Netflix announced on Monday that it has acquired global rights to Emmy-nominated director Chris Smith’s latest documentary about the Fyre music festival.
The streaming giant referred to the festival as “The greatest party that never happened.” The film will debut on Jan. 18, 2019
“Fyre” will give audiences an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the infamous unraveling of the Fyre Festival. Created by Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, Fyre was promoted as a luxury music festival on a private island in the Bahamas that promised bikini-clad supermodels, A-list musical performances and posh amenities. But festival-goers arrived at the campgrounds to discover that the reality was far what was was promised.
The documentary was directed by Smith, the director behind the Emmy-nominated documentary “Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond,” and gives a first-hand look into the disastrous crash of Fyre as told by the organizers themselves.
Smith, along with Vice Studios’s Danny Gabai and Mick Purzycki from Jerry Media, produced the documentary and Brett Kincaid, Max Pollack, Matthew Rowean, Gabrielle Bluestone, James Ohliger and Elliot Tebele serve as executive producers.
30West negotiated the deal with Netflix on behalf of the filmmakers.
McFarland, who organized the disastrous festival, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in March. He faces a potential maximum sentence of 20 years for each count.
McFarland was initially charged in July 2017. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, McFarland engaged in a scheme to defraud investors in Fyre Media LLC, as well as a related entity responsible for organizing the festival. McFarland defrauded investors and a ticket vendor out of more than $26 million.