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Netflix has unveiled a documentary on Russell Brand, days after the comedian and former actor received a prison term of 10 years and six months for rape and sexual assault.
“Russell Brand: Open Secret” is directed by
Olivia Isaacs and produced by Fremantle-owned 72 Films, the company behind “Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story.” The film follows Brand from his rapid ascent in comedy to his sharp fall after allegations of sexual offenses, through to his criminal trial. No premiere date was announced.
It draws on insiders and archive material to examine Brand’s life. It also tracks the investigation carried out by The Times and The Sunday Times, led by the papers’ chief news correspondent Rosamund Urwin and investigations correspondent Charlotte Wace.
A London jury found Brand guilty of one count of rape and three counts of sexual assault. He was acquitted of two other rape charges and one charge of attempted indecent assault. Judge Bennathan handed down the sentence on Monday and ruled that Brand will not be eligible for release until he has completed two thirds of the term.
“About 20 years ago, Russell Brand, you were becoming famous,” the judge said in his sentencing remarks. “You were clever and, in many people’s eyes, funny and charismatic. You had also become a sexual predator.”
After the trial ended, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that Brand is under investigation over further rape allegations from two other women.
The allegations against Brand first came to light in 2023 in a docuseries made by The Sunday Times with Channel 4’s “Dispatches.” Until then, Brand was known chiefly for his comedy and for film roles in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” and “Get Him to the Greek.”
Clare Cameron, David Glover and Mark Raphael are executive producers on “Open Secret.” Kate Yandle, Laura Spence and Felicity Cross produce.
Glover and Raphael founded 72 Films as an independent outfit focused on high-end documentaries, and the company is part of the Fremantle group. Its credits include “9/11: One Day in America,” which won an Emmy, and “John Lennon: Murder Without a Trial,” a Critics Choice Award winner. It also made the award-winning “The Zelensky Story” and “The Tony Blair Story.”
