Elle Fanning transforms into Michelle Carter in ‘texting suicide’-inspired show The Girl from Plainville

The first look of actor Elle Fanning from the adaptation of the infamous ‘texting suicide case’ of 2014 has been released by the series’ producers. In The Girl from Plainville, Elle stars as the controversial Michelle Carter, who was found guilty of manslaughter for leading boyfriend Conrad Roy III to suicide.

In the first look, Elle is seen recreating Michelle’s court appearance from when she was tried for her role in Conrad’s death. The case had gained notoriety in the US and outside. After Conrad Roy died of suicide, the investigators uncovered several text messages between him and his girlfriend Michelle, through which she had been coaxing him to kill himself.

A judge ruled that Michelle was responsible, a position that has since been criticised by some legal experts. Michelle spent less than three years in prison and was released on probation in January 2020.

The series explores the relationship between Conrad and Michelle and the events that led to his death and her subsequent conviction. According to the Entertainment Weekly, showrunners Patrick Macmanus and Liz Hannah enlisted the help of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Eating Disorder Association to help dramatise the events with sensitivity.

Talking about Elle’s casting as Michelle, co-showrunner Patrick Macmanus told Entertainment Weekly, “The first time that I met her, I was really struck by how eerily similar they actually looked just naturally. It was something that around the table when we all met, we all talked about.”

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In addition to Elle, the series also stars Colton Ryan as Conrad “Coco” Roy and Chloë Sevigny as his mother Lynn Roy. The Girl From Plainville will stream later this year on Hulu. It’s streaming or telecast schedule in India remains unknown as of now.