Geena Davis to star in HBO's Dorothea Puente true crime drama
DIRECT ANSWER: HBO is developing Dorothea, a true crime drama starring and executive produced by Oscar winner Geena Davis as Sacramento serial killer Dorothea Puente. The series dramatizes Puente's 1980s boarding house on F Street, where she drugged, killed, and buried tenants before collecting their Social Security checks. No premiere date has been announced.
Key Takeaways
- HBO is developing Dorothea, a true crime series based on Sacramento serial killer Dorothea Puente.
- Oscar winner Geena Davis will star as Puente and serve as an executive producer on the project.
- Showrunner Joshua Michael Stern wrote the series from a story by Michael Rosenbaum and Jane Whitney.
- Puente was convicted of three murders and died in prison in 2011 at age 82.
- No HBO release date has been announced for the series.
Who was Dorothea Puente?
Dorothea Puente ran a boarding house on F Street in downtown Sacramento during the 1980s, presenting herself as a benefactor to less fortunate tenants. According to reporting on the case, she drugged, killed, and buried her boarders in the backyard, then continued collecting their Social Security benefits after their deaths.
In November 1988, police discovered seven bodies buried at the property. Officers searched for Puente after the discovery and located her in Los Angeles, where she was arrested. After a trial, she was convicted of three murders and sentenced to life in prison. Puente died of natural causes in 2011 at age 82.
Deadline describes her as California's most notorious female serial killer. Her case has drawn renewed attention in true crime media, including profiles on Netflix's Worst Roommate Ever and Very Local's Hometown Tragedy, as noted by KCRA. For more stories in this vein, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries coverage.
What will HBO's Dorothea series cover?
The series centers on a Sacramento woman who ran a boarding house for the less fortunate in the 1980s, but her seemingly benevolent actions belied sinister motives. In reality, she murdered her boarders while continuing to cash their Social Security checks.
According to Deadline, Puente evaded suspicion for years, partly because of her disarming, matronly demeanor, before she was ultimately arrested. After what the trade describes as a wild trial, she was convicted for three of the murders and spent her final years in prison.
Who is behind the Dorothea Puente HBO project?
Geena Davis stars in the title role and executive produces alongside showrunner Joshua Michael Stern, who wrote the series. The story was co-written by Michael Rosenbaum, the Smallville alum who originated the idea, and Jane Whitney, Rosenbaum's writing partner.
Rosenbaum brought the project to Bristol Circle Entertainment, the production company of former Sony Pictures Television Studios president Jeff Frost. Rosenbaum and Whitney developed the series with Stern before Davis was attached and the package landed at HBO, per Deadline. Whitney serves as co-executive producer. TVLine reports the project marks Davis's first television starring vehicle since ABC's Commander in Chief, which ended in 2006. She recently starred in Netflix's supernatural drama The Boroughs.
When will Dorothea premiere on HBO?
HBO has not announced a release date for Dorothea. KCRA notes the network was contacted for additional information about the show, but no premiere window has been shared publicly.
The project remains in development, with casting and the core creative team now in place. As with other HBO true crime dramas, more details are expected as production moves forward.