Hot Picks: ReSolved

Inspired by the myriad conspiracy theories that swirl around celebrity deaths, Efran Films has reopened the cases of some of the most mysterious incidents of recent memory, working in close collaboration with Vice News’ investigative teams.

The series, which is fronted by internet sleuths and professional investigators, takes a deep dive into the circumstances around the tragic deaths of A-Listers including Prince, Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy and Brandon Lee.

ReSolved probes the flaws and inconsistencies in the official investigations into these stars’ deaths and delves into alternative theories of what may have happened to them.

“The way the world is at the moment, there is a theory about almost everything, and we are keen to keep on exploring this area, which is doing so well for us”

The series examines some of the most shared online speculation, including that Prince was killed by the music industry; Murphy was murdered by the Chinese mafia; and that Lee’s death was connected to that of his father, Bruce.

“People love conspiracy theories,” says Vice Media executive managing director of global distribution Bea Hegedus, who points to what she calls the “amazing” success of Vice TV’s recent conspiracy series While The Rest of Us Die: Secrets Of America’s Shadow Government.

“The way the world is at the moment, there is a theory about almost everything, and we are keen to keep on exploring this area, which is doing so well for us.”

Hegedus says the way to stand out in a crowded true-crime market is to find ways to “innovate” the genre. She says crossing true crime with other genres is a clever approach, citing the recent series Devoured, which sits at the intersection of true crime and food.

“ReSolved combines conspiracy theory, true crime and the deep journalism for which Vice is well known,” she adds.

“Good conspiracy theories need producers with good journalistic backgrounds. You have to have good journalistic DNA.

“Vice is very objective, matter of fact and thorough in the way it unpacks the theories, investigating every side and every opinion to get one step closer to the truth.”

Hegedus says that while the series has broad appeal across all age groups, it skews slightly older due to the nature of the crimes being investigated, and because the celebrities involved span several generations and nationalities.

She predicts a lot of interest in the US and Europe, and says that while Asian buyers have expressed interest in some of the bigger names among the celebrities, she feels there is a trend away from true crime towards blue-skies programming in that market.

“In Europe and the US, crime is still strong and exciting, and it is doing really well. I am predicting a trend in Asia that is going a different way because they are not so receptive to crime, and in general they seem to want more positive stories.”