Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen to star in TV series about JonBenét Ramsey

Melissa McCarthy and Clive Owen have been tapped to star in a new TV series about JonBenét Ramsey.

On Thursday, executives at Paramount+ announced that the actors will portray JonBenét's parents Patsy and John Bennett Ramsey in an eight-episode true-crime limited series about the murder of the six-year-old beauty queen.

JonBenét was discovered dead at her family's home in Boulder, Colorado in December 1996 about seven hours after she had been reported missing. Her death was ruled to be homicide but is considered a cold case and remains an open investigation.

According to the official summary, the series will follow the Ramsey family before and after the tragedy as they navigate the painful loss of a child while also facing intense public and media attention.

"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 logline reads.

Richard LaGravenese, Harrison Query, and Tommy Wallach are to write and executive produce the series, with McCarthy to executive produce as well.

And Jeff Grossman, executive vice president of programming for Paramount+, noted that the programme will come in tandem with the approach of the 30th anniversary of JonBenét's death.

"JonBenét Ramsey continues to be one of the country's most fascinating unsolved murders. 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," he added.

A potential release date has not yet been confirmed.