Happy Face - Release Window, Cast, Plot And More Info
There are regular true crime podcasts, and then there's "Happy Face," an endlessly disturbing 12-part deep dive into the life of a serial killer — as told by his own daughter. The podcast from iHeartMedia first debuted in 2018, telling the harrowing story of the years Melissa Moore spent being raised by the man who would eventually become known as The Happy Face Killer. Now, a new Paramount+ series based on the same story is in the works with an intriguing cast and crew and Moore on board as an executive producer.
"Happy Face" will be the first true crime series released via the Paramount-owned streamer since 2020's "Interrogation," and only the second to date. While competing streamers like Peacock have been in the true crime adaptation game from the start (see: "Dr. Death"), Paramount+ has mostly made the "Yellowstone" extended universe its bread and butter up until this point. Still, "Happy Face" has an intriguing cast, a heart-pounding story, and two executive producers on board who have made some of the show's most interesting series to date. Here's everything we know about the series so far.
When does Happy Face premiere?
According to Variety, "Happy Face" is due to begin shooting this spring in Vancouver, Canada, with an expected release date falling sometime in 2025. Typically, barring any major delays like industry strikes or pandemics, it seems to take most Paramount+ shows a year and some change to premiere once production has begun, though some returning series seem to speed up their timelines considerably. Another series starring "Happy Face" actor Dennis Quaid, "Lawmen: Bass Reeves," reportedly started filming in October 2022 for a December 2023 release, so while no two production schedules are alike, it would make sense to see "Happy Face" sometime in 2025.
As a Paramount+ exclusive, there's no guarantee the show will air on linear television, so viewers hoping to tune in will have to sign up for the streamer. Currently, Paramount+ offers bundles with Showtime as well as standalone monthly and annual subscription offers. The streamer also typically offers a free trial so you can taste-test the above-mentioned series, plus plenty of other original shows and movies.
What are the plot details of Happy Face?
"Happy Face" will "jump off from" the real life story of Melissa Moore, per Variety. In reality, Moore endured a frightening childhood as the daughter of truck driver Keith Hunter Jesperson, who was revealed to be a brutal serial killer after a murder arrest in 1995. In the podcast of the same name, Moore describes witnessing Keith abusing animals, feeling multiple unsettling presences in his home (which he apparently implied were the ghosts of women), and the moment she realized the man who signed letters to the press with a smiley-face was indeed a serial killer.
Though some of the nightmarish memories Moore has of Jesperson were from her childhood, the series is apparently set after his incarceration. "After decades of no contact, he finally finds a way to force himself back into his daughter's life," the synopsis shared by Variety reads. "In a race against the clock, Melissa must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed." Though Jesperson has only been confirmed to have killed eight women, he has at times claimed to be much more prolific, and it sounds like this series may explore the idea that he's committed crimes that are still considered unsolved — or could lead to innocent people going to jail. In real life, at least one couple already did: before Jesperson was caught, one woman falsely confessed to helping her boyfriend kill one of the Happy Face Killer's victims in an attempt to get out of an abusive relationship.
According to the synopsis of "Happy Face," it will also follow the fictionalized Moore as "she discovers the impact her father had on his victims' families and must face a reckoning of her own identity."
Who is in the cast of Happy Face?
Industry veteran Dennis Quaid ("Far From Heaven," "The Rookie") is set to star in "Happy Face" in the role of Jesperson, the truck-driving serial killer and father who was arrested in 1995 and is currently serving a sentence of life without parole in Oregon. Jesperson became known as the Happy Face Killer due to the unnerving way he reportedly embellished written confessions about his crimes, including a crudely drawn smiley face when bragging to police, newspapers, and fellow truck drivers.
Actor and Broadway star Annaleigh Ashford returns to true crime after her recent turns in Hulu's "Welcome to Chippendales" (also based on a podcast) and FX's "American Crime Story," this time playing the adult version of Jesperson's daughter, Melissa Moore, who must reckon with the reality of her father's crimes. Just as Quaid has worked with Paramount+ before (on the series "Lawmen: Bass Reeves"), Ashford has appeared on the streamer's surreal legal drama "The Good Fight."
No supporting actors have been announced for "Happy Face" as of publication time.
Who is the director of Happy Face?
While the full directorial slate for "Happy Face" hasn't been announced yet, we know that Michael Showalter is on board to direct the series' pilot. A versatile filmmaker, Showalter has directed projects as varied as 2017's Kumail Nanjiani-led festival darling "The Big Sick," the 2021 Jessica Chastain spotlight "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," and shows like Hulu's "The Dropout" and the Apple TV+ series "The Shrink Next Door." All of these stories are well-cast actor showcases based on true stories, so Showalter (who also somehow found the time to co-create "Search Party" and the "Wet Hot American Summer" franchise) seems like a great fit for this story.
"Happy Face" season 1 is set to include eight episodes, so more directors will likely be announced as the series draws closer. With an expected 2025 release date, though, it's still too soon to know who will step behind the camera after the show's pilot.
Who are the writers and producers of Happy Face?
Here's where "Happy Face" goes from interesting to a must-watch: the series counts none other than Paramount+/CBS legends Robert and Michelle King ("The Good Wife," "The Good Fight," "Evil") among its executive producers. Known for excellent shows that are simultaneously dark, funny, and wildly creative, the Kings are an intriguing match for this heavy true story.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series will be showrun, written, and executive produced by Jennifer Cacicio, who worked with the Kings on the series "Your Honor" and has also written for the USA Network series "Shooter" and the Paramount+ crime comedy "Sexy Beast." In a statement shared by THR, the Kings said: "Melissa's story screams out to be dramatized, and Jen is exactly the showrunner to do it."
Pilot director Showalter and series subject Moore both serve as executive producers in addition to Cacicio and the Kings, with Liz Glotzer ("Evil"), Conal Byrne ("The Dark Red"), Will Pearson "Ordained"), and Jordana Mollick ("The Dropout") also on board as EPs, per Variety.
What is the source material for Happy Face?
"Happy Face" is based on the podcast of the same name from iHeartRadio (originally through HowStuffWorks, whose podcast division was bought by iHeart in 2018), which is in turn inspired by Moore's own book, "Shattered Silence: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer's Daughter." Both, of course, take their story from Moore's real life, her upbringing as the daughter of a serial killer, and the ways in which she's processed that knowledge as an adult.
After a revelatory first season, "Happy Face" (the podcast) returned for a lesser-known follow-up titled "Happy Face Presents: Two Faces." The sophomore season saw Moore interview another woman, Becky Babcock, who was in the midst of reckoning with the fact that her own parent (in this case, mother Diane Downs) is in prison for a disturbing murder. Though it's unclear at this point whether "Happy Face" plans to move beyond its focus on Jesperson, a statement from Moore shared by THR indicates that the series may also touch on Moore's current role supporting other survivors in the public eye.
"'Happy Face' gives me the chance to share the intense internal conflict, fear, and peril felt by those affected by true crime," Moore is quoted as saying. "It also inspires me to share the strength that has allowed me to step up in front of the camera so that other survivors will not feel alone in their experience."
You can listen to every episode of "Happy Face" on iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, or any other number of podcast platforms. The TV adaptation is set to stream on Paramount+ sometime in 2025.