Yahoo Lifestyle Julian Assange Documentary Pulled From Sundance 2025; Director Eugene Jarecki Cites “Unexpected Developments”
Julian Assange may be free now, but the WikiLeaks founder won’t find himself on the big screen at next month’s Sundance Film Festival after all.
Just under two weeks after the Robert Redford created snowy shindig unveiled the bulk of its 2025 program, the Assange-centric documentary The Six Billion Dollar Man has suddenly withdrawn from the festival. Directed by two-time Sundance Grand Jury winner Eugene Jarecki, the Kathleen Fournier produced TSBDM was supposed to have its World Premiere with a special screening in Park City during the January 23 to February 2 festival.
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On the surface, a film about Assange had great timing this year, especially in a high-profile market like Sundance.
After years and years fighting the U.S. government and others over the 2010 leaking and distribution of highly classified material related to activity by the American military in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Australian-born Assange and his lawyers struck a deal in June that got him out of prison in the UK. Under the agreement, Assange pleaded guilty to one count of illegally disseminating national security material in a settlement with the Justice Department. In exchange. Assange got his freedom after five years of incarceration in Britain, saw the threat of 175 years behind bars and extradition to the USA lifted, and traveled back home Down Under.
With rumors swirling of some sort of controversy enveloping the film about the controversial Assange, Jarecki spoke out today on the highly unusual circumstances of a film being removed from the program. like this.
“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,” the director says. “Sundance has shaped my career and been a cornerstone of my journey—only something of this magnitude could make me withdraw.”
Reps for the Emmy and Peabody Award winning Jarecki did not respond to request for more information on the said “significant recent and unexpected developments” that caused TSBDM to exit Sundance 2025. If they do, this post will be updated.
Sundance special screenings are cited as “one-of-a-kind moments highlight new independent works that add to the unique Festival experience.” Specifically, the info for the now SFF absent docu runs as follows: The Six Billion Dollar Man / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki, Producer: Kathleen Fournier) — Julian Assange faced a possible 175 years in prison for exposing U.S. war crimes until events took a turn in this landmark case. World Premiere. Documentary. Available online for Public.“
Now, TSBDM is not available at SFF 2025, which may be the festival’s penultimate stint in Utah or not after 40 years, online or otherwise.
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