Colin Firth tapped to play Michael Peterson in HBO Max adaptation of 'The Staircase'

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- A new lead actor is now on board to play Michael Peterson in a limited series on the small screen.

Our newsgathering partners at the News & Observer report that Colin Firth will play the infamous Durham author in a new project. The project is said to be an adaptation of the Netflix documentary series "The Staircase."

Harrison Ford was previously named as the star who would play Peterson. However, Peterson himself tells the News & Observer he thinks Firth "is a better fit since Harrison Ford is older than I am and would be playing a man twenty years younger during the trial."

The project will premiere on HBO Max, although a release date has not been set.

Beyond the Staircase: The Michael Peterson Trial

Peterson's wife Kathleen was found at the bottom of a staircase in the couple's Durham home in 2001. Peterson was found guilty of her murder in 2003. He was later granted a new trial, where he accepted an Alford plea and was released from prison in 2017.

Peterson has been living in Durham since his release.