Ever since he won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Get Out, many have wondered what writer/director Jordan Peele’s next project would be. Sure, it was previously announced that he and Key and Peele co-star Keegan-Michael Key would be reteaming for a stop-motion animation film at Netflix, but what else? What was the acclaimed filmmaker’s next hot button subject going to be? According to Entertainment Weekly, it seems Peele’s next big project will concern “one of the most infamous tabloid stories of the 1990s” — the Lorena Bobbitt scandal.
Yet the new four-part docuseries with Amazon, which is currently titled Lorena, won’t simply be a dramatized retelling of the night Bobbitt infamously cut off her then-husband John Wayne’s penis after he reportedly raped her that evening. Peele’s approach to the subject will reexamine the story (and the sensationalism that resulted) in light of the modern #MeToo and Time’s Up movements:
“Lost in the tabloid coverage and jokes was the opportunity for a national discussion on domestic and sexual assault in America,” the press release says, noting that the series is timed to the 25th anniversary of the case.
“When we hear the name ‘Bobbitt’ we think of one of the most sensational incidents to ever be catapulted into a full blown media spectacle,” Peele says. “With this project, Lorena has a platform to tell her truth as well as engage in a critical conversation about gender dynamics, abuse, and her demand for justice. This is Lorena’s story and we’re honored to help her tell it.”
The head of unscripted programming at Amazon Originals, Heather Schuster, added that Peele is perfect for the docuseries as he possesses “a captivating voice of social critique.” What’s more, she said, “Lorena reframes Lorena Bobbitt’s story around issues of sexism and domestic abuse and offers Prime members an exclusive new view into how America got her story wrong and maybe continues to get it wrong.”
(Via Entertainment Weekly)
