Paramount+ Orders Six-Episode Drama on Three Deaths from Mushroom Lunch

Melanie Lynskey will headline and executive produce a six-episode limited series titled Mushroom Murders. The drama adapts a 2023 homicide case in Victoria, Australia, in which three guests died after eating lunch at the home of Erin Patterson.

The project is being produced by Soapbox Pictures. It is created by Anya Beyersdorf, Daina Reid, and Deb Balderstone. According to the official description, Patterson served individual beef wellingtons to her estranged in-laws and their relatives. The food was allegedly prepared with highly toxic death cap mushrooms. Three guests died as a result of the meal.

The series focuses on the 97-day period between the lunch and Patterson's later arrest. Daina Reid, known for her work on The Handmaid's Tale, will direct all six episodes. Beyersdorf, Dianne Taylor, and Belinda Chayko are writing the show. Alongside Lynskey, the executive producers include Xavier Marchand and Sophia Mogford of Paramount+.

Beverley McGarvey, president of Network 10 and head of streaming for Paramount Australia, stated that the case captivated audiences in Australia and globally. She described the series as a powerful addition to the platform's slate of premium storytelling. McGarvey added that Lynskey's remarkable talent will be integral to the production both on screen and behind the camera.

Lynskey is currently starring in the final season of Yellowjackets, which premieres on Paramount+ on Nov. 20. Her recent television credits include a guest role on CBS' Matlock opposite her husband, Jason Ritter, and the first season of The Last of Us. She also appeared in the Netflix movie Don't Say Good Luck. The actor is represented by Gersh.

The case involves a Victoria home where the toxic mushrooms were used in the meal. The limited series will air on Paramount+. The production team aims to present the story with scale and creative vision. The show is currently in development with a confirmed six-episode order.