Yahoo Lifestyle Netflix Doc ‘American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson’ Features First In-Depth Interview With Christopher Darden
In Netflix’s new docuseries, “American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson,” director Floyd Russ revisits — once again — the 1994 murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman and the subsequent criminal trial of O.J. Simpson.
It’s been 30 years since the “trial of the century,” but time doesn’t seem to matter when it comes to this double homicide case. The rise and fall of Simpson, a former football star accused of killing Brown and Goldman, is a story that continues to fascinate viewers. Simpson died at age 76 last April.
More from Variety
'Only on Earth,' About Threat of Wildfires, Acquired by Autlook Ahead of Berlin Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
What more can be said about a case that has spawned countless documentaries, including ESPN’s Oscar-winning docuseries “O.J.: Made in America” as well as the Emmy-winning FX scripted series “The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story”?
Apparently, enough for Netflix to commission a four-parter.
While a good portion of “American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson” rehashes what has already been said in “O.J.: Made in America,” the Netflix series does include a few new voices, most notably prosecutor Christopher Darden. While Darden was featured in the 2018 special, “O.J. Simpson: The Lost Confession?” as part of a panel of experts who added commentary and analysis intercut with sections of a 2006 interview with Simpson, the prosecutor was one of a few key players who did not participate in Ezra Edelman’s “O.J. Made in America.”
The new series also introduces evidence that was found at Simpson’s home on the night of the murders but never collected, including damp clothing in a washing machine, an opened first-aid kit in a closet, and an empty knife box found in his bathroom.
Variety spoke with Russ about “American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson.”
There have been so many docus made about the Simpson trial. Was this series made with a young audience in mind?
Russ: So, the idea (for this documentary) originally came from Netflix while I was finishing “American Manhunt: The Boston Marathon Bombing” (Netflix, 2023). We looked at this idea and a few other ones, and at first, the thought was like, ‘Wow. This story has been told a lot. How is this going to be different? How are we going to make this fresh?” One thing that we have always thought about is that there is still a large audience, especially 20 to 30-year-olds, that have not seen any other documentaries on this topic. We all felt that there was still relevance to the story for that audience…For those people who have followed this case throughout their entire lives, I think they will still find a refreshing new amount of information.
What do you think it is about this 30-year-old case that continues to intrigue audiences?
It’s got everything. It has the biggest celebrity ever accused of murder to this day. It’s riddled with conspiracy, coverup, and, of course, race. It’s also a case that shines a huge spotlight on so many faulty key things in our system and our culture.
L.A. police detective Mark Fuhrman, O.J. Simpson defense attorney Carl Douglas, key witness Kato Kaelin, and the lead detective for the Los Angeles Police Department in 1994, Tom Lange, are all featured in the series. They have all participated in various other docs about the crime throughout the last three decades. Did you pay them to participate in this doc?
No, we didn’t pay them.
How did you convince Darden to do an interview?
Christopher Darden was, for me, the most important (interview) for sure. His story and his point of view are not really heard much at all. Never to this depth. His role in the case was paramount. The situation that he was put in as a Black lawyer when race became the forefront was so controversial. I didn’t convince him single-handedly. We have a great team of producers. I think he just finally felt like this was the time to tell his piece. He knew that this (series) would reach a large audience on the Netflix platform and reach a new audience.
Simpson was alive while you were making this series. Did you reach out to him for an interview?
Yes. We did reach out to him when we started making this and we really wanted him to be a part of it. We talked to his handler, but the asks were ridiculous. There were monetary demands and things like that, so we were not able to interview him. I was also hoping that A.C. Cowlings might be a part of this series because he has never been in anything, but he never responded to our requests.
“American Manhunt: O.J. Simpson” begins streaming on Netflix on Tuesday.
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
