by Emmy-winning actress Toni Collette.
Created by Antonio Campos, the limited TV series spans eight episodes and also stars Oscar-winning actress Juliette Binoche as French documentary editor Sophie Brunet, Sophie Turner and Odessa Young as adopted daughters Margaret and Martha Ratliff, Patrick Schwarzenegger as son Todd Peterson, Parker Posey as Durham County prosecutor Freda Black and Michael Stuhlbarg as defense attorney David Rudolf.
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Keep reading to find out where to watch The Staircase and the original documentary that inspired the new show.
The true crime series The Staircase is available to stream exclusively on HBO Max, which costs $10 per month (or $100 annually) for the ad-supported plan or $15 monthly (or $150 per year) for the ad-free package. Both options offer access to hundreds of TV shows and movies in HD, including The Batman, a handful of 2022 Oscar-winning films such as King Richard and West Side Story, HBO originals like Winning Time and Euphoria, and content from Adult Swim, TCM, Cartoon Network, Studio Ghibli and more. However, only the ad-free package lets you download content, see select movies in 4K and watch Warner Bros. films on the same day as their theatrical release.
HBO Max Subscription $10 to $15 monthly Buy now
While the streamer doesn’t offer a trial period, you can watch The Staircase for free when you sign up for a new subscription to Hulu, which comes with the first month free. After that, plans cost $7 for the ad-supported option or $13 for the ad-free package, plus the $15 monthly add-on fee for HBO Max.
Hulu with HBO Max $22 and up monthly Buy now
The HBO Max miniseries is based on Oscar-winning French filmmakers Jean-Xavier de Lestrade and Denis Poncet’s documentary series Soupçons (which translates to “Suspicions”), which was first released in eight episodes. The duo (who are portrayed by Vincent Verignon and Frank Feys in the new show) debuted eight more episodes chronicling more details and new theories on the case.
Now condensed into 13 parts, the entire original documentary is available to stream in the U.S. and the United Kingdom on Netflix, which costs $10 to $20 per month. You can also watch Discovery’s three-part series on Discovery+ or buy it on Vudu for $5.
If you’re located outside of the U.S. and U.K., The Staircase doc is also accessible on Amazon Prime Video.
Watch 'The Staircase' Documentary on Netflix Buy now
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