Channel 4 commissions The Hunt for Jihadi John

3 May 2019

Channel 4, in conjunction with HBO, have co-commissioned a feature documentary about the controversial extremist Jihadi John.

Nutopia, in association with Livedrop Media, have been commissioned by Channel 4 Current Affairs Commissioner Siobhan Sinnerton to produce The Hunt for Jihadi John. The film is directed by Anthony Wonke, the Bafta and Emmy award winning filmmaker (Syria: Children on the Frontline and Ronaldo). It's written and produced by Bafta winning filmmaker and journalist Richard Kerbaj (My Son the Jihadi and Hunting the KGB Killers.)

The Hunt for Jihadi John tells the inside story of Mohammed Emwazi’s journey from an ordinary London boy to becoming “Jihadi John” - one of the most notorious terrorists of all time.  The film explores the shattered lives of Jihadi John’s hostages, and the emotional and psychological turmoil of the family members whose relatives were barbarically murdered by the British terrorist. It also gives the definitive account of the hunt for Jihadi John by CIA, Pentagon and British intelligence operatives who have never spoken publicly about the operation until now. 

In extraordinary first-hand accounts, the intelligence operatives also expose their own failures in the fight against Isis and interrogate the twisted worldview of “Jihadi millennials” who turned social media sites such as Twitter and YouTube into recruitment platforms. 

Production company Nutopia has previously made films including C4 and PBS’ Held Hostage, about the story of Western citizens held hostage by Al Qaeda at the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria, and C4 Targeting Bin Laden. Livedrop Media was behind My Son the Jihadi and Hunting The KGB Killers.

The Hunt for Jihadi John is the latest collaboration between HBO and Channel 4 and comes after the highly acclaimed ratings hit Leaving Neverland. 

Worldwide distribution, excluding the US and UK, for the documentary will be handled by eOne.

The Hunt for Jihadi John will TX on Monday 20th May at 9pm (1x90mins)