PARAMOUNT+ REVEALS TITLE OF UPCOMING NEW ANTHOLOGY SERIES UNSPEAKABLE: THE MURDER OF JONBENÉT RAMSEY (w/t), STARRING MELISSA McCARTHY AND CLIVE OWEN
Produced by SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios
Jan. 5, 2025 – Paramount+ today announced the title of its upcoming and highly anticipated new anthology series that delves into some of the nation’s most heartbreaking and gripping unsolved crimes. The first installment, UNSPEAKABLE: THE MURDER OF JONBENÉT RAMSEY (w/t), stars Academy Award® nominees Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen as Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey. The series will debut exclusively on Paramount+.
At its heart, the series centers on the story of Patsy and John Ramsey, exploring their unbreakable partnership and the complex dynamics of their marriage and parenting. It delves into how they crafted a narrative of a perfect, privileged life for themselves and their children – a facade shattered by tragedy one Christmas night in 1996.
Produced by SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios, production is currently underway in Calgary, Canada, with Academy Award® nominee Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra) serving as showrunner and executive producer. Four of the eight episodes, including the first episode, will be directed by Anne Sewitsky (Presumed Innocent), who will also serve as executive producer.
The cast also includes Emily Mitchell, Garrett Hedlund, Alison Pill, Shea Whigham, Owen Teague, Clifton Collins Jr, Rory Cochrane, Chris Bauer, Angus Caldwell, Will Patton, John Billingsley, Jeremy Bobb, Jaime Ray Newman, Josh Stamberg, and guest star Margo Martindale.
The series is executive produced by David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin, Melissa McCarthy, and Anne Sewitsky. Writers Richard LaGravenese, Harrison Query & Tommy Wallach will also serve as executive producers. Query & Wallach sold the project to SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios and 101 Studios.
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About Paramount+
Paramount+, part of Paramount’s (Nasdaq: PARA, PARAA) global portfolio of multimedia entertainment and news brands, is a direct-to-consumer digital subscription video on-demand and live streaming service, combining live sports, breaking news and A Mountain of Entertainment™. The streaming service features an expansive library of original series, hit shows and popular movies across every genre from world-renowned brands and production studios, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. Paramount+ with SHOWTIME®, the service's cornerstone plan, is also home to SHOWTIME® content, including scripted hits and critically acclaimed nonfiction projects and films. This premium plan includes unmatched events and sports programming through the local live CBS stream, including golf, basketball and more. All Paramount+ subscribers have streaming access to CBS News Network for 24/7 news and CBS Sports HQ for sports news and analysis.
For more information about Paramount+, please visit
www.paramountplus.com, and follow @ParamountPlus on social media.
About SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks
SHOWTIME/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks is a global network of media assets that reaches over one billion people in more than 180 countries featuring some of the most iconic brands in entertainment including SHOWTIME, MTV, Comedy Central and Paramount Network among others – and, its Studios arm which produces 120+ series annually, including some of today’s biggest hits such as Yellowstone, YELLOWJACKETS, Emily in Paris, 1883, 1923, GEORGE & TAMMY, South Park, TULSA KING, RuPaul’s Drag Race, The Challenge and Jersey Shore, to name a few.
About 101 Studios
101 Studios is a global entertainment company dedicated to the acquisition, financing, development, production and distribution of high-caliber, creator-driven content. With an unmatched television slate partnered with outstanding filmmakers and talent, 101 Studios productions include the award-winning series Yellowstone, GEORGE & TAMMY, 1883 and 1923. We also produce some of the most critically acclaimed shows, such as LAWMEN: BASS REEVES, MAYOR OF KINGSTOWN, TULSA KING, SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS and LANDMAN.
Building upon this success, 101 Studios’ Unscripted Division works with talented storytellers in bringing their vision to life. Some of these projects include Amazon Prime documentary “Kickback,” which is an expose on the corruption inside the largest sport’s organization in the world: FIFA; “The Last Cowboy,” a documentary on the high stakes world of professional horse reining; and the upcoming HBO docuseries about the sexual abuse and cover-up at Ohio State University, co-produced by George Clooney and Grant Heslov's Smokehouse Pictures. On the scripted film side, past releases include the Sundance Audience award winner "Burden," as well as the family comedy “The War With Grandpa,” the historical drama "The Current War: Director's Cut," and FINESTKIND. 101 Studios advocates for first-class collaboration and innovation. As an example, we are partnered with iHeartRadio and Sports Illustrated Studios on the Ambie nominated podcast “Choosing Sides: F1.” 101 Studios also produces high-profile sports content under its own label, 101 Sports. Additionally, 101 Studios' Brand Division increases the exposure for the properties of our partners to millions across the world.
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Update (7/14/26) - The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey has moved to Netflix, where it'll bow on the streamer during winter 2026.
NEW LIMITED SERIES "THE MURDER OF JONBENÉT RAMSEY" COMES EXCLUSIVELY TO NETFLIX THIS WINTER
Starring Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen From 101 Studios
· Netflix today announced the new limited series, The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, will release exclusively on Netflix this winter.
· Starring Academy Award(R) nominees Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen as Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey, Academy Award(R)-nominee Richard LaGravenese serves as showrunner and Anne Sewitsky (Presumed Innocent) serves as a director and executive producer. Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach, who co-wrote the series, also executive produce.
· Synopsis: The series centers on one of the most infamous unsolved murder cases in American history, and the devastating personal and public reckoning that followed the death of JonBenet Ramsey on Christmas night in 1996.
