Amazon today announced it has greenlit Lorena, a Prime Original series executive produced by Jordan Peele and produced by Monkeypaw and Sonar Entertainment.
Directed by acclaimed documentary filmmaker Joshua Rofé (Lost for Life), Lorena is a four-part documentary series that reveals the hidden truths in the notorious case of John Wayne and Lorena Bobbitt and challenges the long-held narrative that surrounded this event. Lorena 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.
Over 25 years later, Lorena is a groundbreaking re-investigation of the deep moral issues and painful human tragedies buried at the heart of this infamous American scandal. Lost in the tabloid coverage and jokes was the opportunity for a national discussion on domestic and sexual assault in America.
“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.
“Our hope for this series is to give viewers pause when the next scandal of the moment is presented to us as macabre entertainment. Often, there’s profound pain and trauma just beneath the surface of stories like Lorena’s,” said Rofé.
“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. 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,” said Monkeypaw’s Peele.
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.