Film Music Reporter

Ariel Marx (Shiva Baby, Candy, Sanctuary, A Small Light, A Friend of the Family, A Friend of the Family, The Tale) has been tapped to score the upcoming Paramount+ original series Happy Face. The show is inspired by the Happy Face true-crime podcast and stars Annaleigh Ashford, Dennis Quaid, James Wolk, Khiyla Aynne, Tamera Tomakili and Benjamin Mackey. The 8-part crime drama is based on the the true-life story of Melissa G. Moore and her incarcerated father, known as the Happy Face Killer who – after decades of no contact –  finally finds a way to force himself back into the life of her daughter who must find out if an innocent man is going to be put to death for a crime her father committed. Jennifer Cacicio serves as the project’s showrunner and is also executive producing the CBS Studios production with Robert & Michelle King (The Good Wife, The Good Fight), Liz Glotzer (Music & Lyrics, Friends with Benefits), Melissa G. Moore, Conal Byrne & Will Pearson (Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist), Jordana Mollick (The Dropout, The Idea of You), as well as Michael Showalter (The Big Sick, The Eyes of Tammy Faye) who also directed the first episode. Happy Face will premiere on March 20, 2025 exclusively on Paramount+.