de menezes

Source: de Menezes family

Jean Charles de Menezes

Production will begin in 2023 on Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, a limited Disney+ drama series from Philomena and Stan and Ollie writer Jeff Pope.

Set immediately after the 2005 London bombings, the UK original series will focus on the manhunt for a ground of would-be terrorists and the killing of innocent Brazilian de Menezes, after he is mistaken as a suspect. Pope is writing and is an executive producer on the series.

de Menezes’ parents and other relatives are among the consultants for the series. It is produced by Pope’s UK label Etta Pictures, a part of ITV Studios. Paul Andrew Williams, who has directed UK features including 2006’s London to Brighton and 2021’s Bull, will direct the series, which will be produced by Kwadjo Dajan; with Lee Mason, director of scripted at Disney+, as executive producer.

“After the July 7th bombings the capital was in a state of terror, and fear of another imminent wave of deadly attacks ultimately led to the tragic death of Jean Charles de Menezes,” said Pope. “This series is not just about how and why he died, but also about what followed, as it became painfully apparent that an innocent man had become another victim of these horrific events.”

“We’re aware of the huge responsibility that comes with tackling this particular subject, and it’s not something we take lightly,” added Dajan.

Pope and Dajan previously collaborated on 2017 ITV mini-series Little Boy Blue starring Stephen Graham, about the 2007 murder of 11-year-old Rhys Jones in Liverpool.