Loretto’s “The Staircase” Isn’t the Netflix One: Two Films, One Title
- Disambiguation
- Sourced
- Reviewed Nov 2026
Short answer: two different productions are called The Staircase. The one about the Loretto Chapel is a 1998 CBS TV movie starring Barbara Hershey and William Petersen. The one on Netflix is an unrelated true-crime documentary series about Michael Peterson and the death of his wife Kathleen, later dramatised in a 2022 series with Colin Firth and Toni Collette.
Photo above: the chapel exterior in Santa Fe. Credit: Elisa.rolle, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
| The Loretto film | The true-crime series | |
|---|---|---|
| Subject | The Loretto Chapel staircase legend | The death of Kathleen Peterson and Michael Peterson’s trial |
| Format | CBS TV movie | Documentary series (2004, later on Netflix); drama series (2022) |
| Released | 12 April 1998 | 2004 onwards; drama 2022 |
| Stars | Barbara Hershey, William Petersen | Colin Firth, Toni Collette (2022 drama) |
| Setting | A chapel in Santa Fe, New Mexico | A house in Durham, North Carolina |
| Based on | Ann Rinaldi’s novel The Staircase | A real criminal case |
The Loretto film: The Staircase (1998)
The Staircase aired on CBS on 12 April 1998. It was directed by Karen Arthur and written by Christopher Lofton. Barbara Hershey plays Mother Madalyn, the nun in charge of the chapel, and William Petersen plays Joad, a travelling carpenter. Wikipedia lists it as based on Ann Rinaldi’s novel The Staircase (Wikipedia: The Staircase (1998 film)). The Loretto Chapel itself mentions the film among the many productions about its staircase (Loretto Chapel).
The film dramatises the legend: the chapel with no way to the loft, the prayer, and the stranger who builds the stair and leaves. Characters and dialogue are invented. It is a retelling of the tradition, not a history.
The other one: the Peterson case
The Staircase most people find on streaming services is about Michael Peterson, a North Carolina novelist whose wife Kathleen was found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home in 2001. French filmmaker Jean-Xavier de Lestrade made it into a documentary series first broadcast in 2004, later extended and carried by Netflix. A dramatised miniseries starring Colin Firth and Toni Collette followed in 2022. None of it involves Loretto, a chapel or a spiral stair.
How the film compares with the record
The film keeps the beats of the legend. The historical record adds a named candidate for the carpenter, French woodworker François-Jean Rochas, credited in an 1895 Santa Fe newspaper notice (who built it), and an engineering explanation for how the stair stands (how it works). For more appearances on screen and in print, see the staircase on TV, film and in books.
Quick answers
Is there a movie about the Loretto staircase?
Yes. The Staircase, a 1998 CBS TV movie starring Barbara Hershey and William Petersen, dramatises the legend.
Is the Netflix Staircase about the Loretto Chapel?
No. The Netflix documentary series is about Michael Peterson and the death of his wife Kathleen in North Carolina.
Who stars in The Staircase (1998)?
Barbara Hershey as Mother Madalyn and William Petersen as Joad, the carpenter.
Is The Staircase (1998) a true story?
It is based on the Loretto Chapel legend, with invented characters and dialogue.
Where can I find The Staircase 1998 movie?
Availability changes; check current streaming and DVD listings under the title and the year 1998.
Sources
- Wikipedia, “The Staircase (1998 film)”.
- Loretto Chapel, “Staircase”.
- Wikipedia, “Loretto Chapel”.
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Researched & fact-checked by the Loretto Volunteers Editorial Team
Loretto Volunteers is an independent research project documenting the history, architecture, and enduring mystery of the Loretto Chapel staircase. We work from primary and archival sources and show our evidence. Last reviewed: June 2026.
