‘Helter Skelter: An American Myth’: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Epix docuseries on Charles Manson

Chronicling his life and more, 'Helter Skelter: An American Myth' features never-before-accessed interviews from former family members
Charles Manson (Getty Images)
Charles Manson (Getty Images)

Who hasn't heard of Charles Manson? The criminal and cult leader formed the Manson Family in mid-1967, a quasi-commune based in California. Chronicling his life and more, 'Helter Skelter: An American Myth' features never-before-accessed interviews from former family members and journalists first on the scene and in the courtroom, weaving these original narratives with archival footage and newly-unearthed images. 

In the most comprehensive telling of the Manson Family yet told in a visual medium, the six-part docuseries will delve deeper into the layered and complex story and cast an entirely new light on this Crime of the Century. The series comes 50 years after the murder of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Wojtek Frykowski, and Steven Parent and Manson’s subsequent trial. 

Release date

While the Epix docuseries was earlier scheduled to release on June 14, 2020, a new release date was soon announced and now it will premiere on July 26, 2020.

Plot

The official summary of the docuseries reads: "The legend of The Manson Family permeates our culture, our media, and our collective fears. Why, after 50 years, do this ragtag group of hippies and their two-night murder spree still fascinate and perplex us? The six-episode series is the most definitive recounting of the Manson Family story ever put on screen, and will challenge everything viewers think they know about this bizarre chapter in American history."

Cast

The series includes actors Yuliya Arkhipova, Tugce Ataoglu, Allison Haggard, Alla Halyuk, and Eli Pearl. Several real-life interviews are also a part of the series such as Ivor Davis, Jeff Guinn, Dianne Lake, Catherine Share, Bobby Beausoleil, David Dalton, Stephanie Schram, Linda Deutsch, Johnny Echols, David Felton, and several others.

Creator

Lesley Chilcott

Lesley Chilcott (Getty Images)

Lesley Chilcott, the producer of the Academy Award-winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth', has directed as well as executive produced the show. She is best known for documentaries like 'Waiting for Superman', 'CodeGirl', 'It Might Get Loud' and 'An Inconvenient Truth'. 

The series has been executive produced by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter for Berlanti Productions and Eli Frankel for Rogue Atlas Productions. Warner Horizon Unscripted Television serves as the studio.  

Trailers

A 15-second trailer on Epix sheds light on the most disturbing crime in history and shows how Charles Manson was a "puppet master" and "ruined everyone around him." 



 


Where to watch

'Helter Skelter: An American Myth' will premiere at 10 pm Sunday, July 26 and you can catch all six episodes on Epix channel.

If you like this, you'll love this:

'Manson Speaks: Inside the Mind of a Madman'

'Reflections of Murder'

'Mindhunter'

'I'll Be Gone In The Dark'

'American Horror Story: Cult'

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