UCP Developing True-Crime Drama About Claus Von Bülow Trial

UNIVERSAL CITY: Universal Cable Productions (UCP) is working on a scripted true-crime series, The Von Bülow Affair, based on the infamous trial of British socialite Claus Von Bülow for the murder of his wife, Sunny.

It is based on the book The Von Bülow Affair by author and playwright William Wright. Ilene Rosenzweig (Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce) is attached as writer.

The story is set against the backdrop of Newport and New York in the 1980s. Millionaire socialite Sunny Von Bülow was found unconscious on her bathroom floor on December 21, 1980, and remained in a coma for 27 years. Her husband, Claus, went on trial for attempted murder in 1982, initiating a legal circus that would last for years.

“The story of the Von Bülows will go down in history as one of the most sensational scandals in American high society,” said Dawn Olmstead, the executive VP of development at Universal Cable Productions. “We look forward to delving deeper into this true crime story that still leaves us cold today.”