HBO and BBC team up to produce D.B. Cooper mystery film

One of the world’s most intriguing mysteries of the modern age is the unsolved mystery of D.B. Cooper, the plane hijacker that pulled off a vanishing act way back in 1971.

HBO and BBC have teamed up to co-produce a feature-length documentary about the mysterious hijacker.

Emmy nominee John Dower will direct The Mystery of D.B. Cooper. Dower directed the Louie Theroux movie, My Scientology Movie. Minnow Films will also produce a feature-length documentary.

The Mystery of D.B. Cooper will seek to uncover the mystery surrounding the mysterious plane hijacker who went on board a Northwest Orient flight in 1971 and hijacked the plane before the plane could even leave the tarmac. Cooper attested that he had a bomb inside his briefcase and has demanded a couple of parachutes for himself and money worth $200,000 in exchange for all the passengers on board.

D.B. Cooper forced the flight to take off and head for Mexico City and in the middle of the flight, was able to jump out of the back of the plane with a parachute and the money in hand, never to be seen again despite the efforts of the authorities to try and locate the hijacker. Cooper’s disappearance is one of the greatest unsolved cases of the FBI who closed their decades-long investigation in 2016.

BBC’s Mandy Chang said that she was intrigued by Dower’s project from the beginning stating that it encompasses an era where airport security wasn’t at par with what we have today. She went on to say that Dower’s obsession with trying to understand caught the attention of so many Americans who was enchanted by the hijacker turned into somewhat of a cult figure and why he became somewhat seductive akin to crime icons like Bonnie and Clyde.

“His film paints compelling portraits of multiple suspects, each one as convincing as the next” said Chang, pertaining to the director’s curiosity and attention to detail regarding the case’s evidence and eye witness testimonies.

Deadline also reported last week that another D.B. Cooper documentary produced hosted by Laurence Fishburne in an episode of History’s Greatest Mysteries which will showcase Cooper’s handiwork.

Minnow Films boss Morgan Matthews will also serve as an executive producer for The Mystery of D.B. Cooper with Anna Stephens getting on board as another producer. Matthews brought the project to the BBC and HBO that leaves Altitude Movies who aided in initial funding over three years ago out of the picture.

Alain Ang
Alain Ang
Alain Ang is an editor for Best in Au. He enjoys writing about entertainment, movies, and lifestyle. On off days he spends his time with his rescue dogs, Sansa and Heart, digging holes in Minecraft, and developing his novel.
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