Dallas’ Infamous Dr. Death to Become a TV Series Following Podcast Craze

A popular true-crime podcast, centered around a Dallas-based neurosurgeon who either permanently injured or killed more than 30 people, is going Hollywood. Dr. Death, a 10-episode podcast produced by Wondery, will be adapted for a television series starring Jamie Dornan, Alec Baldwin and Christian Slater.

Dornan (Fifty Shades of Grey) will play Duntsch, a charming Plano doctor who performed a terrifying amount of routine spinal surgeries that left his patients forever maimed. As his number of victims increased, two fellow surgeons and an assistant district attorney took notice. They then set out to finally stop him.

Baldwin is taking on the role of fellow neurosurgeon Robert Henderson, who was initially called in to Dallas Medical Center after one of Duntsch’s surgeries had gone wrong. He believed in the system and that nothing should be rushed. Slater will play vascular surgeon Randall Kirby, who is more impulsive and willing to do anything to burn that system when it comes to justice.

Despite their personality differences, the two are on the same page about taking Duntsch down.

The podcast explores the mind of a sociopath and the gross negligence of the system that let Duntsch’s patients down. More than 50 million people have listened to this disturbing story about the failure of a system that is supposed to protect us. The Dr. Death podcast, which premiered in 2018, has won several awards for its gripping and chilling storytelling.

Two other podcasts produced by Wondery, Dirty John and Homecoming, have been adapted for television on Amazon and Bravo respectively. Dr. Death, the limited drama series, is executive produced by Patrick Macmanus (Happy!), Todd Black, Jason Blumenthal and Steve Tisch. Hernan Lopez and Marshall Lewy from Wondery will also produce.

Listen to the podcast here.