Dennis Quaid plays a notorious serial killer in Happy Face teaser trailer

Dennis Quaid transforms into a notorious serial killer in the teaser trailer for Happy Face, an upcoming crime drama at Paramount+.

Happy Face is inspired by the true-life story of Melissa G. Moore, played by Annaleigh Ashford. As a teenager, Moore discovered her father (Quaid) was the Happy Face serial killer. With her father behind bars, Moore changed her name to disassociate herself from her family’s name that lived in infamy. Decades later, Melissa is forced to confront the incarcerated killer after an innocent man faces the death penalty for a crime her father committed.

“Every violent act is a rock dropped in water,” Ashford says in the trailer. “If you stay silent, the ripples of trauma just keep pulling everyone they touch underneath.”

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Moore’s story served as the basis of the Happy Face podcast and her autobiography, Shattered Silence

Happy Face’s ensemble includes series regulars James Wolk, Tamera Tomakili, Khiyla Aynne, and Benjamin Mackey.

Jennifer Cacicio (Your Honor) is the showrunner and executive producer alongside Robert and Michelle King, Liz Glotzer, Melissa G. Moore, Conal Byrne, Will Pearson, Michael Showalter, and Jordana Mollick. The Kings are the husband-and-wife creators behind several shows, including The Good Wife, The Good Fight, Evil, and Elsbeth. Showalter directed the first episode.

CBS Studios produces Happy Face in association with King Size Productions, iHeartPodcasts, and Semi-Formal Productions.

Happy Face premieres on Thursday, March 20, 2025, with two episodes on Paramount+. New episodes will be released on Thursdays, with the season finale on May 1. Season 1 will consist of eight episodes.