Netflix has announced ‘The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey’, a new scripted limited series starring Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Can You Ever Forgive Me?) and Clive Owen (Monsieur Spade, Children of Men), which is set to arrive on the streaming service this winter.
The series explores one of the most scrutinised unsolved murder cases in American history, following the tragic death of 6-year-old JonBenét Ramsey and the extraordinary media storm which surrounded the Ramsey family in the years that followed.
JonBenét Ramsey was murdered in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado, in 1996. Nearly 30 years later, and after more than 21,000 tips, letters and emails, the killer has still not been found. Netflix says the drama will be told from multiple angles, looking at the speculation, public fascination and unresolved grief around the case.
McCarthy will star as Patsy Ramsey, with Owen playing John Ramsey. They are joined by Emily Mitchell (Lee Cronin’s The Mummy, Priscilla) as JonBenét Ramsey, Garrett Hedlund (Tulsa King, TRON: Legacy) as Det. Steve Thomas, Alison Pill (Star Trek: Picard, The Newsroom) as Det. Linda Arndt, Shea Whigham (Boardwalk Empire, Perry Mason) as Alex Hunter, Owen Teague (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, IT) as Shane Edwards, Clifton Collins Jr. (Westworld, Pacific Rim) as Det. Tom Trujillo, Angus Caldwell (Unsung Hero) as Burke Ramsey, and Jaime Ray Newman (Dopesick, The Time Traveler’s Wife) as Amelia Hunt.
The recurring cast includes Rory Cochrane (CSI: Miami, Dazed and Confused) as John Eller, Chris Bauer (True Blood, The Wire) as Chief Tom Koby, Will Patton (Yellowstone, Falling Skies) as Lou Smit, Jeremy Bobb (Russian Doll, The Knick) as Pete Hofstrom, John Billingsley (Star Trek: Enterprise, True Blood) as Santa Bill McReynolds, and Josh Stamberg (WandaVision, The Affair) as Reed Hunt.
Guest stars include Margo Martindale (Justified, The Americans) as Nedra Paugh, and Tzi Ma (The Man in the High Castle, Arrival) as Dr. Henry Lee.
Behind the camera, Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra, Freedom Writers, A Family Affair) serves as showrunner and executive producer. Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach, who co-wrote the series, also executive produce alongside David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Melissa McCarthy, and Anne Sewitsky.
Netflix has previously revisited the case in documentary form with ‘Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey’, but ‘The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey’ is a scripted drama, putting the focus on the family, investigation, media obsession and the unanswered questions which have kept the case in the public consciousness for decades.
‘The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey’ premieres this winter on Netflix. If I want to keep track of this or any other shows, I can add them via our Never Miss system, and I’ll be notified when it gets a UK premiere date. Visit Never Miss.
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