DISNEY+ ANNOUNCE CASTING FOR UK ORIGINAL DRAMA SERIES "SUSPECT: THE SHOOTING OF JEAN CHARLES DE MENEZES"

Edison Alcaide, Conleth Hill, Russell Tovey, Max Beesley, Emily Mortimer, Daniel Mays, Laura Aikman and Alex Jennings star in the ensemble cast

Written and Executive Produced by Jeff Pope, Produced and Executive Produced by Kwadjo Dajan, Directed and Executive Produced by Paul Andrew Williams

Coming to Disney+ in Spring 2025

Disney+ has today announced the cast for "Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes", the four-part UK Original drama written and executive produced by Jeff Pope ("Philomena", "Stan and Ollie"). The series is produced by Etta Pictures, Pope's production label, which is part of ITV Studios, in association with Kwadjo Dajan's KDJ Productions. Jean Charles de Menezes' parents and other relatives are serving as consultants for the series.

"Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes" focuses on the events surrounding the tragic killing of innocent Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, after he is mistaken for a terrorist. Told from multiple perspectives of those involved, it examines how memory - both accurate and distorted - can be turned into fact and shape our understanding of the truth.

Set twenty years ago, as London reels from the devastating suicide bomb attacks of 7 July 2005, the Metropolitan Police launches a large-scale counter terrorism operation to prevent further attacks. Unbeknownst to them, another terrorist cell plots an assault that could equal the devastation of 7/7.

This second set of planned attacks fails, setting off one of the UK's largest-ever manhunts and sparking a covert surveillance operation. As tension and uncertainty rises across the nation, a series of extraordinary events unfolds, leading to a critical misidentification. Jean Charles de Menezes, an innocent young Brazilian electrician on his way to work, is mistaken for a terrorist and shot dead at Stockwell station. What follows is a family's fight for justice and answers, and the long-fought struggle to bring clarity to a situation that is clouded by confusion, and silence.

Newcomer Edison Alcaide plays Jean Charles de Menezes. Conleth Hill ("Game of Thrones"; "Power of Parker") plays Sir Ian Blair, then Met Police Commissioner. Russell Tovey ("Years and Years"; "Feud: Capote vs. The Swans") plays one of Blair's Deputy Assistant Commissioners, Brian Paddick alongside Max Beesley ("The Gentleman"; "Hijack") who plays Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman, leading on the Met's investigation into the bombings.

Emily Mortimer ("Paddington in Peru"; "The Newsroom") plays Cressida Dick, then Gold Commander of the surveillance operation pursuing those presumed responsible for the bombings. Daniel Mays ("Des"; "The Long Shadow") plays Cliff Todd, Principal Forensic Investigator in the aftermath of the events of 7/7. Laura Aikman ("Archie"; "Gavin & Stacey") also stars as Lana Vandenberghe, a secretary at the Independent Police Complaints Commission who plays a pivotal role in the unfolding of events. Alex Jennings ("The Crown"; "The Lady in the Van") plays barrister, Michael Mansfield KC, who represents the family of Jean Charles de Menezes at the inquest into his shooting.

Writer and Executive Producer, Jeff Pope commented: "This is an incredibly important story to tell, and we've got a heavyweight ensemble cast in place that will help us examine the events that led to the tragic shooting of the innocent Jean Charles de Menezes. He was just a commuter who was tracked for nearly an hour with surveillance failing to correctly identify him, before he was shot dead on a crowded tube train, leaving his family to try and shine a light on the critical errors that led to this devastating tragedy."

"Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes" is written by Jeff Pope, produced by Kwadjo Dajan and directed by Paul Andrew Williams. Pope, Dajan and Williams also serve as executive producers. The series is executive produced for Disney+ by Lee Mason, Executive Director of Scripted.

The series will premiere on Disney+ in Spring 2025.

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ABOUT ETTA PICTURES

Etta Pictures is an ITV Studios company headed by Jeff Pope. Jeff has been nominated for eleven BAFTA Film & TV awards and won two including Best Adapted Screenplay in 2013 for Philomena (starring Dame Judi Dench and Steve Coogan) as well as receiving a Special BAFTA for his contribution to television in 2015. He has over twenty other awards nominations including an Oscar, Golden Globe and RTS award, and has won a British Screenwriter's Award and Broadcasting Press Guild Awards among others.

Etta has acquired a reputation over many years for focusing on thought-provoking and sometimes difficult-to-tackle subjects that illuminate the public's understanding of sensitive issues. It has previously made award-winning dramas such as Appropriate Adult (starring Dominic West and Emily Watson), The Moorside (starring Sheridan Smith) and Little Boy Blue. More recently Etta made The Walk-In (starring Stephen Graham) and Four Lives (starring Stephen Merchant) for ITV and the BBC respectively, and at the end of 2023 we produced both the Cary Grant drama Archie and the signature BBC Factual Drama The Reckoning starring Steve Coogan.

ABOUT KDJ PRODUCTIONS

KDJ Productions is a newly formed production label from BAFTA award-winning Producer and Executive Producer, Kwadjo Dajan (Appropriate Adult; Mrs Biggs; Cilla; Little Boy Blue). KDJ's mission is to develop and produce bold, provocative content that builds on a track-record of bringing intelligent, and at times challenging stories to mainstream audiences.