Netflix Acquires Cyntoia Brown Documentary

Netflix has acquired the rights to a documentary that tells the story of #CyntoiaBrown’s journey to freedom.

Cyntoia Brown, 31, was imprisoned at the age 16 after killing a man who bought her for sex through a sex trafficker. Earlier in the year, the woman was granted clemency after serving 15 years of a life sentence. Her story has been adapted into series and small documentaries, but now the streaming service giant will be taking on her story.

The new documentary will be directed by Daniel H. Birman. Birman signed on to the feature film after researching Brown’s story in “Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story,” which aired in 2011 as a part of PBS’ Independent Lens series, The Hollywood Reporter reports.

According to THR, Birman will outline the logistics of Brown’s story, starting from her arrest back in 2004 in Nashville, Tennessee. The untitled doc will also document how Brown was tried as an adult, convicted and sentenced to life in prison. It wasn’t until ten years later that Brown was granted clemency by Gov. Bill Haslam, amid a shift in legislation regarding sentencing laws. Evidence of Brown’s maturity, education, and good behavior also played a part in her clemency being granted.

Several celebrities like #ViolaDavis, #AshleyJudd and #AmySchumer were key factors Brown’s story being moved to the forefront of media. Birman is executive producing the doc, with Susy Garciasalas Barkley acting as producer and Megan Chao as supervising producer. The film is set to release sometime in August.