Podcaster Devastated by Reiner Murders Announces 12-Part Series

Host Needs Family to Sign Off on Footage by Friday

LOS ANGELES — Expressing profound grief over the shocking deaths of filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, the host of the true crime podcast Murder Most Foul confirmed he was "absolutely shattered" by the tragedy and would be exploring every dimension of it across 12 meticulously researched episodes beginning 15 Jan.

"Like everyone, I'm still trying to process this devastating news," said James Sulanowski, speaking from a studio where producers had begun assembling archival footage of Reiner's career. "Rob and Michele meant so much to so many people. I want to honor that legacy, which is why episodes one through three will focus on Rob's complicated relationship with his father, Carl, and episode four will take a deep dive into the making of This Is Spinal Tap."

Sulanowski said the podcast would "let the story breathe" while also confirming the series had been picked up for a visual adaptation by Peacock.

"I'm not rushing this. I'm going to sit with the material, really feel my way through it," said Sulanowski, reviewing a preliminary cut of the trailer. "That said, we're looking at a February 12 premiere for the docuseries, so I do need the family to sign off on the home video footage by [the end of the week]."

The host said he had conducted interviews with the Reiners' former landscaper, a caterer who worked a 1994 fundraiser at the couple's home and a grip who was on set for The American President. Efforts to reach the family's longtime housekeeper were "ongoing."

"I'm not interested in sensationalism," Sulanowski said. "This is a story about a family, about Hollywood, about the American dream. And yes, also about the knife."

The podcast's first episode, titled "The Boy Who Would Be King," will reportedly trace Reiner's childhood in the Bronx, his early TV appearances, and what Sulanowski called "the seeds of darkness that would eventually bloom." Episode six, "When Harry Met Tragedy," will focus on the Reiners' marriage, while the two-part finale will feature a minute-by-minute reconstruction of the murders based on what the host described as "a source close to the investigation who has been extremely helpful in exchange for executive producer credit."

The series will be sponsored by SimpliSafe home security, HelloFresh meal kits and BetterHelp online therapy.

"This one's going to stay with me for a long time," Sulanowski said. "Probably through the awards cycle at least."

At press time, the host said he was also monitoring the investigation into Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno Loureiro, who was fatally shot outside his Brookline home Monday under circumstances that remain unclear, noting he had registered several relevant domain names "just as a precaution." ■