Disney+ has revealed the star-studded cast of its upcoming true story-inspired drama series about the tragic killing of Jean Charles de Menezes, who was shot dead by police after being mistaken for a terrorist during the London 7/7 bombings.
The four-parter, titled Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, is told from multiple perspectives of those involved and examines how memory – both accurate and distorted – can shape our understanding of the truth.
Newcomer Edison Alcaide stars as Jean Charles de Menezes, alongside Game of Thrones actor Conleth Hill as then Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair and Being Human‘s Russell Tovey as Blair’s Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Brian Paddick. Meanwhile, Hijack actor Max Beesley plays Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman, who heads up the Met’s investigation.
Emily Mortimer (The Newsroom) plays Cressida Dick, then Gold Commander of the surveillance operation pursuing those presumed responsible for the bombings, alongside Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) as Cliff Todd, Principal Forensic Investigator in the aftermath of the events of 7/7.
Laura Aikman (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 (Wolf Hall) rounds out the main cast as barrister, Michael Mansfield KC, who represents the family of Jean Charles de Menezes at the inquest into his shooting.
The synopsis for the show, which premieres on Disney+ in Spring 2025, reads: “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.”
© Peter Ash LeeIt continues: “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.”
Jean Charles de Menezes’ parents and other relatives are serving as consultants for the series.
Writer and Executive Producer, Jeff Pope described the story as “an incredibly important” one to tell and hailed the cast as “a heavyweight ensemble” 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,” said Jeff.
The series is produced by Kwadjo Dajan and directed by Paul Andrew Williams. Pope, Dajan and Williams also serve as executive producers.
