Lifetime Preps TV Movie on True Crime Case

LOS ANGELES, December 20: The case of novelist Michael
Peterson, who in 2003 was convicted of murdering his socialite wife in their
North Carolina home, is the basis of a new Lifetime original movie, from
Lionsgate, entitled The Staircase Murders.

The film, with a cast that includes Treat Williams (Brothers
& Sisters, Everwood), Samaire Armstrong (Entourage, The O.C.)
and Kevin Pollak (The Usual Suspects)
will premiere in April 2007.

"This is a fascinating story with lots of bizarre
twists and turns,” said Libby Beers, the VP of original movies at the network.
“It has all the gripping elements of great drama with mysterious deaths,
sensational rumors and shocking revelations. Treat Williams and Kevin Pollak
are perfectly cast to capture the complex mind of Michael Peterson and his
skeptical lawyer David Rudolf, while Samaire Armstrong sensitively portrays the
determination of the grieving daughter."

Aspiring politician and successful New York Times best-selling novelist Michael Peterson was accused
in 2001 of murdering his wife, who he claimed had fallen down the stairs. He
was convicted in 2003. The case was the basis of the acclaimed documentary The
Staircase.