Fanning stars in the upcoming true crime saga about the 2017 texting suicide case.
Elle Fanning is unrecognizable in the full-length trailer for the true-crime series The Girl From Plainville. In the upcoming limited Hulu drama, the actress portrays Michelle Carter, who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the “texting suicide” case surrounding the events leading up to the death of her boyfriend, Conrad Roy III (played here by Colton Ryan).
The scripted series, which is based on the Esquire article written by Jesse Barron and is led by co-showrunners Liz Hannah (The Dropout) and Patrick Macmanus (Dr. Death), explores Carter’s relationship with Roy, what led to his suicide in 2014 and the media storm that followed her trial. In addition to Fanning and Ryan, the cast includes Chloë Sevigny as Conrad’s mother, Lynn Roy; and Norbert Leo Butz as his father, Conrad “Co” Roy II; Cara Buono as Michelle’s mother, Gail Carter; and Kai Lennox as her father, David Carter.
Following the release of Barron’s 2017 article, Carter’s story was also chronicled in I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter, HBO’s 2019 captivating two-part docuseries directed by Erin Lee Carr. In addition to speaking out in the docuseries, Barron also opened up to ET about Carter’s state of mind at the time, which was influenced by movies like The Fault in Our Stars.
According to the journalist, “It doesn’t seem implausible to me that there were other stories in Michelle’s mind that reminded her of what was happening at that moment. And I think the question is whether or not she was writing some story in her head or writing some movie that for some reason had to end with him dying.”
Despite what her reality was, a jury found Carter guilty in the case and she was sentenced to 15 months in a Massachusetts prison. In 2020, she was released more than three months early and is now free.
The trailer comes after Hulu released a short, chilling teaser for the series in February, as the streaming platform ramped up for scammer season, with premieres of Pam & Tommy, depicting the real-life story behind the stealing of the titular couple's sex tape, and The Dropout, about the rise and fall of disgraced Theranos found Elizabeth Holmes.
The Girl From Plainville will premiere March 29, 2022 on Hulu.
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