One of Ireland's and Europe's most notorious murder cases will be the subject of Netflix's next hit documentary series.
Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a 39-year-old French woman, was found brutally murdered outside of her holiday home in country Cork in 1996. The mysterious death of the television producer became one of Ireland's most high-profile cases of the '90s.
To this day, the man who was eventually accused of her murder, journalist Ian Bailey, maintains that he is innocent. The 'West Cork' podcast, hosted by Jennifer Forde and Sam Bungey, will be familiar to some, which went in-depth about the investigation in the past.
According to Netflix, their new three-part docuseries, 'The Story of Sophie Toscan du Plantier', was made in collaboration with her family and will highlight her life leading up to her untimely death. The story became a national obsession both here and in France, and for the first time, the du Plantier family will be speaking openly about the investigation.
Bailey, who was never tried in Ireland, will feature prominently in the series.
The series will be produced by UK-based production company Lightbox and will arrive on the streaming platform next year.
Simon Chinn, co-Founder of Lightbox and Executive Producer said of their new Netflix venture: "This series will take viewers on a journey filled with unexpected twists and turns as we carefully unravel an extraordinary story from its beginning, 24 years ago, to the present day. As the only documentary project ever to have been made with the blessing of Sophie’s family, we feel it’s critical to properly understand who Sophie was as a person and the events that led her to her terrible fate. The series will include interviews with the key players in Ireland and France, including the man convicted in France of Sophie’s murder, Ian Bailey, and we will drill down into the evidence surrounding a murder investigation which remains mired in anguish and controversy."
Expect more details about the series from Netflix in the new year.
