One of Australia’s most sensational true crime cases is being adapted for the screen, with Toxic – a new series from Tony Ayres Productions – currently in development for the ABC.
Per Variety, the scripted series is based on the high-profile case of Erin Patterson, the Victorian woman accused of murdering three lunch guests and hospitalising a fourth after allegedly serving them Beef Wellington laced with death cap mushrooms.
Patterson has pleaded not guilty, maintaining the incident was a tragic accident. A jury is currently deliberating. Whether the verdict will affect the series production remains to be seen.
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What is Toxic?
Toxic is the brainchild of screenwriter Elise McCredie (The Clearing, Stateless, Jack Irish) and prolific creator Tony Ayres (Clickbait, The Slap, The Survivors). The pair are collaborating closely with ABC investigative journalist and podcaster Rachael Brown (Trace) to bring this multi-faceted story to the screen.
Told across multiple timelines and viewpoints, Toxic promises to ‘go beyond’ the tabloid headlines on the Mushroom Murder Trial.
‘True stories ask storytellers to probe the complexities of human behaviour,’ said Ayres. ‘It’s both a challenge and a responsibility to go beyond the surface – to reveal, not just sensationalise.’
McCredie, who has been attending the ongoing trial in person, describes the project as ‘a tangled, heart-breaking story’ that reflects the shifting nature of truth.
‘Watching evidence unfurl, change direction, and reposition itself has been an exercise in the subjectivity of ‘truth’ and a blueprint for a dramatic retelling that explores multiple perspectives in an honest and compelling way,’ she said.
ABC Head of Scripted Rachel Okine called the case ‘captivating,’ saying Toxic offers an opportunity to unpack the deeper human and social complexities behind the headlines.
Backed by Matchbox Pictures and Universal International Studios (a division of Universal Studio Group), Toxic continues a partnership with Tony Ayres Productions’ that includes recent screen stories like Fires, Stateless, and Clickbait.
