Netflix Picks Up Rights To True Crime Doc ‘Man On The Run’ About ‘The Wolf Of Wall Street’ Backer Jho Low Who Partied With The Stars Then Disappeared; Watch Trailer

Andreas Wiseman
·2 min read
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EXCLUSIVE: Netflix has picked up worldwide rights to true-crime feature documentary, Man On The Run, about the 1MDB scandal and one of the fund’s alleged masterminds, international fugitive Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low.

The film charts the story of the enigmatic businessman and playboy. Working with former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, Low orchestrated a scheme to exploit 1MDB, a sovereign wealth fund established in 2009 initially with the purpose of benefiting the people of Malaysia.

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However, in 2015 the journalist Clare Rewcastle-Brown received leaked financial documents, setting off a global investigation that uncovered that vast sums of money were being funneled into international bank accounts to help fuel Low’s extravagant lifestyle. This included the acquisition of lavish properties, a private jet, a super-yacht, opulent parties with A-list celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, allegedly paying stars huge sums for appearances, and dating supermodels.

Dubbed the “Asian Great Gatsby,” Jho Low famously financed Martin Scorsese’s Oscar-nominated blockbuster, The Wolf of Wall Street.

He now faces charges of money laundering and a slew of other offenses related to the multibillion-dollar scandal and is wanted by international authorities. The disgraced financier is on the run and believed to be hiding in China.

Currently jailed former Prime Minister Najib Razak, 1MDB whistleblower Xavier André Justo, and journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, who broke the story, are among those featured in the film.

Directed by Cassius Michael Kim (The Wonder List), the project is set to launch globally on Netflix on January 5, 2024. You can watch the trailer below.

“In these turbulent times of unending malfeasance and greed, the 1MDB financial scandal stands above the rest for its unparalleled scale of theft and corruption,” said Cassius Michael Kim, director and executive producer.

He continued: “By focusing on the people behind the story — the ones who committed, uncovered or endured the consequences of the crimes — we aimed to go beyond the systems that enabled such acts to take place, and amplify the emotional resonance of that human experience.”

“Evergreen Media is thrilled to partner with Netflix to bring Man On The Run to a global audience,” said Scott Norville, executive producer, Evergreen Media. “We can think of no better streaming home for this sprawling international crime story which you simply must see to believe.”

Man On The Run is a production of The Smoking Section in association with Evergreen Media. Producers are Alyse Shorland, Rhana Natour, Fabian W. Joseph and Davidian Shaw.

Executive producers are Scott Norville and Cassius Michael Kim. Joe Simon is cinematographer, and Jon Connor and Karl Dawson are editors. Original music was composed by Jordan Asher Cruz, aka BOOTS.

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