Netflix’s documentary on Vince McMahon has reportedly been put on hold.
Netflix has a history of canceling original series, and the number of cancellations is expected to reach double digits by the year 2022. According to a new revelation, the network has even been known to cancel series before they’ve ever been shown.
Denise Salcedo of Fightful reports that Netflix has abruptly canceled its long-promised documentary on former WWE CEO Vince McMahon. Prior to this announcement, it was expected to be released this year, having been announced in 2020 and billed by WWE President Nick Khan as “one of the highest-budget documentaries in Netflix history.”
Sources tell me that the Netflix documentary on Vince McMahon has been removed and is no longer included on Netflix’s programming schedule, Salcedo tweeted (opens in new tab). In addition to a source at Netflix saying, “That shiout ‘s of here,” another source at Netflix remarked, “That shi is out of here.”
According to an unnamed insider, the film was already in post-production and that multiple talent interviews had been conducted months ago, and that millions had been spent on the project. As far as I know, this story has not been confirmed or denied by any of the project’s producers.”
A different kind of cancellation?
It’s important to remember that this is just one person’s opinion, and there has been no official confirmation from Netflix. Is it really true? If so, the peculiar circumstances surrounding its scheduled publication can’t be ignored.
Although McMahon was still heavily involved in the business when the project was first approved, he was forced to step down as WWE CEO(opens in new tab) in April amid allegations that he paid $3 million to cover up an alleged affair with a former employee while the organization’s directors investigated the claims.
The Wall Street Journal(opens in new tab) reported yesterday that it has seen paperwork detailing settlements to four women totaling $12 million over 16 years.
It’s reasonable to assume that this is a completely different sort of cancellation from the usual ones we’ve seen at Netflix due to the company’s recent subscriber decline, which has caused them to scale down on initiatives.
According to a second Fightful reporter, it’s probable that WWE is to blame for abandoning the program since they had a right to approve the final edit (opens in new tab).
However, those who are still waiting for the documentary may find themselves disappointed, unless they can find a way to exploit the “out of this world” footage(opens in new tab).