Sarah Paulson shall star in the HBO Max scripted adaptation of his docuseries The Way Down: God, Greed, and the Cult of Gwen Shamblin, Deadline reports. Shamblin was a charismatic figure with a carefully curated image who rose to fame with her Weigh Down Workshop, a Christian diet program, while also founding the Remnant Fellowship Church.
Shamblin was subsequently charged with exploitation and emotional, psychological and physical abuse through alleged cult-like practices of the Church. Such as arranging their finances, marriage, parenthood and contact with the outside world. Former members of the Weigh Down Workshop have also claimed that Shamblin encouraged disordered eating by equating weight gain with sin.
Launched Sept. The way down became HBO Max’s most-watched docuseries at the time of its release. It looks at the legacy of the infamous leader of Remnamt for the first three episodes. Just before the HBO series ended, Shamblin and her husband died in a plane crash, forcing the team behind the docuseries to star and produce additional episodes about it.
The two additional episodes that followed explored the mysterious circumstances surrounding the crash and the aftermath of the investigation, including new stories from former survivors who felt compelled to share their experiences following Shamblin’s death. The second part of the series aired on HBO Max on April 28.
The new show
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Paulson, who will play Shamblin, is certainly no stranger to playing real people, thanks to Ryan Murphy. As of now, she’s fresh off the success of an Emmy-nominated performance as Linda Tripp in FX’s Impeachment: American Crime Story. Before that, she won an Emmy for portraying Marcia Clark in 2016 The People v. OJ Simpson: American Crime Story. In addition, Paulson also played Mamie Eisenhower in American Horror Story: Double Feature.
The script series comes from Ross Dinerstein’s Campfire Studios and Chrissy Teigen’s Huntley Productions. Michelle Dean, who recently served as showrunner and executive producer of Hulu’s The deed, starring Patricia Arquette and Joey King, will be the showrunner of the scripted series. Marina Zenovich will direct it.
The series, which is currently in development, is being produced by Paulson, Dean, Dinerstein, Teigen and Zenovich. In addition, Nile Cappello, PG Morgan and Luke Dillon. Rebecca Evans and Ross Girard, which will serve as co-EPs. No other cast members have been announced at this time.
For those interested in the other side of the story, there is a lengthy press release on the Remnant website denying the “absurd, defamatory statements and allegations in this documentary”, even going so far as to challenge specific allegations within the series. Shamblin’s daughter Elizabeth Hannah also addressed HBO Max during a sermon, saying she prayed hard so that “God would shut the enemy’s mouth.”
While Elizabeth Hannah might have been overjoyed at how a new service paired with Discovery HBO Max and their… August 5 stock dropthere are no indications that The way down will be removed on the new service. Or that this new series with Paulson will expire. Though only time will tell if the scripted show will achieve the success that the docuseries had.