HBO and Sky announce new four-hour docu-series, 'The Case Against Adnan Syed'
HBO and Sky have teamed up for a documentary series on the Adnan Syed case, which triggered the popular 'Serial' podcast.
As per their announcement on May 23, 'The Case Against Adnan Syed' will be directed by Oscar nominee Amy Berg of 'Deliver Us From Evil' and 'West of Memphis' fame and will run to four hours.
The docuseries revolves around the 1999 disappearance and subsequent murder of 18-year-old Hae Min Lee, a high school student from Baltimore County.
It will also focus on the subsequent life sentence conviction of her ex-boyfriend Adnan Syed.
The unique follow-up case into the killing, which made international headlines, was produced by Working Title TV, NBC Universal International Studios, and Instinct Productions.
The series will be aired on HBO in the US and Sky Atlantic in Europe.
'The Case Against Adnan Syed' has been in production since 2015 and it gives an in-depth look into the series of events that led to Hae Min Lee's disappearance.
It talks about a budding high school romance, forbidden love and the cultural conflict that the two children went through. It then goes into the disappearance and the original police investigation that came after it before jumping into the present where Syed is waiting for a new trial.
Sky promised new discoveries and “ground-breaking revelations that challenge the state’s case” in their series.
“We’ll be offering viewers a compelling window into one of the most talked about murder cases in recent years,” said Sky’s director of programming Zai Bennett. “The hugely talented Amy Berg has unprecedented access to those closest to the investigation, which is sure to make unmissable viewing.”
The series will also feature exclusive interviews with the suspect, his family, friends and teachers of both Hae Min Lee and Adanan Syed, as well as interviews with law enforcement officers from the City of Baltimore; it will also hone in on how the initial investigation was rushed so justice could be reached for the slain high school girl.
The historic trial in 2000 brought up more questions than answering ones that were already there and the new series aims to reveal the disparate eyewitness accounts that are vastly different.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Martin P. Welch vacated Syed's conviction in June 2016 and gave him a new trial after fresh evidence challenged the reliability of the cell phone data that linked Syed to the scene of the crime.
There was also the matter of a long-awaited alibi witness coming forward in the case at last.
The State of Maryland immediately appealed the ruling of the lower court judge but then on March 29, 2018, the Court of Special Appeals also ruled in favor of vacating Syed's conviction. The alleged suspect finally got the retrial he was eagerly waiting for.
'The Case Against Adnan Syed' was commissioned by HBO Documentary Films and Sky Atlantic.
The series will be distributed internationally by NBC Universal International Distribution. Original Music for the series is provided by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.