CNN, HBO Max announce Navalny documentary

CNN and HBO on Thursday announced that they would be releasing a documentary about Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. 

The film, called “Navalny,” was directed by Daniel Roher and the deal for the movie was negotiated by Stacey Wolf, senior vice president of business affairs for CNN Worldwide.

The documentary will detail the alleged assassination attempt on Navalny back in the fall of 2020, when he was poisoned and had to be flown to Germany for treatment. 

The film will cover the alleged connection the Kremlin had in the attack and the imprisonment of the opposition leader when he returned to Russia at the beginning of 2021. 

Jan. 17 will mark one year Navalny has been imprisoned by the Russian government on what he says are inflated charges. Russia arrested him as soon as he got back from treatment in Germany, saying he broke his parole from a previous arrest by leaving the country.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to share Alexey’s gripping story with the world,” Courtney Sexton, senior vice president for CNN Films, said. “With unmatched access to Alexey himself, Daniel and the entire team have masterfully delivered a fascinating, raw thriller.”

CNN will air the documentary in North America, with HBO Max and CNN+ holding streaming rights to the documentary.

Navalny was recently awarded the top European human rights award for his efforts to combat the authoritarian Russian government.