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What The 'Making a Murderer' Filmmakers Have Said

by Erin Corbett

It's only been a few months since Netflix dropped its hit docuseries Making A Murderer, which extensively followed the case of Manitowoc County's Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey — and already, fans of the series want more. And the show's directors Laura Ricciardi and Moira Demos are ready to make it happen, confirming that they are hoping that there will be a sequel to the 10-part series. The Making A Murder filmmakers spoke at a panel in New York at the IFC Center on Thursday, Feb. 25 and revealed some of their plans for the next part of the story.

Ricciardi and Demos have reportedly spoken to Avery's current lawyer, Kathleen Zelner about continuing to film the process. And while you may have been hoping for a season 2 to premiere on Netflix, there is also talk of a possible Making A Murderer movie.

According to Variety, the filmmakers told the panel, “From our perspective this story is obviously not over. It’s real life and [Avery’s and Brendan Dassey’s] cases are both still pending. We have no idea when the magistrate will make a decision in Brendan’s case. We do know that two potential outcomes are that the judge could order Brendan’s release or he could order a new trial. So we are on the edge of seats about that. To the extent that there are significant developments, we would like to continue documenting this [case]."

The popular documentary series documents the story of Steven Avery of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. After spending two decades in prison for a sexual assault charge in 1985 that DNA evidence proved he had not committed, Avery was sentenced again shortly afterwards for the murder of a young woman named Teresa Halbach. The series has received extensive praise as well as criticism and has been a key topic in entertainment conversation since its release in Dec. 2015.

Regarding some of the show's criticism, Demos said:

To read an article that calls our integrity into question and more or less accuses us of leaving things out [of the film] when there are 12 factual errors in the first two paragraphs of the article is frustrating. So we just have to sort of disengage from that and try and have more meaningful conversations [about the topic].

The show has given viewers an important look into a system that so often traps those who don't have the necessary access to legal resources and rights.

Moira Demos tweeted:

If nothing else, the series has opened up the conversation to what American justice truly looks like, and allowed its vast audience to question what is an unjust system. A sequel, whether in the form of a movie or docuseries, will only further that important discussion.

Image: Netflix (1), Fox News