Dead Ringers is an American psychological thriller drama television miniseries developed by Alice Birch. It is based on the 1988 film of the same name by David Cronenberg, itself adapted from the 1977 novel Twins by Bari Wood and Jack Geasland. The series premiered on Amazon Prime Video on April 21, 2023.[2] The series won a Peabody Award at the 84th ceremony in June 2024.[3]
| Dead Ringers | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Dead Ringers by David Cronenberg Twins by
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| Developed by | Alice Birch |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Murray Gold (all episodes) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors | |
| Running time | 52–64 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Amazon Prime Video |
| Release | April 21, 2023 |
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- Rachel Weisz as Beverly and Elliot Mantle, twin gynecologists. They are gender-flipped versions of the characters portrayed by Jeremy Irons in the 1988 film.
- Britne Oldford as Genevieve Cotard, an actress and Beverly’s love interest
- Poppy Liu as Greta Leung, the Mantles' assistant and housekeeper
- Jennifer Ehle as Rebecca Parker, an investor in the Mantles' birthing center and laboratory
- Michael Chernus as Tom, Elliot’s lab assistant
Recurring
edit- Jeremy Shamos as Joseph
- Emily Meade as Susan Parker
- Natalie Woolams-Torres as Heather
Guest
edit- Susan Blommaert as Agnes
- Liza Fernandez as Lenka
- Andrew Garman as the grief support group leader
- Suzanne Bertish as Linda
- Maryann Urbano as Sasha
- Aaron Dean Eisenberg as Jeremy
- Kevin R. McNally as Alan
- Tony Crane as Nick
- Michael McKean as Marion
- Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine as Silas Jordan
- Erica Sweany as Florence
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One" | Sean Durkin | Alice Birch | April 21, 2023 | |
|
In Manhattan, twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle, dubbed the Mantle twins, frequently commit malpractice at the hospital where they work, while harboring a plan to establish their own independent birthing center. During one of their hospital sessions, Beverly meets Genevieve, a famous actress. Elliot successfully seduces Genevieve while posing as Beverly, which effectively brings Beverly and Genevieve into a relationship, with Genevieve having slight doubts. The twins manage to convince Rebecca Parker, a venture philanthropist, to fund their birthing center scheme, despite earlier failed delivery at the hospital. Beverly is revealed to be schizophrenic while experiencing bleeding in her vulva; Elliot expresses sociopathic behaviors and instigates several sexual encounters with strangers. Elliot has a mental breakdown when Beverly tells her that her relationship with Genevieve is serious. | |||||
| 2 | "Two" | Sean Durkin | Ming Peiffer | April 21, 2023 | |
| 3 | "Three" | Karena Evans | Rachel De-Lahay | April 21, 2023 | |
| 4 | "Four" | Lauren Wolkstein | Miriam Battye | April 21, 2023 | |
| 5 | "Five" | Karyn Kusama | Susan Soon He Stanton | April 21, 2023 | |
| 6 | "Six" | Sean Durkin & Lauren Wolkstein | Alice Birch | April 21, 2023 | |
Production
editDevelopment
editIn August 2020, it was announced Amazon Prime Video had given a straight-to-series order to a television series based upon David Cronenberg's 1988 film Dead Ringers, with Annapurna Television set to produce, and Alice Birch set to serve as head writer and executive producer.[4] Sean Durkin, Lauren Wolkstein and Karyn Kusama will direct episodes of the series.[5][6]
Casting
editUpon the initial announcement, it was revealed Rachel Weisz would star in the series.[4] In July 2021, it was announced Michael Chernus had joined the cast as a series regular.[7] In August 2021, it was announced Poppy Liu and Britne Oldford had joined the cast as series regulars, with Jeremy Shamos, Jennifer Ehle and Emily Meade set to recur.[8][9][10]
Filming
editPrincipal photography began by August 2021 in New York City.[11][12]
Release
editThe series had its world premiere at the 2023 Canneseries on April 15, competing for Long Form competition.[13] All six episodes of the series were released on April 21, 2023.[2]
Reception
editOn the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 85% of 87 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "If Dead Ringers doesn't wield as cutting a blade as David Cronenberg's original chiller, it's not a pale imitation either, thanks to Rachel Weisz putting on a clinic in doppelgänger duplicity."[14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]
