Elisabeth Moss To Star As Texas Killer Candy Montgomery In Limited Series In Works At UCP

Denise Petski
·4 min read

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UCP is adding another true crime series to its slate with Candy (working title) a limited event series based on the true story of Texas killer Candy Montgomery and her victim, Betty Gore, starring and executive produced by The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss, from The Act co-creator Nick Antosca and writer Robin Veith (Mad Men, The Act). The series from UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group, will be shopped to premium and streaming platforms.

Candy (wt) is set in 1980 Texas where Candy Montgomery (Moss) seemingly had it all – loving husband with a good job, a daughter and a son, a nice house in the brand new suburbs – so why did she kill her friend from church with an ax?

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Veith wrote the pilot script and will executive produce. Antosca will serve as executive producer under his banner Eat the Cat along with Alex Hedlund. Moss will serve as executive producer along with Lindsey McManus. Jim Atkinson & John Bloom will serve as consulting producers. UCP, a division of Universal Content Studios, where both Veith and Antosca are under deals, is the studio.

“The unique tale of Candy Montgomery is one Nick has been passionate about telling for a very long time. After working with Robin on The Act, the two crafted an incredible script that is tense, twisted and tempting,” said Dawn Olmstead, president, UCP. “With her range of work speaking for itself, Elisabeth is dream casting for us and the care and thoughtfulness she will bring to the complex events that unfolded really deepens the project. I wish I was already sitting on the couch in a dark room watching the opening credits right now.”

“I have been wanting to play an anti-heroine for a while now, and have been trying to work with Robin again after Mad Men for even longer, so when she asked me if I wanted to play a housewife from Texas who, some would say, got away with murder, I simply said, ‘Where do I sign?’ Adding the opportunity to work with Nick after his incredible work on The Act was like taking a delicious dessert and putting 100 cherries on top,” said Moss. “My producing partner Lindsey and I are so thrilled to be partnering with them and Alex and Scott and everyone at UCP on a show that I believe is truly going to be like no other we’ve done and will be a role like none I’ve ever played.”

Moss stars in the award-winning The Handmaid’s Tale, which is heading into its fourth season on Hulu. Moss received both Emmy and Golden Globe Awards for her performance as well as for Best Drama series, as an executive producer on the show. Earlier this year, she starred in the critically-acclaimed thriller The Invisible Man directed by Leigh Whannell. She can currently be seen starring in Shirley, which she also produced, starring opposite Michael Stuhlbarg for director Josephine Decker. Later this year she will appear alongside Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton and Frances McDormand in the Wes Anderson film, The French Dispatch, and in the Taiki Waititi film, Next Goal Wins, which also stars Michael Fassbender and Armie Hammer. Moss is repped by WME, Independent Talent Group, Ribisi Entertainment Group, Viewpoint, HJTH.

Peabody and Writers’ Guild Award winner Veith, who began her career on Mad Men, most recently served as co-executive producer on Antosca’s The Act. Under her recent deal with UCP, Veith will develop and write scripted fare for all platforms.

UCP, the studio behind true crime series The Act and Dirty John, is currently working on an adaptation of Joe Exotic with Kate McKinnon; Dr. Death with Patrick Macmanus at the helm and starring Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater; The Girl From Plainville based on the texting suicide case; and the recently announced adaptation of Jan Broberg’s bizarre kidnapping story also with Antosca.

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