EXCLUSIVE: The Cult of NatureBoy will hit international screens in July. The series launches today on Hulu in the U.S., before rolling out July 15 across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
The series explores the rise of online spiritual leader Eligio Bishop, known as “NatureBoy,” who used social media platforms to recruit followers to his group, Carbon Nation. Bishop encouraged followers to abandon their families and join his vision of a would-be utopia. With a growing global following, The Cult of NatureBoy delves into the consequences for those drawn into his orbit.
“When former group members come forward with allegations of abuse, Bishop finds himself at the center of one of the most shocking and complex cult cases in recent U.S. history,” ABC News said when announcing the series.
The series is the first major streamer commission for UK-based Zandland, which made the docuseries alongside ABC News Studios.
Ben Zand, founder and CEO of Zandland, directs the series. “This is a story we’ve been working on for years, and from the very beginning it was clear we were witnessing one of the most extraordinary cult stories of our time,” he said. “What makes it so unsettling is that it didn’t happen in isolation, it unfolded in real time, online, in front of a global audience.”
The Cult of NatureBoy premieres April 28 on Hulu and Disney+ in the U.S. Internationally, Hulu programming is streamed on Disney+, which will debut the series in the EMEA region from mid-July.