The series was included in several mid-year lists of the best TV shows of 2023, such as The Guardian, Time and Variety.[16][17][18] Alison Herman of Variety wrote, "Rachel Weisz has the dual role of a lifetime as the Mantle twins. [ . . . ] Gender-swapped reboots too often carry a whiff of sanctimony, but [the series] is as perverse and profane as any great Cronenberg homage. [ . . . ] Dead Ringers is more than a gimmick; it’s a cerebral spin on a nightmare."[18]
Accolades
edit| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Dead Ringers | Won | [19] |
| 2024 | Astra TV Awards | Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Rachel Weisz | Nominated | [20] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | [21] | ||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Jody Lee Lipes (for "One") | Nominated | [22] | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Rachel Weisz | Won | [23] |
References
edit- ^ "Dead Ringers". Morgan Creek Entertainment. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ a b Mitovich, Matt Webb (February 14, 2023). "Dead Ringers: Rachel Weisz-Starring Amazon Series Gets Release Date". TVLine. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
- ^ "Dead Ringers".
- ^ a b Kroll, Justin; Andreeva, Nellie (August 18, 2020). "Rachel Weisz To Star In & Produce 'Dead Ringers' TV Series Reboot In Works At Amazon From 'Normal People' Scribe Alice Birch & Annapurna TV". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ "Jody Lee Lipes Shoots Amazon's Dead Ringers". Lux Artists. August 3, 2021. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ "Murray Gold". Evolution Music Partners. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (July 22, 2021). "Michael Chernus Joins Rachel Weisz In 'Dead Ringers' Amazon Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on July 24, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (August 3, 2021). "'Hacks' Star Poppy Liu Joins Rachel Weisz in 'Dead Ringers' Amazon Series". Variety. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (August 11, 2021). "Britne Oldford To Star In Rachel Weisz Amazon Series 'Dead Ringers'; Jeremy Shamos Also Cast". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (August 30, 2021). "'Dead Ringers' Amazon Series Casts Jennifer Ehle, Emily Meade (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Levy, Kayla (August 12, 2021). "'Dead Ringers' Remake Filming At Astoria Bar: Sources". Patch.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Steves, Ashley (November 2, 2021). "NYC What's Filming: Amazon's Series Adaptation of 'Dead Ringers,' Starring Rachel Weisz". Backstage.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
- ^ Hopewell, John; Barraclough, Leo (March 28, 2023). "Canneseries: 'Dead Ringers,' 'Fatal Attraction,' 'Tapie' Join 'Silo' in Lineup". Variety. Archived from the original on April 27, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
- ^ "Dead Ringers: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved December 16, 2023.
- ^ "Dead Ringers: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
- ^ Duggins, Alexi; Richardson, Hollie; Abbott, Kate (June 5, 2023). "The best TV of 2023 so far". The Guardian. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ Berman, Judy (June 1, 2023). "The Best TV Shows of 2023 So Far". Time. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ a b Herman, Alison (June 28, 2023). "The 10 Best TV Shows of the Year (So Far)". Variety. Archived from the original on December 9, 2023. Retrieved July 5, 2023.
- ^ ""84th Annual Peabody Award Winners Announced," from PeabodyAwards.com, 5/9/2024". May 8, 2024. Archived from the original on May 9, 2024. Retrieved September 22, 2024.
- ^ Anderson, Erik (July 11, 2023). "'The Boys', 'Yellowjackets', 'Abbott Elementary' lead 2023 HCA TV Awards nominations". AwardsWatch. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- ^ Lang, Brent; Shanfeld, Ethan (December 11, 2023). "Golden Globes 2024: Full Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan (July 12, 2023). "Emmys 2023: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Archived from the original on July 17, 2023. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ "IPA Reveals Nominations for the 28th Satellite™ Awards". International Press Academy. December 18, 2023. Archived from the original on May 12, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
External links
edit- Dead Ringers at IMDb
