Paramount+ has greenlit Mushroom Murders, starring and executive produced by multi-Emmy® nominee and Yellowjackets favorite Melanie Lynskey. The six-episode limited series dramatizes a real-life poisoning case in Australia. The series depicts the 97 days between a deadly lunch served by Erin Patterson (Melanie Lynskey) to her in-laws, and her subsequent arrest.
Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about Mushroom Murders: the story, cast, creative team, premiere status, and more.
Key facts
- Title: Mushroom Murders
- Platform: Paramount+
- Genre: Limited drama series/true crime
- Episodes: 6
- Star: Melanie Lynskey as Erin Patterson
- Filming location: Victoria, Australia
- Premiere date: Not yet announced
What is Mushroom Murders about?
In 2023, Erin Patterson (Melanie Lynskey) served individual beef wellingtons to her estranged in-laws and their relatives at a lunch in her Victoria home in Australia. Unbeknownst to her guests, Patterson allegedly prepared the food with highly toxic death cap mushrooms, resulting in the deaths of three guests. The limited series depicts the 97 days between the now-infamous lunch and Patterson’s subsequent arrest.
Is Mushroom Murders based on a true story?
Yes, Mushroom Murders is based on a true story. It is a scripted dramatization of a 2023 incident in Victoria, Australia, where unbeknownst to her guests, Erin Patterson allegedly prepared the food with highly toxic death cap mushrooms, resulting in the deaths of three guests. The real-life crime and case inspired the scripted drama.
Who is in the cast of Mushroom Murders?
This true-crime drama is led by Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets), who stars and serves as executive producer.
Who does Melanie Lynskey play?
In the upcoming Mushroom Murders, Melanie Lynskey plays Erin Patterson, an Australian woman convicted of murdering three relatives with a deadly lunch in 2023.
Who created Mushroom Murders?
Mushroom Murders is created by three incredible women in the industry: Anya Beyersdorf (Fake, Apple Cider Vinegar), Daina Reid (Shining Girl, The Handmaid’s Tale), and Deb Balderstone (Ticket to Paradise, Palm Beach). These women serve as executive producers on the show as well.
Reid will direct all six episodes, and Beyersdorf will write along with Dianne Taylor (After the Party, Dustfall) and Belinda Chayko (Fires, Safe Harbour). Soapbox Pictures (Dustfall) is set to produce the series.
When does Mushroom Murders premiere?
A premiere date for Mushroom Murders has not yet been announced but it will arrive in 2027. The series is planned to be filmed in Victoria, Australia.
Where can you watch Mushroom Murders?
When it premieres, you can watch the six-part, true-crime drama Mushroom Murders on Paramount+ in 2027.