· Showrunner/Writer/Executive Producer: Richard LaGravenese (Behind the Candelabra, Freedom Writers, A Family Affair)
· Co-Writers/Executive Producers: Harrison Query and Tommy Wallach
· Executive Producers: David C. Glasser, Ron Burkle, Bob Yari, David Hutkin for 101 Studios; Melissa McCarthy, Anne Sewitsky
o Melissa McCarthy as Patsy Ramsey
o Clive Owen as John Ramsey
o Emily Mitchell as JonBenét Ramsey
o Garrett Hedlund as Det. Steve Thomas
o Alison Pill as Det. Linda Arndt
o Shea Whigham as Alex Hunter
o Owen Teague as Shane Edwards
o Clifton Collins Jr. as Det. Tom Trujillo
o Angus Caldwell as Burke Ramsey
o Jaime Ray Newman as Amelia Hunt
o Rory Cochrane as John Eller
o Chris Bauer as Chief Tom Koby
o Will Patton as Lou Smit
o Jeremy Bobb as Pete Hofstrom
o John Billingsley as Santa Bill McReynolds
o Josh Stamberg as Reed Hunt
o Margo Martindale as Nedra Paugh
o Tzi Ma as Dr. Henry Lee
· Netflix has a powerful year of drama series, featuring hits including His & Hers, BEEF, Nemesis, and new additions such as East of Eden, and The Altruists. The strong slate continues with anticipated forthcoming series: Rabbit, Rabbit with Adam Driver, Trigger Point with Joel Edgerton, Kennedy with Michael Fassbender, So Far Gone from Mark Bomback, The Roman from Martin Scorsese, The Corrections with Meryl Streep, Alexander with Jacob Tierney, and the Black Hole adaptation of Charles Burns' bestselling graphic novels.
The completed series (fka Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey), from David C. Glasser’s 101 Studios, had been in turnaround since its original platform, Paramount+,
opted not to proceed with it late last year.
Commissioned by the previous Paramount regime, the project originated as a pitch by creators Query, who grew up in Boulder and was in the same kindergarten class as JonBenét, and Wallach. It was sold to 101 Studios and Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios where the company was based at the time. By March 2024, the then-untitled limited series was eying greenlight, and preliminary casting commenced soon thereafter.
With McCarthy and Owen on board as the parents, the series was formally picked up by Paramount+ in September 2024 when production began. As filming was wrapping in January 2025, a presenting spot by McCarthy at the Golden Globes, carried by CBS and Paramount+, unveiled the working title of the limited series as Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey.
Following the August 2025 close of Paramount Global’s acquisition by Skydance Global, The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey underwent a review by the new leadership at Paramount+. There had been initial concerns and, after a cut of the series was screened and deliberated, a decision was made not to go forward with it.
The exact reason has not been revealed but the call is believed to be related at least in part to the legal risk associated with releasing the series by Paramount. It stems from the $750 million dollar defamation lawsuit JonBenét Ramsey’s brother Burke filed against Paramount division CBS over the network’s 2016 docuseries that pegged him as her killer, which was eventually settled.
As a result, Paramount’s risk profile is considered higher than any other media company when it comes to tackling the infamous murder. John Ramsey told Daily Mail in January that if the new limited series portrays Burke as a suspect in his sister’s death, the family, which was not involved in the project, would again seek legal action.
As Paramount+ was evaluating The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, 101 Studios in late October closed a deal to move from Paramount and its Paramount Television Studios unit, which had absorbed Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios post-merger, to NBCUniversal at the start of 2026.
After Paramount+ made the decision not to proceed with The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey, 101 Studios took the finished series and started shopping it without the involvement of PTVS which did not retain credit on it. Given 101 Studios’ new home at NBCUniversal, there was speculation that the series may go to NBCU streamer Peacock. That never materialized, with no indication real conversations ever took place, and by early February, Netflix emerged as the likely destination.
It would make sense — Netflix has established itself as a true-crime juggernaut with a slew of very popular docuseries in the genre, including Joe Berlinger’s Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, which was released in November 2024, drawing big 13.4 million views in its premiere week.
Netflix also has scripted true-crime limited series, most notably the hit Monster anthology franchise.
Negotiations for The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey went on for a few months, with the streamer doing its due diligence, which is believed to have included a legal review. The process ultimately led to a deal, with the series getting an exclusive release on Netflix.
The pickup gets the streamer in the 101 Studios business. The prolific company is partnered with Taylor Sheridan on all of his series and is also behind such shows as MobLand and The Agency.
It also gives Query two upcoming series on Netflix. He also is the writer/executive producer of Trigger Point, starring Joel Edgerton, which the streamer landed in a bidding war with a straight-to-series order last November. Additionally, Netflix recently nabbed two Query film projects, also in competitive situations, Kill Switch starring Jake Gyllenhaal and The Operator starring Mark Wahlberg.
This also marks the return to Netflix for LaGravenese who most recently directed the streamer’s film A Family Affair, starring Nicole Kidlan, Zac Efron and Joey King.
Query is repped by CAA, Ground Control and Jeff Frankel at Mckuin Frankel Whitehead. Sewitsky is repped by CAA, Lark Management UK, and Granderson Des Rochers. LaGravenese is repped by CAA. Wallach is repped by Ronin Entertainment. McCarthy is repped by CAA and MGMT Entertainment. Owen is repped by CAA and Hirsch Wallerstein Hayum Matlof and Fishman. Mitchell is repped by TalentWorks and Warden Talent. Newman is repped by The Burstein Company and Artium Talent. Pill is repped by The Burstein Company and Gersh.
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Originally published: January 07, 2025.
