“Cold” is heading to the small screen. Deadline reports that Nina Tassler and Denise Di Novi’s PatMa Productions’ optioned the podcast from KSL with plans to develop a TV series.
Recalling the “tragic circumstances surrounding the disappearance of a young Mormon wife and mother of two, Susan Powell,” the podcast uses case files, journal entries, and recordings to examine “Powell’s seemingly perfect marriage only to reveal harrowing details of domestic abuse. After deciding to escape the violence with her children, Susan suspiciously vanishes without explanation, without her children, in 2009 and remains missing to this day,” the source details. “Her husband, who had been named a person of interest but never charged, subsequently killed himself and their young sons in a murder-suicide amid a custody dispute with Susan’s parents.”
Tassler and Di Novi described “Cold” as “a very important story.” The pair, who will be among “Cold’s” exec producers, added, “We know that this podcast has inspired people to speak up about domestic abuse, and in turn it is helping to save lives. KSL Podcasts received hundreds of emails from women who were inspired by Susan’s story to leave their own domestic violence situations. We hope that by bringing this story to the screen and to a broader audience, it will do the same.”
The producers addressed how measures being taken to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus have affected the lives of those who experience domestic violence.
“More than one in three women and more than one in four men in the United States have experienced rape, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime,” Tassler and Di Novi said. “Home isolation, however vital to the fight against this pandemic, is giving still more power to the abuser and reports of increasing rates of domestic violence are surfacing around the world. Now more than ever, we feel it is important to raise awareness of all types of intimate partner violence and provide resources to those in need.”
Nicole Kidman won an Emmy and Golden Globe for her role as a former lawyer and stay-at-home mom who is physically and emotionally abused by her husband in “Big Little Lies.” The HBO series earned praise for its nuanced depiction of domestic abuse.
Launched in 2018, PatMa Productions is dedicated to amplifying diverse voices and developing inclusive content.
Di Novi directed 2017 thriller “Unforgettable” as well as episodes of “Bones,” “Outlander,” and “Ray Donovan.” She has produced dozens of films, including “Heathers,” both Gillian Armstrong and Greta Gerwig’s adaptations of “Little Women,” and “Crazy, Stupid, Love.”
Tassler served as Chairman of CBS Entertainment for 12 years before stepping down in 2015. During her tenure she spearheaded a “Diversity Conversation” with the Geena Davis Institute at the network. Tassler also helped pioneer CBS Entertainment’s first Diversity, Inclusion, and Communications department.
