Melissa McCarthy, Clive Owen to star in ‘JonBenét Ramsey’ for Paramount+

Clive Owen and Melissa McCarthy will star as John Bennett and Patsy Ramsey, the parents of murdered child pageant contestant JonBenét Ramsey.

Paramount+ says the limited series tentatively titled JonBenét Ramsey will explore “the tragic unsolved murder of [the] six-year-old beauty queen,” who was killed inside her home in 1996.

“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,” the streamer continues.

“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 project has been in the works for some time. Paramount Global co-CEO Chris McCarthy is confident his just-announced stars are the perfect fit.

“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,” he said.

Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of programming at Paramount+, said of the titular victim, “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.”

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