Amazon is becoming even more of a major player in the streaming video game in recent months, with projects ranging from the super expensive Lord of the Rings series to the recently-ordered A League of Their Own show. Now, Amazon has a docu-series in the work that should be unlike any other on the streaming circuit. A docu-series based on none other than Lorena Bobbitt and the notorious case that caused a media sensation back in 1993 is in the works.
Called Lorena, the Lorena Bobbitt-centric project will be a four-part docu-series. Lorena will be executive produced by Jordan Peele, with documentary filmmaker Joshua Rofé (known for Lost for Life) as director. The four episodes will chronicle the events of the case, uncover how the public may have misread the situation back when it first hit the news cycle, and examine how the public may still be getting the case wrong. The case of Lorena Bobbitt was one of the first news stories to spawn sensationalist coverage from the media and may have even set the stage for the 24-hour news cycle popular on cable today. Episodes will also examine domestic abuse, gender dynamics, and human tragedies that can get buried by sensationalist news coverage. The series will be timed to the 25th anniversary of the case.
If you're not familiar with the case that caused such a sensation back in the early 90s, here's what happened between Lorena Bobbitt and husband John Wayne Bobbitt. On June 23, 1993, Lorena Bobbitt cut off her husband's penis with a kitchen knife while he slept. She then got in the car and drove around in a panic before throwing the severed penis out of her car window into a field. Authorities were ultimately contacted and the appendage was recovered in time for a long surgery to reattach it. On the surface, the case seemed like an instance of a wife brutally attacking her husband while he was helpless and asleep. There was, however, a deeper story. According to Lorena Bobbitt, he raped and abused her, leading to her actions, and she was ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity.
The Lorena series is designed to re-tell Lorena Bobbitt's story from her perspective. Although it's too early to say what exactly will be revealed in the four-part docu-series, we can almost certainly expect to learn more about the case and what motivated the violence on that night in June. The episodes will cover what was buried beneath some of the jokes and tabloid-esque journalism back in the 90s. It will also give a window into a notorious court case that may not be especially well-known to the generations that weren't watching around at the time when the story first hit the news cycle.
Amazon has not yet announced when Lorena will become available, although the fact that it's being timed to the 25th anniversary of the case means that it could be out as soon as this summer. We'll have to wait and see. For the shows with premiere dates that have already been announced, take a look at our midseason TV guide and summer TV schedule. For more of what Amazon has to offer, swing by our 2018 Amazon Prime guide.
