Back to today’s briefing

Story perspectives

Penn Badgley to Star as Ern Cunningham in Prime Series

8/28/2026

50 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

Penn Badgley will star as Ern Cunningham in Amazon MGM Studios’ Prime Video series.
The series adapts Benjamin Stevenson’s 2022 bestseller Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
David Hemingson, Oscar-nominated for The Holdovers, is showrunner and executive producer.
The plot places Ern at a Vermont reunion where a frozen body and snowstorm trigger killings.

History

Historical Context

When ABC launched David Lynch’s surreal mystery Twin Peaks on April 8 1990, its two-hour pilot earned a 22 rating and captured roughly one-third of the TV audience, creating the “water-cooler” effect that proved atmospheric crime stories could dominate prime time. That legacy guides Amazon MGM Studios’ 2024 Prime Video adaptation of Benjamin Stevenson’s 2022 novel, illustrating how streaming now mines recent thrillers for limited-run series.

1 of 2

Story summary

Penn Badgley will star as Ern Cunningham in Amazon MGM Studios’ Prime Video series.
The series adapts Benjamin Stevenson’s 2022 bestseller Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone.
David Hemingson, Oscar-nominated for The Holdovers, is showrunner and executive producer.
The plot places Ern at a Vermont reunion where a frozen body and snowstorm trigger killings.

1 / 2