Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is continuing to plumb different content genres as it expands its library of originals, announcing that its next series to premiere will be a documentary about a high-stakes criminal case.
Making a Murderer is a ten-part crime series following the story of Stephen Avery, who was convicted and later exonerated of a brutal assault. The first two episodes of the series will be previewed at the DOC NYC film festival on Nov. 13, with the entire series premiering on Netflix on Nov. 18.
"There are an unbelievable number of twists and turns in the story arc of Making a Murderer. It feels like it has to be fictional," said Lisa Nishimura, Netflix VP of Original Documentary Programming. "Ricciardi and Demos have navigated very complex terrain and skillfully woven together an incredible series that leaves you feeling like you're right in the middle of the action."
Netflix's documentary and docu-series programming has been established for some time, while it also debuted movies and series in a variety of programming formats and genres. In October, the SVOD provider released its first original film, Beasts of No Nation, simultaneously in theaters and on its streaming service.
The provider will also debut the latest series to evolve from its partnership with Marvel, Jessica Jones, which is set to premiere on Nov. 20. The series follows on the well-received Daredevil series. Two more shows, Luke Cage and Iron Fist, are on the upcoming Marvel-Netflix production slate, according to The Verge.
And recently, Netflix premiered a series of five-minute shorts developed from its series Dinotrux, created to help parents stop their kids from stalling bedtime by giving them short bites of the series.
The series premieres are more steps forward on the way to the provider's stated goal of having a library that contains 50 percent original content. Netflix will likely spend $6 billion by 2018 on original series and movies, according to Ampere Analysis.
That isn't to say that Netflix will be lessening its focus on acquiring other content. The provider is competing with Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Hulu to lock in exclusive streaming deals for some series, including Jane the Virgin, Colony and Zoo in late September.
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