| Dead Ringers | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Based on | Dead Ringers byDavid Cronenberg Twins byBari Wood by Jack Geasland |
| Developed by | Alice Birch |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Murray Gold |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors | |
| Running time | 52–64 minutes |
| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Amazon Prime Video |
| Release | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) |
Dead Ringers is an Americanpsychological thrillerdrama televisionminiseries developed byAlice Birch. It is based on the1988 film of the same name byDavid Cronenberg, itself adapted from the 1977 novelTwins byBari Wood and Jack Geasland. The series premiered onAmazon Prime Video on April 21, 2023.[2] The series won aPeabody Award at the 84th ceremony in June 2024.[3]
| No. | Title | Directed by | Teleplay by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "One" | Sean Durkin | Alice Birch | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) | |
In Manhattan, twin gynecologists Beverly and Elliot Mantle, dubbed the Mantle twins, frequently commit malpractice at the hospital where they work, while harboring a plan to establish their own independent birthing center. During one of their hospital sessions, Beverly meets Genevieve, a famous actress. Elliot successfully seduces Genevieve while posing as Beverly, which effectively brings Beverly and Genevieve into a relationship, with Genevieve having slight doubts. The twins manage to convince Rebecca Parker, a venture philanthropist, to fund their birthing center scheme, despite earlier failed delivery at the hospital. Beverly is revealed to beschizophrenic while experiencing the most recent of many miscarriages; Elliot expresses sociopathic behaviors and instigates several sexual encounters with strangers. Elliot has a mental breakdown when Beverly tells her that her relationship with Genevieve is serious. | |||||
| 2 | "Two" | Sean Durkin | Ming Peiffer | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) | |
| 3 | "Three" | Karena Evans | Rachel De-Lahay | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) | |
| 4 | "Four" | Lauren Wolkstein | Miriam Battye | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) | |
| 5 | "Five" | Karyn Kusama | Susan Soon He Stanton | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) | |
| 6 | "Six" | Sean Durkin & Lauren Wolkstein | Alice Birch | April 21, 2023 (2023-04-21) | |
In August 2020, it was announcedAmazon Prime Video had given a straight-to-series order to a television series based uponDavid Cronenberg's 1988 filmDead Ringers, withAnnapurna Television set to produce, andAlice Birch set to serve as head writer and executive producer.[4]Sean Durkin,Lauren Wolkstein,Karena Evans andKaryn Kusama directed episodes of the series.[5][6]
Upon the initial announcement, it was revealedRachel Weisz would star in the series.[4] In July 2021, it was announcedMichael Chernus had joined the cast as a series regular.[7] In August 2021, it was announcedPoppy Liu andBritne Oldford had joined the cast as series regulars, withJeremy Shamos,Jennifer Ehle andEmily Meade set to recur.[8][9][10]
Principal photography began by August 2021 in New York City.[11][12]
The series had its world premiere at the2023 Canneseries on April 15, competing for Long Form competition.[13] All six episodes of the series were released on April 21, 2023.[2]
On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 85% of 87 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's consensus reads: "IfDead Ringers doesn't wield as cutting a blade as David Cronenberg's original chiller, it's not a pale imitation either, thanks to Rachel Weisz putting on a clinic in doppelgänger duplicity."[14]Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 79 out of 100 based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[15]
The series was included in several mid-year lists of the best TV shows of 2023, such asThe Guardian,Time andVariety.[16][17][18] Alison Herman ofVariety wrote, "Rachel Weisz has the dual role of a lifetime as the Mantle twins. [ . . . ] Gender-swapped reboots too often carry a whiff of sanctimony, but [the series] is as perverse and profane as any great Cronenberg homage. [ . . . ]Dead Ringers is more than a gimmick; it’s a cerebral spin on a nightmare."[18]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Peabody Awards | Entertainment | Dead Ringers | Won | [19] |
| 2024 | Astra TV Awards | Best Actress in a Streaming Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Rachel Weisz | Nominated | [20] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress – Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated | [21] | ||
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Jody Lee Lipes(for "One") | Nominated | [22] | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Miniseries, Limited Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television | Rachel Weisz | Won | [23] |
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