Fresh off the successful docuseries “The Case Against Adnan Syed” and the documentary “The Inventor,” HBO is on a roll in the realm of unscripted filmmaking. And the network hopes to continue that string of hits with the upcoming docuseries focused on one of the wildest stories to hit Hollywood in the last year – NXIVM.
The cable network (that has way more than just “Game of Thrones,” despite what your friends might tell you) has just announced that production has begun on a new documentary series that will tell the unbelievable true story of the NXIVM cult that has been all over the news in recent months. The series comes from the director of the Oscar-nominated film “The Square,” Jehane Noujaim, and that film’s producer Karim Amer.
But this isn’t just any run-of-the-mill documentary for Jehane Noujaim. The filmmaker has a very close connection to the Hollywood sex cult due to her run-in with them in 2010 when she took NXIVM’s introductory “Executive Success Program” workshop.
For those not familiar with NXIVM, there’s plenty of news articles for you to read and a shower waiting for you afterward, but the crux of the story is that one man, Keith Raniere, who founded NXIVM which is a multi-level marketing program (aka pyramid scheme) that morphed into a sex cult that attracted young women in Hollywood with the help of Raniere’s right-hand woman, Allison Mack (of “Smallville” fame). The group is under federal investigation for sex-trafficking, among other charges.
There’s no release date set for the series, but you better believe we’ll be updating you on its progress.
Here’s a short description for the untitled series:
The series follows a range of people who joined the self-improvement group NXIVM. The organization has been under siege, with charges including sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy brought against its highest members, most notably founder Keith Raniere. The show will take a deep, nuanced look at experiences of its members, spotlighting their universal desire for personal growth.