Going from beloved superhero to convicted axe murderer,WandaVisionstar Elizabeth Olsen has been cast as Candy Montgomery in a new limited series. In the works at HBO Max, the series is calledLove and Deathand it has already been ordered directly to series. It follows two church-going couples in a small Texas town, with an affair resulting in one housewife murdering another with an axe.
David E. Kelley(The Undoing) is writing the script with Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) directing. Lionsgate will produce with Nicole Kidman and Per Saari executive producing for Blossom Films. Also exec producing are Scott Brown and Megan Creydt for Texas Monthly alongside Matthew Tinker, Michael Klink, and Helen Verno.Love and Deathis based on the bookEvidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbsand a series of articles from Texas Monthly.
“This is a gripping story about the frustrations and desires of two women in a small town that culminates in a terrible act of violence. We are thrilled to be partnering with David, Lesli, Nicole, and Per and incredibly fortunate to have Elizabeth at the center of our story to bring out all the layers of Candy that make this story so unforgettable,” HBO Max’s Sarah Aubrey said in a statement.
“We cannot imagine a more perfect artist to play the leading role of Candy thanElizabeth Olsen. Her talent, charisma and energy can bewitch audiences like no other,” added Lionsgate Television chairman Kevin Beggs.
Oddly enough, Olsen isn’t the only actress to be recently cast as Montgomery for an upcoming limited series about the axe murderer. Last year, it was announced that Elisabeth Moss would be portraying Montgomery inCandy, a separate limited series currently in development from Robin Veith and Nick Antosca at Hulu. It’s unusual to see two different series chronicling Montgomery would go into development at the same time all these years later, but true crime isinand apparently two separate streamers see the same potential in this story.
Certainly, Olsen is best known for her fan favorite role asWanda Maximoffin the Marvel Cinematic Universe. After first appearing in theCaptain Americaand theAvengersmovies, Olsen starred alongside Paul Bettany in the popular Disney+ seriesWandaVisionthis year. She’ll be back in the role on the big screen next year as Benedict Cumberbatch’s co-star in the anticipated sequelDoctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Olsen has also appeared in other movies likeKodachrome,Ingrid Goes West,Godzilla, andOldboy.
HBO Max hasn’t yet set a release date forLove and Death, but for fans of Olsen, it’s definitely going to be a project to watch out for. Meanwhile, Hulu hasn’t revealed the release date for their own series on Candy Montgomery, Elisabeth Moss’sCandy. Because both Olsen and Moss are highly regarded by fans, it will be interesting to see the alternate takes both of these actresses provide on the infamous axe murderer. This information comes to us fromHBO Max.
