The abduction of Madeleine McCann remains one of the most heavily reported disappearance cases to date. After three-year-old Madeleine was presumably kidnapped from her bed while on holiday in Portugal, the news cycle in the UK and across the globe became consumed by the British toddler's disappearance. Investigators from Portugal and Britain searched for evidence and identified suspects throughout the case, but 11 years later, Madeleine's location remains unknown.
Netflix is gearing up for the release of the eight-part documentary series The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann, which features over 40 interviews with key investigators, journalists, and friends familiar with the decade-old case, per Deadline. Ahead of the official Netflix premiere on March 15, the streaming site has released a trailer for what's likely going to become the next true crime sensation.
According to The Atlantic, the extent to which Madeleine's disappearance was covered in the press, particularly by tabloids, affected those carrying out the investigation. "One particular image, in which Madeleine stares at the camera curiously, all wispy blond bangs and baby teeth and guilelessness, felt more familiar to me that year than the faces of my own family," reporter Sophie Gilbert writes. "People I knew, strangers to the McCanns, cried when they talked about Madeleine. It felt like the biggest story U.K. newspapers had ever experienced."
Chris Smith, who directed Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened and Jim & Andy, is reportedly tied to the project alongside producers Emma Cooper and Thomas Benski. According to Deadline, Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann did not participate in the upcoming series. On March 6, they posted a short statement on their website FindMadeleine.com, explaining their decision not to contribute to the series.
"We are aware that Netflix are planning to screen a documentary in March 2019 about Madeleine’s disappearance," they wrote. "The production company told us that they were making the documentary and asked us to participate. We did not see and still do not see how this programme will help the search for Madeleine and, particularly given there is an active police investigation, could potentially hinder it."
The true crime genre is one of the areas where Netflix has proven that it excels. Social media erupts every time the streaming platform delivers a chilling show capable of captivating audiences. Among their recent success include Making a Murderer, Conversations with a Killer: The Ted Bundy Tapes, and Abducted in Plain Sight.
