I’ve long had a fascination with cults and the figures who lead them, and few cases are as disturbing as the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones. In the early 1970s, Jones and his followers established an isolated commune in Guyana known as Jonestown, a settlement that grew increasingly insular and unsettling over time. Everything came to a horrific head on November 18, 1978, when U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan and four others were murdered while attempting to leave the compound. In the aftermath, Jones coerced nearly a thousand men, women, and children into committing mass suicide, but contemporary media now calls it what it really was: mass murder. Netflix has announced a new three-part documentary about Jonestown, which will delve into the tragic events that occurred there.
Who is Directing the Jonestown Docuseries?
The documentary series comes from Emmy-nominated director J.M. Harper (As We Speak). It deals with “the events and ideas leading up to the Jonestown massacre, featuring never-before-seen archival materials along with interviews from dozens of survivors and former Peoples Temple members, many of whom have never before spoken publicly about their experiences. The documentary will also include firsthand accounts from Jim Jones’s son, Stephan Jones, bringing necessary perspective to a story that’s been misunderstood for decades.” The series doesn’t have a title or release date at this point.
More Information on Jonestown
“In the 1970s, against a backdrop of political upheaval and national anxiety, a charismatic pastor and self-proclaimed ‘miracle worker’ named Jim Jones moved the headquarters of his nascent religious organization, Peoples Temple, to San Francisco,” reads the description. “He billed it as a progressive, inclusive sanctuary for those who believed in racial equality, Christian teachings, and socialist ideology. Attracting a congregation of thousands of believers — the majority of whom were Black Americans — Jones promised his flock safety, belonging, and a path toward a more just world. In exchange, he demanded absolute loyalty. As media scrutiny and allegations of abuse mounted, he decided to move the Peoples Temple to a rural area in Guyana, painting it as a utopian refuge from American racism and political violence. Instead, Jonestown became the site of one of the deadliest mass murders in American history: Jones forced his congregation, which included children and elders, to ingest cyanide-laced punch under armed guard. The tragedy, which led to the death of over 900 people — the largest loss of American civilian lives prior to 9/11 — has been distorted as a ‘mass suicide,’ diminished by the cliché of ‘drinking the Kool-Aid.’“
Bill Hader Is Working on a Jonestown Series for HBO
Earlier this year, it was reported that Bill Hader (Barry) and Daniel Zelman (Fool’s Gold) were writing a Jonestown series for HBO, with Hader being eyed to potentially star in the show as well.
