Paramount+ has announced that Academy Award nominees Melissa McCarthy (Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Clive Owen (Closer) are set to star in the upcoming limited series JonBenét Ramsey (working title) as JonBenét’s parents Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey. Produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, production will begin in Calgary, Canada, with Academy Award nominee Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra) serving as showrunner and executive producer. Four of the eight episodes, including the first episode, will be directed by Anne Sewitsky (Presumed Innocent), who will also serve as executive producer.
The explores the tragic unsolved murder of six-year-old beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey. It follows the Ramsey family, before and after the tragedy as they go through the painful loss of a child while facing intense public scrutiny caused by a media frenzy that caused this case to captivate an entire nation. At the heart of the series, it is the story of Patsy and John Ramsey – exploring the unbreakable partnership of these two complex people – as husband and wife, as mother and father – who had committed themselves and their children to building the narrative of a perfect, privileged life only to have it destroyed one Christmas night in 1996.
“Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen are an extraordinary duo to delve into this tragic story that has cast a long, haunting shadow over American culture for nearly three decades,” said Chris McCarthy, Paramount Global Co-CEO and President/CEO, Showtime & MTV Entertainment Studios.
“JonBenét Ramsey continues to be one of the country’s most fascinating unsolved murders,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive Vice President, Programming, Paramount+. “The incredible talent of Melissa McCarthy, Clive Owen and the creative team led by Richard LaGravenese will illuminate her story with the acuity and nuance it deserves.”
“We have been working to bring this thought provoking and bold project to audiences for some time now and could not be happier with the top notch team working in front of and behind the camera,” said David Glasser, CEO of 101 Studios.
Melissa McCarthy is an award-winning actress and producer with Academy Award and BAFTA nominations for her role in Bridesmaids, a second Academy Award nomination for Can You Ever Forgive Me?, as well as Golden Globe, Critics’ Choice, and SAG Award nominations. She was honored with the People Choice Award’s Inaugural People’s Icon Award and the prestigious Comedic Genius Award from MTV. McCarthy’s film credits includeThe Little Mermaid, Unfrosted, Genie, Thunder Force, Bridesmaids, Spy, Identity Thief, Ghostbusters, Tammy, This is 40, and The Hangover Part III; and television credits include God’s Favorite Idiot, Nine Perfect Strangers, Gilmore Girls, Samantha Who?, and Mike & Molly. She and husband, Ben Falcone, have successfully produced numerous film and television projects including Tammy, The Boss, Life of the Party, Thunder Force and God’s Favorite Idiot, as well as the critically acclaimed documentary Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed.
Academy Award nominee and Golden Globe winner Clive Owen is celebrated by audiences in the U.K., the United States and around the world. In 2005, he won a Golden Globe and picked up an Academy Award nomination for his role in Mike Nichols’ Closer. His film credits include Croupier, Gosford Park, Sin City, Children of Men, Inside Man, Shoot’Em Up, The International, Duplicity and The Boys Are Back. He made his American TV debut in the film Hemingway and Gellhorn, which earned him Emmy, SAG and Golden Globe nominations. He executive produced and starred in The Knick, which earned him a Golden Globe Best Actor nomination. His television credits include Monsieur Spade, A Murder at the End of the World, Chancer, Second Sight, The Echo, The Hire, The Night Of, Lisey’s Story, and Impeachment: American Crime Story.
JonBenét Ramsey will be executive produced by David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Melissa McCarthy, and Anne Sewitsky. Writers Richard LaGravense, Harrison Query & Tommy Wallach will also serve as executive producers. Query & Wallach sold the project to MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios.
