‘Making A Murderer’ Filmmakers Moving Ahead With Second Installment
Making A Murderer, the hit true-crime documentary series that premiered on Netflix this past December, appears to be getting a second installment, according to a report from Variety.
Making A Murderer revolves around the story of Steven Avery, a Manitowoc County, Wisconsin man who was wrongfully convicted of first-degree assault, attempted first-degree murder, and false imprisonment of Penny Beerntsen in 1985 and spent 18 years in prison. DNA evidence exonerated Avery in 2003, but in 2005 he was accused and later convicted of the murder of 25-year-old Theresa Halbach. Making A Murderer covers Avery’s trial, sentencing and conviction, along with the separate trial and conviction of Avery’s nephew, Brendan Dassey.
Making A Murderer ended with both cases still on appeal, but the directors of the documentary, Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos, appeared at a Stranger Than Fiction panel discussion in New York recently and said that they’re still recording their conversations with Avery and are in talks with Avery’s new lawyer, Kathleen Zellner, about filming a second installment of Making A Murderer.
“From our perspective, this story is obviously not over. It’s real life and (Avery’s and Brendan Dassey’s) cases are both still pending. We have no idea when the magistrate will make a decision in Brendan’s case. We do know that two potential outcomes are that the judge could order Brendan’s release or he could order a new trial. So we are on the edge of seats about that. To the extent that there are significant developments, we would like to continue documenting this (case).”
However, there could be problems for Ricciardi and Demos in getting the second installment of Making A Murderer to the screen. Steven Avery’s civil lawyer, Stephen M. Glynn, was on hand for the panel as well and spoke about how the Making A Murderer filmmakers are looked at in The Badger State.
“There is a lot of hostility toward these two women (Ricciardi and Demos) in Wisconsin. The theory is that have played Wisconsin unfairly. But among those people who think and are a little more educated and thoughtful about these sorts of issues, there is appreciation.”
There are many who watched Making A Murderer that believe Avery and Dassey were wrongly convicted and that the state of Wisconsin will do anything they can to keep this second installment from being made. Shaun Atwood, a frequent visitor and supporter of the Avery family, believes that the state still has secrets on the case and recently spoke on the subject.
“Freedom of expression is guaranteed under the US constitution and the fact they are putting up so much resistance shows that the whole hierarchy has something to hide. This isn’t the case of one or two people involved, it’s becoming more and more apparent that more and more people are up to their necks in it…. The fact that they tried to stop the show going ahead is a worry – and it would not surprise me if more legal action befalls Netflix to prevent a season two.”
“To read an article that calls our integrity into question and more or less accuses us of leaving things out (of the film) when there are 12 factual errors in the first two paragraphs of the article is frustrating,” Demos said. “So we just have to sort of disengage from that and try and have more meaningful conversations (about the topic).
“I’ve never really dealt with the press before except in the context of making the film. So to be the subject is different, but we are grateful that people have watched and engaged with the series because we made it to promote a dialogue. I can’t keep up with all the headlines and the tweets and I certainly can’t engage with all of it. The series has in many ways taken on a life of its own.”
Yes it has, and it looks like the world will be getting a whole lot more of Making A Murderer. Stay tuned.
[Image via Netflix]
