Amazon has ordered a four-part docuseries from Jordan Peele about Lorena Bobbitt.
“Lorena,” which will be directed by Joshua Rofé, “reveals the hidden truths in the notorious case of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt and challenges the long-held narrative that surrounded this event,” per Amazon’s announcement, and “provides a fresh perspective on the story of Lorena Bobbitt and how one event laid the groundwork for the modern 24-hour news cycle and increasing sensationalistic media coverage.”
“Jordan has proven himself as a captivating voice of social critique and we are excited to work with him on this project. ‘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,” said Heather Schuster, head of Unscripted, Amazon Originals.
“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,” added Peele. “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.”
“Our hope for this series is to give viewers pause when the next scandal of the moment is presented to us as macabre entertainment,” Rofé said. “Often, there’s profound pain and trauma just beneath the surface of stories like Lorena’s.”
“Lorena” is executive produced by Peele and Win Rosenfeld for Monkeypaw, Rofé and Steven J. Berger for Number 19, Jenna Santoianni and Tom Lesinski for Sonar and produced by Monkeypaw, Sonar Entertainment and Number 19.