There's a very good chance that Melissa McCarthy could be adding another Emmy Award to her shelf later this year when Paramount+ drops its upcoming true crime limited series about the murder of JonBenét Ramsey. In the series, the two-time Oscar nominee portrays JonBenét's mother Patsy Ramsey alongside fellow Academy Award nominee Clive Owen as John Ramsey.
In its new roundup of upcoming television shows set for release in summer 2025, TIME revealed that Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey will make its premiere in summer 2025. The streamer hasn't yet made an official announcement about the forthcoming limited series' release date, which makes this the first indication that the series will drop this year.
The series was first announced as in development at Paramount back in March 2024 before getting the green light in September 2024 with McCarthy and Owen on board as the leading stars. Richard LaGravenese, who wrote and/or directed movies like P.S. I Love You, Behind the Candelabra, and The Last Five Years, acted as showrunner with Anne Sewitsky directing four of eight episodes.
Once the series received an official pickup from Paramount+ in September 2024, filming quickly began in Canada, and in January 2025, the streamer revealed the show's official title. Unspeakable comes from a direct quote that was used to describe the disappearance and murder of six-year-old JonBenét Ramsey. The devastating case swept the nation and become the object of speculation.
According to the show's synopsis shared in Paramount+'s January 2025 press release, Unspeakable will anchor its focus on Patsy and John Ramsey and what they went through before, during, and after the murder of their daughter. The synopsis promises to explore the rough edges and public perception of their marriage, which included accusations against the couple.
"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."
On Dec. 25, 1996 in Boulder, Colorado, JonBenét Ramsey's body was discovered in the basement of their home hours after her parents had reported their young daughter missing. After the story of JonBenét's murder hit the press, there have been decades of questions surrounding what really happened, as her killer was never found and the case remains unsolved.
Unspeakable: The Murder of JonBenét Ramsey will have a fine line to walk between sensationalizing the fictional depiction of the case and presenting a dramatization of the facts as we know them. There have been plenty of documentaries made about JonBenét, including a Netflix docuseries released in 2024 with John Ramsey's participation, but rarely have there been scripted series produced, especially not at this level.
As the 30th anniversary of the deeply tragic event nears, the Paramount+ limited series now has a teased release window for summer 2025. We're currently expecting the series to begin airing in August, or even in early September before summer officially ends. When Paramount+ makes its formal announcement, with photos and a teaser, we'll share the latest news.