‘Filthy Rich’ and ‘Chasing Ghislaine’: What’s James Patterson’s next project?

James Patterson seems to have fully pivoted away from crime novels and thriller books to something much darker. After the success of the docuseries Filthy Rich, based on his book, it was announced today that Patterson will be set to produce a new docuseries for Discovery+ focusing on Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. 

The series will focus on Maxwell’s part in the Epstein case, which was only lightly touched upon in Filthy Rich. Patterson will be producing the series alongside eOne’s Blackfin and best-selling author and journalist Vicky Ward.

But what will we learn about Maxwell in this new series that hasn’t already come out? And why is Patterson so obsessed with this true crime case? Luckily, we sleuthed through the internet to find out. Grab your remotes and dive into the new docuseries from Filthy Rich producer James Patterson. 

Ghislaine Maxwell 

For those of you who may not be following the case, Ghislaine Maxwell is the daughter of disgraced billionaire media tycoon Robert Maxwell. She was a prominent socialite in the 1980s who began to get closer to Epstein around that time according to some accounts, others citing that they met closer to the 1990s. While their first meeting is shrouded in mystery, the outcome of the frightful friendship is clear. 

Maxwell is currently facing charges of sex trafficking and involvement of abuse of underaged girls. Specifically, she is being accused of luring teen girls for Epstein to sexually abuse over the course of a decade. She is preparing to go to trial in November and is currently in a New York prison with no bail. 

Despite the fact that so much of her involvement is clearly documented and the end of the story gets nearer, some continue to look and wonder how this all began. Patterson is one of those people. 

Chasing Ghislaine

The new docuseries that Discovery+ ordered is set to air later this year, with both producers offering quite a bit of information on Epstein’s infamous accomplice. The series promises exclusive access to over thirty interviews that Ward is currently conducting for the series. 

Discovery+ told the Hollywood Reporter that the series aimed to expose “the mystery behind Epstein’s wealth and influence and how Maxwell’s alleged role within this conspiracy threatens a shadowy cabal of international elite and world leaders who might do anything to keep their identities — and motives — hidden.” 

Though this series may reveal a lot more about the case, one thing still remains in the shadows: why is  James Patterson so obsessed with the Epstein case to the point that he seems to have abandoned thriller novels? 

A monster of a case 

Patterson’s preoccupation with the case began back in 2016, when he took a break from detectives and genetically enhanced angels to focus on a much more real topic: Jeffrey Epstein. Patterson was his neighbor at the time and Patterson was focusing on the case when Epstein was serving only thirteen months in jail after his crimes in Palm Beach were discovered. 

Patterson cited his reason for his preoccupation was the fact that, even after writing the novel Filthy Rich which would go on to be a huge Netflix docuseries, many didn’t seem to know or care about the case. Patterson pointed blame at the media at the time for their lack of coverage on the case. 

“The minute I heard of this, I thought, Jesus, this is insane”, Patterson told The Intelligencer in 2016. “When we put the book out, I wrote letters to pretty much everyone, going like, ‘You have to pay attention to this case’.” This was before #MeToo, but so what? The injustice is unbelievable, and the crimes that were committed here were unbelievable.” 

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What are your thoughts on this new project for the Filthy Rich producer? Drop them below in the comments so we can all keep informed about this ongoing case.