Paramount+ has released a new teaser trailer for the series Fatal Attraction. The series is based on the 1987 movie that starred Michael Douglas and Glenn Close. In the Paramount+ series. Joshua Jackson takes on the role of Dan Gallagher who begins an affair with Alex Forrest (Lizzy Caplan) only to realize she’s got an obsessive and violent side when he tries to end the affair. The trailer opens with them in an elevator discussing what would happen if they pulled the emergency stop button. Given a famous elevator scene from the original movie, it’s clear Alex has some naughty intentions. We then get a montage of the two enjoying each other’s company that slowly changes into Dan becoming bogged down and Alex staring him down menacingly. The teaser ends with Dan’s wife Beth (Amanda Peet) introducing Alex to Dan in their home and Alex smiling and saying, “I know him already.”
Paramount+ Recreates 80’s Classic With ‘Fatal Attraction’ Series
According to Deadline, Paramount+ describes the Fatal Attraction series as “a deep-dive reimagining of the classic psychosexual thriller and ‘80s cultural touchstone.” The series will explore “the timeless themes of marriage and infidelity through the lens of modern attitudes toward strong women, personality disorders, and coercive control.” This is very likely due to the fact that while Fatal Attraction is considered a classic, many see it through a different lens in the #MeToo era. One point of criticism is Dan Gallagher getting a happy ending with no real consequences for his part in the affair. There’s also been some controversy about Alex Forrest being portrayed as a homicidal maniac rather than a mentally ill woman needing help.
Glenn Close, who many believe deserved the Best Actress Oscar, did research with psychologists to give Alex a background story not mentioned in the movie. She was meant to be portrayed as a victim of childhood incest that caused her to develop erotomania. The movie’s original had Alex commit suicide in a way that was more in line with that backstory. However, the ending did not test well with audiences and was rewritten and reshot to have Alex breaking into Dan’s home and attempting to kill his wife. Close loved the character she came up with and still doesn’t like the ending turned Alex into a monster. Perhaps Paramount+’s take on Fatal Attraction will be more to her liking.
Paramount+ was expected to release the Fatal Attraction series last year. It will with its first three episodes on April 30, 2023.