Fatal Attraction starring Michael Douglas and Glenn Close, immediately became a Hollywood classic when it was released back in 1987. And guess what? It has been given the small-screen Hollywood makeover in the brand new upcoming thriller series of the same name, starring Joshua Jackson and Lizzy Caplan.
Set to be directed by Silver Tree, who has also helmed projects such as Dead To Me, The Flight Attendant and You, the new series will come to streaming service Paramount+. The release date is pencilled in for early May, so you still have some time to watch the original film and make comparison notes because while the new reimagining will follow the same plot of infidelity within a marriage, it will be given a fresh update by focusing on modern attitudes towards confident women, coercive control and personality disorders.
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So if you want to know more about the new series Fatal Attraction, we've got you covered below from plot, release date, trailers, cast interviews and more.
What is the plot of Fatal Attraction?
Like the original film, Fatal Attraction will be centred on a married man's life being turned upside down after having a one-night stand with a woman who refuses to end their affair and begins to stalk and threaten him and his family.
An official synopsis via Paramount+ reveals that the show is a "deep-dive reimagining of the classic psychosexual thriller and '80s cultural touchstone." It was added: "The new series will explore fatal attraction and the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders and coercive control."
Who stars in Fatal Attraction?
Lizzy Caplan will play Alex, the woman who Joshua Jackson's character has an affair with. The rest of the cast includes Amanda Peet, Alyssa Jirrels, Toby Huss, Reno Wilson and Brian Goodman.
Is there a trailer for Fatal Attraction?
There is, indeed! Check out the steamy yet chilling trailer below, in which married businessman Dan is seduced by career woman Alex, all leading to terrifying consequences :
The show's official Twitter account also shared a post of the show with the caption: "What goes up must come crashing down."
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What has the cast and crew said about Fatal Attraction?
Fatal Attraction's producer Alexandra Cunningham cemented that the show will have a different take on the affair than the film. Speaking to Deadline, Alex said: "The screenwriter of the film James Dearden said the character of Alex Forrest is not a study in madness, but rather a sad, tragic, lonely woman under pressure from a really hard job. As a frequently sad, not at all tragic, and not as lonely as I wish I was but under pressure from a really hard job, I wanted us to go in a slightly different direction. This reimagining of Fatal Attraction shares a lot with the iconic original film, but it also is about entitlement and midlife crisis and how some of the sausage gets made in our broken justice system, as well as Cluster B personality disorders, isolation of fathers and daughters, and murder."
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Lead actress Lizzy also spoke about the changes made to the new series compared to the film, which was "very much through a 1980s perspective". Speaking to Grazia, she said: "Glenn Close was sort of fighting to protect her character Alex's fragile mental illness that she was dealing with. None of that was really reflected in the film. Audiences saw it very much through a 1980s perspective — this amazing guy makes one mistake, and now this horrible woman is trying to ruin his life." Detailing the new approach, she added: "It really shows how far we have come. I don't think that we've arrived at any finish line in terms of everything that's happened with #MeToo and what that set in motion. But the idea that you could never make the 1980s version of this now shows some degree of progress. I think when they're at their best, that's what the reboot would do, and hopefully, our show does that."
When will Fatal Attraction be released?
UK viewers will get the first two episodes of Fatal Attraction on Paramount+ on 1 May, which is one day after it premieres in the US. The remaining six episodes will be available to stream every Monday.
