McCarthy (pictured, left) plays JonBenét Ramsey's mother Patsy Ramsey and Owen (pictured, right) plays father John Bennett Ramsey in the project, tentatively titled JonBenét Ramsey.
Production will begin soon in Calgary, Canada, with Richard LaGravenese serving as showrunner and executive producer. Four of the eight episodes, including the first episode, are directed by Anne Sewitsky (Presumed Innocent), who also serves as executive producer.
JonBenét Ramsey investigates the tragic unsolved murder of the eponymous six-year-old beauty queen. It follows the Ramsey family, before and after the tragedy, as they deal with the painful loss of a child while facing intense public criticism caused by a media frenzy that has seen the case captivate an entire nation.
At the heart of the series 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 dedicated themselves and their children to building the story of a perfect, privileged life, only to see it destroyed on 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.
The series was created and written by Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach who sold it as a pitch to producers MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios. David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Melissa McCarthy and Sewitsky will produce alongside writers La Gravenese, Query and Wallach.
“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.
JonBenét Ramsey was reported missing from her home in Boulder, Colorado on December 26, 1996. Several hours later she was found dead in the basement of the house, along with a long ransom note. An autopsy determined the cause of death was strangulation and it was ruled a homicide.
Boulder police initially believed that JonBenét's mother, Patsy, had written the ransom note and that the note and the child's body had been staged by her parents in an attempt to cover up the murder. Her brother, who was 9 at the time of JonBenét's death, was cleared as a suspect in 1999.
In 2013, declassified court documents revealed that a 1999 grand jury had recommended filing charges against the Ramseys, including hindering prosecution, but the district attorney decided there was insufficient evidence to bring a successful charge. The case remains unsolved to this day.
“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.”
McCarthy can currently be seen in the fourth season of Hulu's comedy series Only Murders in the Building. She previously starred in the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers, with Nicole Kidman, for which a second season has been announced.
Owen was seen earlier this year in the AMC/Canal+ miniseries Monsieur Spade. His other television roles include the FX on Hulu miniseries A Murder at the End of the World, FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story, Apple TV+'s miniseries Lisey's Story and Cinemax's The Knick.
