Content creation, funding and distribution company BossaNova has greenlit The Killer Clown: Murder on The Doorstep (3 x 60 mins) from Flicker Productions.
The latest BossaNova Original true-crime project, which revisits a murder case in the US in the early 1990s, has been pre-sold to AMC Networks’ Sundance Now in the US and Sky for the UK and Germany.
The Killer Clown: Murder on The Doorstep tells the story of Marlene Warren, a young wife and mother who was shot in the face on the doorstep of her Florida home by a clown bearing balloons and flowers. Behind her brutal murder, which was witnessed by her 21-year-old son and his friends, lay a web of love, betrayal and deceit. Amid rumours of infidelity, her husband emerged as the prime suspect, but Michael Warren had a cast-iron alibi and was never charged. The crime remained unsolved for nearly three decades until, in a surprise twist, Michael’s alleged mistress and subsequent second wife, Sheila Keen, was arrested for the crime. Although maintaining her innocence, Sheila agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder to avoid a potential life sentence.
Jack Oliver, head of co-productions at Sky UK said: “When BossaNova first presented The Killer Clown at its Development Day in 2023, we were convinced the title would resonate with our Sky Crime audience. It is a layered true crime story, stranger than fiction, imbued with a compelling tone which will hook viewers. The show is consistent with Flicker Productions’ reputation for compelling storytelling and has been a superb project from start to finish. Both myself and Emily-Jayne Wilde were very excited to come on board as executive producers and we can’t wait to share this incredible story with our viewers this summer.”
Shannon Cooper, Vice President, Programming, Sundance Now said: “The Killer Clown is a captivating true crime with shocking twists around every corner. The elevated and elegant storytelling hits the mark perfectly for Sundance Now’s sophisticated audience and this one will leave viewers on the edge of their seats.”
BossaNova reports a number of other true crime deals. BBC Select USA and Play Belgium have bought Accused Of Murdering Our Son: The Steven Clark Story, a 60-minute documentary that follows, in real time, an elderly couple who were accused — but not charged with — murdering their son. The Belgian SVOD has also acquired The Push from the BAFTA Award-winning team at Candour Films. The two-part documentary, which tells thestory of a murder trial in Edinburgh, in which a man was accused of pushing his pregnant wife from the top of Arthur’s Seat to her death, has also been picked up by SBS Australia.
Also headed for Play Belgium is another Flicker/BossaNova Original production, The Flight Attendant Murders, which was greenlit at BossaNova’s 2022 Development Day initiative, and Rare TV’s Cold Case Killers, originally commissioned by the UK’s 5STAR.
Viasat, meanwhile, has acquired CJZ’s four-part documentary Con Girl for its channels in the Baltics, CEE, Scandinavia and the CIS. The BossaNova Original series chronicles the story of serial con woman Samantha Azzopardi, who used over 75 false identities in a globe-crossing career of deception.
Canal + has also acquired both Con Girl and The Flight Attendant Murders. Viasat has picked up The Cannibal Next Door, originally produced for Channel 5 by Future Studios – a 60-minute documentary that tells the story of Armin Meiwes, who dismembered and ate a man for sexual pleasure.
Pippa Considine
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