Editorial Staff
A new TV series based on the real-life murder case that inspired “Twin Peaks” is in development.
According to The Wrap, Part2 Pictures has optioned “Blonde, Beautiful and Dead: The Murder Mystery That Inspired Twin Peaks,” an upcoming project from Metabook about Hazel Drew, the young woman whose murder 110 years ago became the basis for the fictional killing of Laura Palmer.
The book, by David Bushman and Mark Givens, examines the death of Drew in Sand Lake, New York, home of “Twin Peaks” co-creator Mark Frost’s grandmother, Betty Calhoun. Calhoun would tell her grandson stories of Drew – who was found dead in a lake – which he purportedly utilised later on for a TV series plot.
Frost, who with David Lynch returned for the 18-episode “Twin Peaks” revival last year, will write the foreword to the book.
Part 2 Pictures in association with Metabook Films, the film and TV production arm of Metabook, will shop the TV series to cable networks (hello Showtime?), according to the outlet.
“This is one of those stories that you can just see and feel the second you hear about it. It has all the texture and twists of ‘Twin Peaks’ but has the beauty of being true crime with a current-day investigation unfolding alongside the events of the past,” said David Shadrack Smith, President of Part2 Pictures. “We’re excited to take a multi-platform approach to it with Metabook and create something that lives across diverse media.”
“This is such provocative subject matter that will appeal not only to ‘Twin Peaks’ fans, but also to people who love true crime,” said Alfonsi. “With Part2’s proven track record of producing riveting documentary entertainment for the past decade, we’re thrilled to be working together on what we want to make a must-see television event.”
