R. DEATH’: JOSHUA JACKSON TO PLAY TITLE ROLE IN PEACOCK LIMITED SERIES, REPLACING JAMIE DORNAN
First Published on Deadline.com
JOSHUA JACKSON (LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE, THE AFFAIR) HAS BEEN TAPPED FOR THE TITLE ROLE IN PEACOCK’S DR. DEATH. HE WILL STAR OPPOSITE ALEC BALDWIN AND CHRISTIAN SLATER IN THE UCP-PRODUCED LIMITED SERIES BASED ON THE HIT WONDERY PODCAST OF THE SAME NAME.
Jackson replaces Jamie Dornan, who was cast in the role in August 2019. Due to Dr. Death‘s production start delay relating to the coronavirus pandemic, Dornan’s schedule no longer allows him to do the series, leading to his departure. For the same reason, Stephen Frears recently exited as director of the first two episodes. He was replaced by Maggie Kiley, who leads an all-female directing team on the show.
Production on Dr. Death begins this fall.
Written by Patrick Macmanus, who serves as showrunner, Dr. Death is based on the terrifying true story of Dr. Christopher Duntsch (Jackson), a rising star in the Dallas medical community. Young, charismatic and ostensibly brilliant, Dr. Duntsch was building a flourishing neurosurgery practice when everything suddenly changed. Patients entered his operating room for complex but routine spinal surgeries and left permanently maimed or dead. As victims piled up, two fellow physicians, neurosurgeon Robert Henderson (Baldwin) and vascular surgeon Randall Kirby (Slater) set out to stop him. Dr. Death explores the twisted mind of Dr. Duntsch and the failures of the system designed to protect the most defenseless among us.