Sky and Netflix to make true crime documentaries about Sophie Toscan du Plantier

Irish true crime fans, this one's for you: both Sky and Netflix have announced that a new documentaries are in production, based on the infamous Sophie Toscan du Plantier murder. Sky will be a five-part series, while Netflix will be a three-part.

Sky's documentary is set to be made by Jim Sheridan, the Irish playwright, filmmaker and producer behind such classics as My Left Foot and In The Name of the Father. His previous work has led him to six Academic Award nominations, and this will be his first documentary series. Entitled "Murder at the Cottage: The search for justice for Sophie", it is slated for release in 2021. Netflix's documentary is being made with the help of Ms Toscan du Plantier's cousin, Frederic Gazeau - and will directed be directed by John Dower, whose 2008 documentary Thriller in Manilla garnered several awards.

The body of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, a French TV producer, was found by her holiday home in Schull in West Cork just before Christmas 1996, and has remained shrouded in mystery ever since.

To date, nobody has ever been charged with the murder in Ireland, which made major news in Ireland, du Plantier's native France and the UK back in the 1990s. An English journalist, Ian Bailey, was convicted of her murder in France, but Ireland has resisted calls to extradite him. Bailey is slated to be interviewed for both documentaries.

Barry McCall/Irish Times

The murder has already been the subject of a podcast, simply entitled "West Cork", that was published on the Audible network in 2018 and was named among the best true crime podcasts of that year.

"This is a story that has fascinated me for over two decades," said Jim Sheridan. "It is a murder that carries implications for the meaning of justice in Ireland, in France and in the UK. It is a murder that calls into question the meaning of Europe, as the convicted man in France is free in Ireland."

"It is a story that calls into question the meaning and process of the police and the legal system. It is a story that shines a light on domestic violence. It is a story about primal fear. About a devil in the hills. About the existence of evil among us. I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this series, but in particular to Sophie's family who are still searching for justice."

Topics: Ireland

Mike Wood

Mike Meehall Wood is a freelance journalist and translator. He writes for LADbible, VICE and countless sports publications, focusing on rugby league, football and boxing. He is a graduate of Leeds University and maintains a fizzy pop obsession. Contact Mike at [email protected]