Julian Assange Doc Withdraws From Sundance, Citing ‘Recent and Unexpected Developments’

Matt Donnelly

20 December 2024 at 12:00 pm·1-min read

A new documentary about WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has withdrawn from January’s Sundance Film Festival.

Titled “The Six Billion Dollar Man,” director Eugene Jarecki was set to mark the film’s world premiere in Utah next month. The festival routinely screens high-impact nonfiction projects, including recent harrowing docs on Michael Jackson’s sexual assault accusers and the firestorm surrounding alleged sexual misconduct by Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanagh. It’s quite uncommon for films to be voluntarily withdrawn from festival lineups once they are announced.

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“The truth is, significant recent and unexpected developments have emerged at the heart of the story which, if not incorporated in the version for Sundance, would not represent a finished film,” Jarecki teased in a vague statement. “Sundance has shaped my career and been a cornerstone of my journey — only something of this magnitude could make me withdraw.”

It’s unclear what events led to the decision. In June, Assange was released from a British prison after accepting a plea deal for time served. Upon release, Assange said he’d “pled guilty to journalism.” The United States had been seeking to prosecute Assange for nearly 20 violations of the Espionage Act.

At WikiLeaks, Assange published a swatch of classified information related to the U.S. military and Homeland Security, including footage of an airstrike in Baghdad. The WikiLeaks site also memorably published the entirety of leaked emails in the hack of Sony Entertainment, the largest cyberattack against an American corporation in history.

It’s presently unclear if Sundance will replace the project in its official program.

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