The Paramount+ Fatal Attraction Series Just Added Another Massive Star
The psychological thriller "Fatal Attraction," directed by Adrian Lyne, was a hit when it came out in 1987 — not only was it the highest-grossing movie of the year worldwide, but it received six Academy Award nominations including Best Picture (via Slash Film). All in all, viewers and critics alike were enraptured by the intensely captivating tale of a woman who becomes dangerously obsessed with a man with whom she had a brief affair.
As it turns out, there is still a fascination with this story 35 years later — a reboot in the form of a TV series is currently in the works for Paramount+. The "Fatal Attraction" series will star Lizzy Caplan and Joshua Jackson as Alex Forrest and Dan Gallagher, respectively — in other words, they will be taking on the roles that were previously portrayed by Glenn Close and Michael Douglas in the 1987 film, even earning Close an Oscar nod (via Deadline). The new series is written by Alexandra Cunningham ("Dirty John," "Prime Suspect"), who shares a story credit with Kevin J. Hynes ("Scorpion," "Prime Suspect"). Silver Tree ("The Flight Attendant," "You") is slated to direct and executive produce (via Deadline).
With Jackson and Caplan in the roles of a husband and his mistress, there is just one key role left to fill: the wife who gets cheated on. In the film, the role of Dan's wife, Beth, was played by Anne Archer, who also received an Oscar nod for her performance. And now, it has just been announced who will be taking over the role from Archer for the upcoming new series.
Amanda Peet will play Beth Gallagher
As reported by Variety, Amanda Peet has been cast in the role of Beth Gallagher for the Paramount+ "Fatal Attraction" series. Beth, who is described as a loyal wife to her husband Dan, finds her world turned upside-down when the obsession that former mistress Alex has with Dan threatens to destroy Beth's and her husband's life.
Peet has most recently starred in the second season of the crime drama "Dirty John," which both writers of "Fatal Attraction" also worked on (via IMDb). Other notable recent projects of Peet's include the IFC sitcom "Brockmire," the HBO comedy drama "Togetherness," and the legal drama "The Good Wife." As for the film side of the industry, Peet has appeared in movies such as 2015's "Sleeping with Other People," 2013's "Trust Me," 2010's "Gulliver's Travels," and 2003's "Something's Gotta Give." Peet also co-created and produced "The Chair," the 2021 academia-focused Netflix series starring Sandra Oh.
Peet's role of Beth Gallagher will play directly into the themes that "Fatal Attraction" hopes to explore. Explaining what viewers can expect of the series, Chief Content Officer of Scripted Originals for Paramount+ David Nevins told Deadline in November 2021, "There's a very timeless appeal to the themes of fidelity and infidelity, why good people make very dumb, problematic choices, and just marriage and family against those themes of fidelity and infidelity." He added, "I think the writers have come up with a very smart way to make it very contemporary while also honoring the original."