New Fictionalised Drama Of The Mushroom Murders Greenlit, Starring Yellowjackets’ Melanie Lynskey

It was the real-life murder mystery that gripped the globe. In 2023 a 50-year-old Australian woman by the name of Erin Patterson served individual beef wellingtons to her estranged in-laws and their relatives at a lunch in her home in Victoria. Inside the pastry parcels, a highly toxic dose of death cap mushrooms which resulted in the death of three of her guests. Was all it all a foraging faux pas? Or a calculated plot to take-down her former family?

According to the courts, it was the latter. Patterson has been jailed for life, with no chance of release for at least 33 years. A Supreme Court judge said Patterson’s crimes were of the ‘worst category’ and involved an ‘elaborate cover-up’.

Those killed include her 70-year-old in-laws Don and Gail Patterson, as well as Gail’s 66-year-old sister Heather Wilkinson. Heather’s husband Ian survived the lunch after recovering from a coma but has ongoing health issues as a result of the poisoning. Meanwhile, Patterson’s estranged husband Simon was meant to attend but cancelled at the last minute, due to his belief that his wife had been trying to poison him for years. Patterson maintained that she’d picked the toxic mushrooms when foraging by mistake. 

With the world conflicted in their wait for the truth, Netflix released a true crime docuseries about the ordeal in 2025 titled Death Cap: The Mushroom Murders. A second documentary was released that same year on Channel 5 titled The Mushroom Murders: The Case That Gripped the World. 

A murder straight out of an Agatha Christie novel, at this point in the true crime mania, it seems only natural that the real-life tragedy should be dramatised in a new series. Starring New Zealand actress Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets) as Erin Patterson, the limited series will depict a semi-fictionalised account of the 97 days between the now infamous lunch and Patterson’s subsequent arrest.

As ever, as we confront the growing appetite for true crime, there are questions to be asked about the ethics of dramatising a very real, very brutal murder, when witnesses, victims, and friends and family of those that were killed are still alive. Even before this new drama was announced, the daughter of Heather and Ian Wilkinson, Ruth Dubois, said of the public interest: ‘The intense media coverage has left me second-guessing every word I say, worried about who I can trust with my thoughts and feelings. It is particularly revolting to experience our family’s tragedy being turned into entertainment for the masses and to know that people are using our family’s trauma for their own personal gain.’

This new series, which will be streamed on Paramount+, has been created by Anya Beyersdorf (Apple Cider Vinegar), Daina Reid (The Handmaid’s Tale) and Deb Balderstone (Dustfall). Beyersdorf, Reid (who will direct all six episodes), Balderstone and Lynskey will executive produce the series alongside Xavier Marchand and Paramount+’s Sophia Mogford. Beyersdorf, Dianne Taylor and Belinda Chayko are also writing the show. 

‘This is an ambitious series that brings a gripping real-life story, that captivated Australia and the world, to the screen with the scale, quality and creative vision audiences expect from Paramount+,’ said Beverley McGarvey, president of Network 10 and head of streaming for Paramount Australia. ‘It is a powerful addition to our growing slate of premium storytelling, and we are delighted to partner with such an exceptional creative team to share it with viewers around the world. We are also thrilled to welcome Melanie Lynskey, whose remarkable talent will be integral to the series both on screen and as an executive producer.’

Lynskey added that the show ‘offers a compelling and unique perspective on the events that made headlines around the world. It’s really good. Because behind all those headlines there is still so much to unearth.’

Who Will Star?

Right now, the only name we know on the cast list is Melanie Lynskey but we will update this page as more talent is announced. Lynskey will next be seen in the final season of Yellowjackets, which premieres  on 20 November on Paramount+. You may also recognise the rising star Netflix movie Don’t Say Good Luck, a guest role on CBS’ Matlock (opposite her husband, Jason Ritter) and season one of The Last of Us. 

Release Date

The series has only just been announced, so no news of a release date as of yet, but stay tuned for updates.