A new series is currently under development atPeacockbased on Reese Witherspoon and Mark Wahlberg’s 1990s thrillerFear. Jessica Goldberg (The Path) is set to both write and produce the series along with Imagine Television and Universal Television.
The originalFearfilm, released in 1996, involves a teenager, Nicole (played by Witherspoon), who falls for and then fears an obsessive boyfriend, David (played by Wahlberg). The film, directed by James Foley and written by Christopher Crowe, was a hit at the box office, garnering praise for the performances of Witherspoon and Wahlberg, both still very early in their careers. The original also starred Alyssa Milano, William Petersen, and Amy Brenneman. The film was produced by Universal Pictures and grossed $21 million with a low $6.5 million production budget. It has since gone on to achieve further success and cult status on DVD and streaming.
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According toVariety, the Peacock series will follow a similar storyline of a toxic relationship but will expand both the character’s dimensions and offer multiple points-of-view. “This modern series reinvention finds two young lovers in a psychological game of cat and mouse—but who’s the cat, and who’s the mouse? When David and Nicole first meet in Seattle, it feels like an epic, once-in-a-lifetime romance – but soon it becomes clear that the seemingly perfect couple is anything but,” reads the officialFearseries logline. “Told from conflicting points of view, the series wrestles with personal demons, hidden agendas and reframes the ‘he said she said’ convention into a twist-filled suspense story about toxic relationships.”
Writer and producer Goldberg’s credits include the recent Hulu seriesThe Path, which ran for three seasons, and Netflix’sAway,starring Hillary Swank. Goldberg also co-wroteCherry, afilm starring Tom Hollandand produced by the Russo Brothers. TheFearseries will no doubt give the original story elements a larger space to breathe than the original film, and it will also allow for more variance in timelines and point-of-view than the feature film. Casting decisions for the series have not been announced.
The originalFearfilm helped establish Witherspoon and Wahlberg as in-demand actors in the mid to late 90s, a success for both that continues today. Whilethe world of the 1990sprovided a backdrop for an interesting story, new technologies and social trends will no doubt add textures and new possibilities for theFearseries to explore should they choose to set it in the present.
