Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen have been cast as the parents of JonBenét Ramsey for an upcoming scripted true-crime series on Paramount+. According to Deadline, the series (currently and simply titled JonBenét Ramsey) will explore the unsolved murder of six-year-old JonBenét, a child beauty pageant queen, and the aftermath of her death. The infamous 1996 murder case captivated the nation and remains one of the most scrutinized unsolved crimes of the last three decades. McCarthy will star as Patsy Ramsey, a former beauty pageant winner turned stage mom, and Owen will portray John Bennett Ramsey, a successful business executive.
According to Paramount+, the limited series will focus on the Ramsey family 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.” Check out JonBenét Ramsey’s description below:
“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.”
The series is produced by MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra) will serve as the series show runner and producer. LaGravenese also scribes the limited series alongside Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach. Anne Sewitsky (Presumed Innocent) will direct four of the eight episodes.
“JonBenét Ramsey continues to be one of the country’s most fascinating unsolved murders,” said Jeff Grossman, Executive VP Programming at 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.”
The Ramseys Drew Suspicion After JonBenét’s Death
On December 26, 1996, JonBenét was reported missing by her parents (by way of a 911 call that raised some eyebrows when it was released); her body was later found by her father in the basement of her family’s Boulder, Colorado home. An almost three-page ransom note was found in the home, signed by “a foreign faction” that demanded $118,000 for the safe return of JonBenét, creating suspicion around the family, as the amount was eerily close to a bonus John had received at work.
While John and Patsy were eventually cleared, the case remains unsolved, and several theories surrounding the possible killer (or killers) have circulated through documentaries, news articles, blogs and internet sleuths. Among the most popular hypotheses is that JonBenét’s killer was someone in her immediate family, either one of her parents (or both) or her older brother, Burke.
While JonBenét’s mysterious death has been the topic of several documentaries and true crime specials, it hasn’t gotten much in the way of scripted projects. A LIfetime original movie, titled Who Killed JonBenet?, premiered in 2016 and suggested that Patsy and John were connected to her death. It will be interesting to see how the upcoming film will handle the unknown parts of JonBenét’s tragic short life and the aftermath of her murder.
The investigation into JonBenét’s murder remains ongoing. Patsy passed away in 2006 after a battle with cancer.