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Known for her roles in The Great and Maleficent, Elle Fanning has made her next big transformation for the upcoming Hulu true-crime drama series, The Girl From Plainville. The 23-year-old will star as Michelle Carter who was convicted of involuntary manslaughter over the suicide of her then-boyfriend, Conrad Henri Roy III when he was encouraged to take his own life in 2014.
The eight-part series is based on the Esquire article of the same name which explores the “texting suicide” case. Hulu released a first look at the new television show which unveiled Fanning almost unrecognisable with a wig, forehead prosthetic and thick brown eyebrows.
In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, writers, executive producers, and co-showrunners Liz Hannah and Patrick Macmanus discussed the incredible transformation. “The first time that I met [Fanning], I was really struck by how eerily similar they actually looked just naturally. It was something that around the table when we all met, we all talked about,” Macmanus recalled to the publication.
“The physicality that Elle found in playing Michelle — she studied all of the courtroom tapes, she studied the documentary [HBO’s I Love You, Now Die] — she really threw herself into making sure that the movement and the way she spoke was authentic, as well. So I think that in tandem with the change physically really brings it all together,” Hannah added.
The Girl From Plainville also stars Chloë Sevigny as Roy’s mother, Stranger Things actress Cara Buono as Carter’s mother and Colton Ryan as Conrad Roy. The Carter and Roy family have not yet responded to the new series. It is due to release in the Northern Hemisphere Spring in 2022 with a set date to be confirmed.
The Michelle Carter case was the subject of a HBO two-part documentary I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter in 2019, while Lifetime also released a film starring Bella Thorne in 2018. We suggest reading up on the case before digging into this newest release.
Stay tuned for further developments.
