Fatal Attraction reboot: Release date, first look, plot, and everything we know so far

The 1997 psychological thriller film Fatal Attraction is getting a reboot as a mini-series, which is set to be released on April 30, 2023, on Paramount+.

Fatal Attraction starred Michael Douglas as Dan Gallagher, Anne Archer as Beth Rogerson Gallagher, and Glenn Close as Alex Forrest in lead roles. It also starred Ellen Hamilton Latzen as Ellen Gallagher, Stuart Pankin as Jimmy, Ellen Foley as Hildy, Fred Gwynne as Arthur, Dan's boss, Meg Mundy as Joan Rogerson, Tom Brennan as Howard Rogerson, and many others in supporting roles.

The film was released on September 18, 1987, by Paramount Pictures and became an enormous success, grossing $320.1 million against a $14 million budget. It also became the highest-grossing film of 1987 worldwide and received six Academy Awards nominations.

---

Fatal Attraction reboot: The series will dive into the backstory of the characters

The upcoming mini-series is written by Alexandra Cunningham and Kevin J. Hynes and stars Joshua Jackson, Lizzy Caplan, and Amanda Peet. The first two episodes of the show will premiere on Sunday, April 30 on streaming services in the U.S. and Canada. The rest of the episodes will be released in the following weeks.

Fatal Attraction will be set in two timelines. One is set in 2008, the other in 2023, and like the original film, it will explore undying themes such as marriage and infidelity through the eyes of the modern world.

Lizzy Caplan, who plays Alex Forrest on the show, said that it was hard for her to watch the 1997 film, which she saw "a couple of times" before beginning production. She said:

"The '80s audience sees this as a very binary, black-and-white, villain versus hero story. If you watch the movie again, I find it very, very difficult to see Alex as a straight villain, to not ask yourself as an audience member, 'What's going on with her?' And also, 'What about consequences for him?'"

She then commented on Joshua Jackson's retention of Dan Gallagher:

"The lens in which we view things now has altered so dramatically from the '80s that so much of the work is apparent now, almost done for us."

The show will provide a better understanding of Alex's childhood, upbringing, thoughts, and feelings, which weren't shown in detail in Fatal Attraction. There will be eight episodes in total that will dig deeper into Alex's backstory.

Caplan said:

"And yes it's a remake but it's really more of a jumping-off point. You'll be familiar with the characters but what we're trying to do is ask the questions that would have been impossible to ask in a film because we wouldn't have had the time and also questions that people didn't care to ask back then."

Glenn Close, who played Alex Forrest in the original movie, spoke with ET last May. She commented on the upcoming retention of the film by saying:

"I hope they tell her backstory, her [Alex's] side of the story. I mean, I would be flattered if it was the one that we came up with [originally], but obviously I'll be very curious."

She continued:

"[Alex] is a human being in need of great help. She's a fragile person."

Glenn Close was nominated for Best Actress for the movie at the 60th Academy Awards for her portrayal of Alex Forrest in Fatal Attraction.