Melanie Lynskey is set to portray Erin Patterson in a new streaming drama about the Australian mushroom poisoning case that captivated audiences around the world.
The New Zealand-born actor appeared at the Ten upfronts on Wednesday to announce her lead role in Mushroom Murders: There’s More to Unearth, an upcoming limited series for Paramount+.
Lynskey, 49, said she was “very excited” to take on the part, while viewers reacted enthusiastically to the casting news.
Supporters quickly filled the comments beneath a video of the announcement on Instagram, with many calling Lynskey an ideal choice for the role.
“Perfect casting… but at the same time far too big an honour for Erin Patterson to be portrayed by literal light personified,” one person wrote.
Another commented, “She is the PERFECT choice. I bloody love her,” while a third added, “PERFECT casting.”
Melanie Lynskey (right) will play Erin Patterson (left) in a new streaming drama examining the mushroom poisoning case
“This will be a cultural moment,” one fan declared, while another predicted that Lynskey would “knock it out of the park.”
“She is perfect. Great actress,” another person wrote. One commenter added: “She’s too attractive. But other than that, she’s a brilliant choice.”
However, not everyone welcomed the project, with some viewers arguing that it was too soon to revisit the 2023 deaths and Patterson’s 2025 trial.
“Isn’t one of the victims still recovering and the appeals still under process? Could you have sat on this for an appropriate time? This is way too early,” one critic wrote.
Another said: “I find the rush to write books and do TV shows to profit off this tragedy kinda gross.”
“Honestly, this is too soon in my humble opinion. And she’s too stunning to play Erin,” a further commenter wrote.
Lynskey announced the Paramount+ role at the Ten upfronts, where the network unveiled its upcoming slate of new and returning programs
“Crazy that there is a show already,” someone else remarked.
The six-part series, titled Mushroom Murders: There’s More to Unearth, will focus on the 97 days between the notorious lunch in July 2023 and Patterson’s arrest.
Lynskey revealed the project during the Paramount+ and Ten upfronts, where the announcement prompted audible gasps from the audience as a lineup of upcoming productions was presented.
“It offers a compelling and unique perspective on the events that made headlines around the world—it’s really good,” she said.
“Because behind those headlines, there is still so much to unearth.”
Lynskey, who received an Emmy nomination for her performance in Yellowjackets, will also serve as an executive producer on the series.
Patterson was convicted of murder after serving a beef Wellington containing toxic death cap mushrooms to her estranged in-laws and their relatives in Leongatha, Victoria
While many fans praised Lynskey’s casting, others questioned whether the series was being made too soon after the tragedy
Patterson was convicted of murder after serving a beef Wellington containing toxic death cap mushrooms to her estranged in-laws and their relatives at her home in Leongatha, Victoria.
The meal claimed the lives of her husband’s parents, Don and Gail Patterson, as well as his aunt, Heather Wilkinson.
Heather’s husband, Ian Wilkinson, became critically ill but survived following several weeks in hospital.
The case drew international interest and inspired podcasts, books and television projects as the investigation and trial unfolded.
In September 2025, Patterson was sentenced to life in prison for the murders and attempted murder, with a minimum non-parole period of 33 years.
She is appealing both her conviction and sentence in the Victorian Court of Appeal, claiming that she suffered a substantial miscarriage of justice.
