Overview
- HBO moved to develop Dorothea after multiple outlets reported Tuesday that Oscar winner Geena Davis is attached to star in and executive-produce the limited-series drama.
- The series is based on the real-life case of Dorothea Puente, the 1980s Sacramento landlady who buried tenants and collected their Social Security payments and who was convicted and sentenced to life in 1993.
- Joshua Michael Stern wrote the script and will serve as showrunner, with Michael Rosenbaum and Jane Whitney credited on the story and Rosenbaum, Whitney and Jeff Frost listed among the producing team.
- The project originated with Michael Rosenbaum, who brought the package to Jeff Frost’s Bristol Circle Entertainment before the series landed at HBO, and the show is currently in development with no release date announced.
- The announcement follows recent screen treatments of Puente’s crimes, including a 2025 limited-release film and documentary episodes, and raises questions about how dramatizations will handle victims, ethics and historical accuracy.