'A Wilderness of Error': Release date, plot, trailer and all you need to know about true-crime docuseries on Jeffrey MacDonald case

MacDonald had said that it wasn't him, but 'Charles Manson-inspired hippies' who had killed his wife and two daughters

BY ANOUSH GOMES

PUBLISHED AUG 7, 2020

'A Wilderness of Error' dives into the case of Jeffrey MacDonald, an Army surgeon and a Green Beret who was accused of killing his family in 1970. The docuseries coming to FX is based on a novel by Errol Morris and will chronicle the "chain of events" that occurred during the incident all those years ago. The series will have five parts and will speak on the murders and the circumstances that followed it. MacDonald had said that it wasn't him, but "Charles Manson-inspired hippies" who had killed his wife and two daughters, as reported by Deadline. He is serving a life sentence after being convicted. Here is what we know about the upcoming docuseries.

Release date

'A Wilderness of Error' releases on September 25, 2020. It will be a three-episode premiere, and the final two episodes will air the week after.

Plot

The official synopsis reads, "'A Wilderness of Error' is a five-part docuseries from award-winning producers of 'The Jinx', Marc Smerling and Jason Blum, based on the book by Errol Morris, who appears in the series. When Army surgeon Jeffrey MacDonald is sent to prison for killing his family, swirling narratives challenge our ability to find the truth all the while overshadowing a chilling possibility: MacDonald may be innocent."

Cast

There is no information on the cast of the series yet. The space will be updated once the names are released.

Creators

The docuseries is directed by Marc Smerling with Errol Morris serving as a writer. it is produced by Blumhouse Television and UCP. Jason Blum, Michael Jackson, Rachel Horovitz, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wisemen, Mary Liso, Dawn Olmstead and Jessica Grimshaw also serve as executive producers.

Trailer

The trailer of how a "narrative" is different from "reality" — what's the truth? The docuseries features interviews, videos of the McDonald family, and news clips that had covered the murders in 1970. Like any true crime story, it explores the entire story, all the nooks, and crannies, of what could have actually happened.