George Clooney’s Ohio State Abuse Documentary Lands at HBO

George Clooney and HBO are teaming up to tell the story of a decades-long abuse scandal at Ohio State University.

HBO has joined Clooney and Grant Heslov’s Smokehouse Pictures, Sports Illustrated Studios and 101 Studios on the project, which will premiere on the premium cable outlet and stream on HBO Max. Oscar and Emmy winner Eva Orner (Taxi to the Dark Side, Out of Iraq) will direct.

Clooney and Heslov’s company announced the project in February 2021. At the time, they were planning a docuseries based on the scandal involving Richard Strauss, a former sports physician at Ohio State who’s accused of sexually abusing more than 300 athletes over decades of working at and with the university. The HBO project will be a feature-length documentary.

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“Grant and I are very proud to be working on this project with HBO,” said Clooney in a statement. “It’s a devastating story about people in power abusing and then covering up their criminal actions against students. The fact that it hasn’t been resolved as of yet is deeply disturbing.”

Said Orner, “I’m honored to join this incredible creative team. This film is about the largest sexual abuse scandal in the history of American higher education. It will give the courageous men who were abused a powerful and clear voice.”

The untitled documentary is based on an October 2020 Sports Illustrated story by Jon Wertheim that detailed some of the many allegations against Strauss, including those made by former All-American wrestler and UFC champion Mark Coleman and other athletes, student trainers and employees at a private clinic Strauss headed. Coleman also alleges that Rep. Jim Jordan, an Ohio State assistant wrestling coach for part of Strauss’ time at the university, knowingly ignored Strauss’ abuse.

“This story of power, abuse and enabling has been concealed for far too long,” said David Hutkin, COO of 101 Studios. “It is because of the courage of these men who have decided to finally speak out that we can finally hold the abusers accountable. We are honored to be able to provide a platform to amplify the voices of these victims.”

Clooney and Heslov are producing the documentary with David C. Glasser of 101 Studios, Orner and Steven J. Berger. The executive producers are Wertheim; Corey Salter, Colin Smeeton and Marc Rosen of Sports Illustrated Studios; and Hutkin, Ron Burkle and Bob Yari of 101 Studios.