Netflixand true-crime projects are simply unescapable at this point (the streamer has endless options covering the subject), and one of their latest originals on the horizon is “The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey,” which stars Clive Owen and Melissa McCarthy in the roles of the parents of the murdered child, a case that became a global story. To this day, the unsolved murder case of the young girl in their family home to this day has led to all sorts of theories (many TV specials and documentaries have come since trying to piece together one of the most scrutinized American homicide cases of recent memory), from a family member being behind it to a completely random act of violence by a stranger.
“The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey” is a scripted limited series, and the streamer has officially released a first-look image of Owen and McCarthy in character, at what appears to be one of their press conferences that occurred in the wake of their daughter’s murder. As one might suspect, the Netflix original will tell the events from multiple angles (reflecting the multiple takes on the case, we imagine, and avoiding a single narrative), while unraveling the speculation and unresolved grief associated with the brutal and horrific crime that shocked the nation.
Showrunner Richard LaGravenese (“Behind the Candelabra,” “Freedom Writers,” “A Family Affair”) is part of the executive producer team that also features David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, and David Hutkin for 101 Studios, alongside McCarthy and Anne Sewitsky. The show’s co-writers, Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach, will also serve as exec producers.
A series logline for the upcoming project from Netflix:
The series focuses on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, and the devastating personal and public reckoning that followed JonBenét Ramsey’s death on Christmas night in 1996. Ramsey was murdered in the basement of the family’s home in Boulder, Colorado. After a national media frenzy, nearly 30 years — and more than 21,016 tips, letters, and emails later — the killer has not been found.
The rest of the cast includes Emily Mitchell as JonBenét Ramsey, Garrett Hedlund as Det. Steve Thomas, Alison Pillas Det. Linda Arndt, Shea Whigham as Alex Hunter, Owen Teague as Shane Edwards, Clifton Collins Jr. as Det. Tom Trujillo, Angus Caldwell as Burke Ramsey, Jaime Ray Newman as Amelia Hunt, Rory Cochrane as John Eller, Chris Bauer as Chief Tom Koby, Will Patton as Lou Smit, Jeremy Bobb as Pete Hofstrom, John Billingsley as Santa Bill McReynolds, Josh Stamberg as Reed Hunt, Margo Martindale as Nedra Paugh, and Tzi Ma as Dr. Henry Lee.
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You can check out that first-look image for the true-crime series below, as “The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey” is set to debut on December 10. A teaser trailer is likely on the way soon, and we’re sure there will be plenty of hot takes on how the project portrays the events, given the real lives being dramatized for TV.
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