Melanie Lynskey Stars In ‘Mushroom Murders’ Australian True Crime Limited Series Ordered By Paramount+

Paramount+ has greenlit Mushroom Murders, a six-episode limited drama series out of Australia starring and executive produced by Melanie Lynskey (Yellowjackets, Don’t Say Good Luck). It is based on Australia’s infamous Leongatha mushroom murders, with New Zealand actress Lynskey playing Erin Patterson who had been convicted in the case.

The series, created by Anya Beyersdorf (Fake, Apple Cider Vinegar, Fires), Daina Reid (The Handmaid’s Tale, Shining Girl) and Deb Balderstone (Dustfall, Ticket to Paradise), is being announced today at the Australian TV upfronts. Its green light was initiated by the previous Paramount+ regime prior to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger.

In 2023, Erin Patterson (Lynskey) served individual beef wellingtons to her estranged in-laws and their relatives at a lunch in her Victoria home in Australia. Unbeknownst to her guests, Patterson allegedly prepared the food with highly toxic death cap mushrooms, resulting in the deaths of three guests. The limited series depicts the 97 days between the now infamous lunch and Patterson’s subsequent arrest.

Patterson’s trial drew nationwide attention, with her 2025 sentencing broadcast live. She is appealing her sentence of at least 33 years in prison.

Australia has emerged as a top market for Paramount+ that has delivered such breakout series as comedy Colin From Accounts and NCIS: Sydney.

Mushroom Murders is produced by Soapbox Pictures and executive produced by Balderstone, Xavier Marchand (Dustfall, A Gentleman in Moscow) and executive produced by Sophia Mogford. Beyersdorf is writer-executive producer, Reid will direct all six episodes and also executive produce. Dianne Taylor (Dustfall, After the Party) and Belinda Chayko (Dustfall, Fires) are writers alongside Beyersdorf.

“This is an ambitious series that brings a gripping real-life story, that captivated Australia and the world, to the screen with the scale, quality and creative vision audiences expect from Paramount+,” said Beverley McGarvey, President Network 10 and Head of Streaming, Paramount Australia. “It is a powerful addition to our growing slate of premium storytelling, and we are delighted to partner with such an exceptional creative team to share it with viewers around the world.”

Lynskey, Emmy nominee for Showtime’s Yellowjackets (twice) and HBO’s The Last Of Us, most recently starred in the Netflix film Don’t Say Good Luck. She is repped by Gersh.