Casting Call for Marion Wagon Documentary sparks Outrage From Parents
Agen, France - A planned documentary about the 1996 disappearance of eight-year-old Marion Wagon has ignited a firestorm of protest from the girl’s parents, who learned of a casting call seeking actors to portray their daughter at various ages. The production, slated for broadcast on France 3 in November 2026-the 30th anniversary of Marion’s vanishing-has been condemned by the family’s legal counsel as a painful adn unwelcome reopening of old wounds.
The controversy centers on a casting notice issued by the Mediterranean Audiovisual Development Agency, seeking individuals to embody Marion Wagon as a child and young adult. News of the casting call reached Marion’s parents, who immediately voiced their strong opposition to the project. ”Twenty-eight years later, we are talking about a missing little girl. For parents, it is indeed a wound that does not heal. tears were not going on,” stated Maître Georges Catala, the family’s lawyer, to South West. The parents have explicitly stated they “do not want the project to be done,” though they acknowledge limited recourse if the production proceeds as a journalistic endeavor.
Thierry Fournet, of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Development Agency, maintains the production company attempted to notify the parents via their lawyer in September. He defended the project, citing previous prosperous documentaries focusing on missing persons cases, including one concerning the Yonne disappearances, where families reportedly responded positively. Fournet admitted, though, that he may have underestimated the sensitivity of the case within the Agen community, emphasizing that the intent is “not to reopen wounds.”
The documentary aims to feature interviews with loved ones and the lead investigator on the original case, with plans to involve Maître Catala. However, the lawyer claims he has no recollection of being contacted regarding the project. Filming is currently scheduled to begin November 5th in Agen. The case remains open, and the documentary’s potential impact on the ongoing investigation and the Wagon family’s enduring grief remains a important concern.
