Rachel Weisz will be heading to the small-screen as she's set to executive produce and star in a TV reimagining of DEAD RINGERS, the cult classic from David Cronenberg which starred Jeremy Irons as twin gynecologists who take full advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart, until their relationship begins to deteriorate over a woman.
The DEAD RINGERS reimagining has been given a straight-to-series order from Amazon and will be written by Alice Bird (Normal People). Weisz will play the Mantle twins, who are "the most successful, brilliant and extraordinary people you’ve never met. Identical from head to toe, these two OB-gyn’s are on a mission to change the way women birth, starting with Manhattan. Drugs, pioneering but very much illegal medical research, sex and falling in love, this drama based on the David Cronenberg 80s cult classic, takes us to darker and stranger territory than we could have possibly imagined." The series is expected to have a similar feel to the 1988 film, but will have a different tone as it explores women's healthcare and the issues it faces. The Mantle twins are excellent at their jobs, but are also trying to navigate their lives outside of work, where they share everything from "drugs, lovers, and an unapologetic desire to do whatever it takes, including pushing the boundaries on medical ethics in an effort to challenge antiquated practices and bring women's healthcare to the forefront."
As a fan of David Cronenberg's film, Rachel Weisz originated the project and has been partnered with Annapurna Television to develop the reimagining for the past two years. The series was pitched to a variety of streaming services via Zoom where it was snatched up by Amazon, and they're currently in the process of staffing a virtual writers room.