Elizabeth Olsen is set to play a real-life axe murderer in HBO Max's Love and Death. The series is inspired by Jim Atkinson and Joe Bob Briggs' book Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs, in addition to various Texas Monthly articles. Love and Death will center on a small town in Texas where a murder turns the community upside-down.
TVLine confirmed that Olsen will embody Candy Montgomery in the limited series. Montgomery murdered her friend, Betty Gore, with an axe in June 1980 after Gore's husband ended his affair with Montgomery. Kevin Beggs, Chairman of Lionsgate Television Group, told the publication that Olsen was the only person for the job:
"We cannot imagine a more perfect artist to play the leading role of Candy than Elizabeth Olsen. Her talent, charisma and energy can bewitch audiences like no other."
Lionsgate isn't the only major player involved behind the scenes. First and foremost, Big Little Lies creator David E. Kelley will both write and executive produce the show. On the producing front, Kelley is once again joined by his powerhouse collaborators Nicole Kidman and Per Saari under their Blossom Films banner. The acclaimed Lesli Linka Glatter (Homeland) is onboard to both executive produce and direct.
Playing Candy will be a bold departure from Olsen's last television role. The star wowed audiences as Wanda Maximoff in Disney+ and Marvel's groundbreaking series WandaVision, a role she will again take on in the highly anticipated film Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Olsen's portrayal of the Scarlet Witch certainly flaunted her deep well of emotional prowess, as other roles have in the past. It'll be interesting to see her dig even deeper for Love and Death. Nothing like stepping into a killer's shoes to shake off the Disney pixie dust.
Source: TVLine