Evil Genius: Netflix, Duplass Brothers Releasing Four-Part True-Crime Docuseries on May 11th

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Just a few months ago, Netflix delivered an out-0f-nowhere hit with Wild, Wild Country — a six-part true-crime documentary series executive produced by the Duplass brothers. The docuseries, which explores an ashram’s takeover of a small town in Oregon, received rave reviews and currently has a 100-percent rating (33/33 fresh) on Rotten Tomatoes. What we didn’t know is that Netflix and the Duplass brothers weren’t finished with their true-crime documentary series in 2018. And from the looks of it, this one could be A LOT bigger.

The new series, Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist, is set to be released in four digestible parts on May 11th. Evil Genius outlines a bizarre event from 2003 that became known as the “pizza bomber heist”. I don’t want to be the bad guy and give it all away so I’ll fetch exactly what Netflix provided in their press release:

In 2003 in Erie, Pennsylvania, a robbery gone wrong and a terrifying public murder capture the nation’s attention, and a bizarre collection of Midwestern hoarders, outcasts, and lawbreakers play cat-and-mouse with the FBI. Eventually, a middle-aged mastermind named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong — once a town beauty, now a woman grappling with mental illness — is arrested. But 15 years later, Evil Genius proves there’s more to the conspiracy and murders than was ever thought.

Official Netflix press release for Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist

Guess what? There’s a trailer! Well, sort of.

So yeah, I said it would be a lot bigger than Wild, Wild Country. Why? Well, it’s simply because of the subject matter. As good as Wild, Wild Country is, it’s about an ashram. People who enjoy blockbuster movies see Bagwhan Shree Rajneesh — the ashram’s leader — on the Netflix home screen and never think twice about flipping it on. Too artsy. But this robbery-murder-conspiracy thing? They’re gonna get all up in that ! And, of course, the film-lovers and true-crime buffs will have also tuned in, so they’ll likely have a mondo hit on their hands.

Per the press release, Evil Genius is written & directed by Barbara Schroeder, with Trey Borzillieri serving as co-director and executive producer. In addition to the Duplass brothers, Josh Braun and Dan Braun will also serve as executive producers.

Mark your calendars, folks. It’s goin’ down on May 11th. The Duplass brothers make high-quality stuff and the story is compelling. Don’t be surprised if this gets finished in one sitting. With this series, the upcoming Alcasser murder series, and everything already in the bank, Netflix true-crime catalog is starting to look very impressive.

Editor’s note: it’s been rumored that 30 Minutes or Less was loosely based on the story.