Fresh off her Disney+ Marvel series WandaVision, Elizabeth Olsen will star in HBO Max’s limited series Love and Death as Texas killer Candy Montgomery, who murdered her friend with an axe. The series comes from David E. Kelly (The Undoing) and director Lesli Linka Glatter (Mad Men).
Love and Death is based upon the book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs by Jim Atkinson and Joe Bob Briggs as well as Texas Monthly articles surrounding Montgomery’s case. The synopsis for the series reads “Two church-going couples, enjoying small-town family life in Texas, until somebody picks up an axe.”
Kelly will write series with Glatter directing and Lionsgate producing. Kelly and Glatter willalso serve as executive producers alongside Nicole Kidman and Per Saari through their Blossom Films company.
“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,” said Sarah Aubrey, HBO Max’s Head of Original Content. “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.”
“We cannot imagine a more perfect artist to play the leading role of Candy than Elizabeth Olsen,” said Lionsgate Television Group Chairman Kevin Beggs. “Her talent, charisma and energy can bewitch audiences like no other. We’re proud to be collaborating with a world-class creative team of Lesli, David and Nicole on this thrilling and intriguing series and to bring another exciting premium property to our partners at HBO Max.”
The story of Candy Montgomery is a popular one recently as Love and Death isn’t the only series focusing on her to be greenlit. Last year it was announced Handmaid’s Tale star Elizabeth Moss would also star as Montgomery in the Hulu series Candy, which funny enough will also be directed by one her Mad Men directors Michael Uppendhal.
Olsen recently wrapped production on her next Marvel turn as Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch in Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness.
Ricky Church – Follow me on Twitter for more movie news and nerd talk.