The successful dramatic limited series Making a Murderer. The original documentary series of The Staircase, directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade over the course of a decade, could have proved too expansive to cover in a dramatic remake. But the HBO series, while not entirely faithful to the original story, was a hit with critics and audiences alike. In the wake of such a success, more true crime documentaries are likely to be adapted, and Making a Murderer is an obvious frontrunner for which should come next.
The Staircase follows the story of true-crime documentary adaptations.
With the door fully open to these kinds of adaptations, it's only right that the cultural phenomenon of Making a Murderer should be next. Released on Netflix in 2015, Making a Murderer investigates the incarceration of Steven Avery for a murder he didn’t commit — and the subsequent murder that he did. The first season was a critical and commercial juggernaut with a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes and six Emmy nominations, four of which it won, including the award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series. Season 2 of Making a Murderer was released on Netflix three years later.
Why It Is The Perfect Time To Adapt Making A Murderer
The cult success of Making a Murderer was so huge that it led to half-a-million people g a petition for Steven Avery to be pardoned by the White House. The potential of a film adaptation made headlines back in 2016, with Billy Bob Thornton tipped to play Avery. This never materialized, perhaps because Avery still had several appeals ongoing, or perhaps because it was simply too close to the release date of Making a Murderer season 1. However, after seven years and the mistimed Making a Murderer season 2, the documentary series is now ready for its dramatic remake.
HBO’s The Staircase gave fans of the original documentary series an opportunity to delve back into a well-known true-crime story and experience it through a new lens. Now it’s the perfect time to utilize this true-crime momentum to get the ball rolling on an adaptation of Making a Murderer. While the outcome might not surprise those who’ve already watched both seasons, the story is riveting enough that it would transfer well to a gripping TV show. And if it's done well enough, it might even teach fans of the original something new about the case or Avery's character.