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THE CURE

The Institute, a holistic healing retreat run by a charismatic doctor, claims a high success rate of recovery from addictions and mental illness with mind-altering drug therapy. A young woman hired on the staff of the Institute’s “Village” on a remote coastal island, begins to suspect something sinister going on. She investigates the doctor's cryptic medical practices, with chilling results. The more she uncovers, the more she imperils her life and her sanity. A New Age horror-thriller series, inspired by “The Stepford Wives”, the 1966 film “Seconds” and the true crime case of Dr. Linda Hazzard, the medical madwoman of Starvation Heights.

COMPLETE PILOT SCRIPT IN "EXCERPT".

Charon Institute, a secluded healing retreat run by the charismatic Dr. Colin Charon, claims a high success rate of recovery from addictions and mental illness with mind-altering therapy and controversial drug treatments. The “Cure” gains popularity as the ultimate alternative to rehab among the rich and famous who prefer to keep their problems under wraps. Patients return to society virtually “cured”.

A young woman, hired as a physical therapist at the Institute’s “Village” on a remote Pacific Northwest coastal island, begins to suspect something sinister going on. She investigates Dr. Charon’s cryptic medical practices, with chilling results. The more she uncovers his secret “soul surgery”, the more she imperils her life and her sanity.

A New Age thriller series, THE CURE is inspired by “The Stepford Wives”, “Seconds”, “The Island of Dr. Moreau” and the true crime case of Dr. Linda Hazzard, the medical madwoman of Starvation Heights.

First Season Episodes:

The series unfolds with Kafkaesque twists and turns for Judy Falco, the rebel heroine who knows too much. Now a prisoner in a padded cell inside the lighthouse “dungeon” under Mr. Mumm’s close guard,she’s doomed to perish like her friend Bridget.

But Dr. Colin Charon, a.k.a. Franz Reichman, wants to keep Judy alive for a while…as his “special patient”. He medicates her, using her past drug addiction to quell her rebellion. Then manipulates her into a perverse therapeutical relationship to win over her mind.

Dr. Charon genuinely believes in the Cure, despite its past failures. He’ll resort to any sacrifice of human life to perfect the Cure and save the lives of his patient clientele. A madman with a cause.

Judy, his ultimate guinea pig, evolves from an unwilling captive into a compliant prisoner...or so it seems. Dr. Charon gives her back her freedom and lets her keep her physical-therapy job, under tight scrutiny...as long as she never leaves the island.

Judy fakes passive obedience, resisting the mind-bending influence of “natural” psychedelic treatments that nearly drive her insane. She’s determined to outwit Dr. Charon at his own game and expose him. Any normal girl would succumb and descend into madness, but Judy is a resilient fighter. A survivor.

COMPLETE SEASON BIBLE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.

Script Excerpt
Written by:
Format:
TV Pilot
Genres:
Starring Roles For:
Anna Paquin
Jon Hamm
In the Vein Of:
Stepford Wives
Seconds
Shutter Island
Posted:
10/05/2014
Updated:
10/10/2023
Author Bio:
ANTON DIETHER is the writer of the Hallmark TV miniseries Moby Dick, the highest-rated long-form show in basic cable history, nominated for five Emmys and two Golden Globe Awards; ABC-TV miniseries Cleopatra; and Hallmark miniseries Stranded (Swiss Family Robinson). Anton developed Beauty and the Beast for Fox, Land of Oz for Disney, Gold Fever for Phoenix Pictures, Operation Greylord for Showtime, Lost At Sea for TNT; currently Gang of Dreams TV miniseries for Little Studio Films, The Revolt for Revolt Prods, Taj Mahal for Threshold Ent.

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Contest Results:
CS TV Pilot (Quarterfinalist) [2022]
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