Video: MGM+ unveils trailer and key art for true crime docuseries “The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood”

MGM+ PRESENTS

MGM+ unveils trailer and key art for the true crime docuseries THE WONDERLAND MASSACRE & THE SECRET HISTORY OF HOLLYWOOD

The four-part docuseries is scheduled to premiere on September 8, 2024 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on MGM+.

In this MGM+ original series, successful crime writer Michael Connelly (Bosch, The Client) takes us on a wild journey into the intricate story of the Wonderland Avenue massacre on July 1, 1981 – one of Hollywood's most famous murder cases that has fascinated people for more than 40 years.

This case symbolized an era in Los Angeles – full of sex, drugs, rock'n'roll… and murder. It's the true story that inspired Boogie Nights.

In noir-style interviews with the original investigators, prosecutors and undercover agents he met as a young crime reporter for the Los Angeles Times, Connelly searches for key details about this gruesome quadruple murder.

As the investigation progresses, using rare archive footage and photographs, a diverse cast of characters emerges – famous porn star John Holmes, drug dealers and bosses, mafiosi, televangelists and numerous celebrities, including Liberace and his friend, the mysterious Scott Thorson.

In a game of cat and mouse, Connelly tries to piece together the facts of Thorson's many larger-than-life and stranger stories. After four decades, Thorson's interview may be the last one that helps distinguish between crime and truth.

But do we believe him?

The four-part docuseries premieres on MGM+ on September 8. It is based on Connelly's successful Audible podcast series and was directed by Alison Ellwood (San Francisco Sounds, Laurel Canyon). The series is distributed worldwide by Amazon MGM Studios Distribution.

Featuring investigative journalist and author Michael Connelly, retired LAPD detective Rick Jackson, the “godfather of crime writers,” testimony from “missing witness” Scott Thorson, best known as Liberace’s friend, and more.

Director: Alison Ellwood

Executive producers: Michael Connelly, Alison Ellwood, Jen Casey and Nick Gilhool, Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman for IPC and Rick Jackson.

Produced by | The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC) of Sony Pictures Television in association with Miziker Entertainment, Hieronymus Pictures and One Traveler

Episode descriptions:

Episode 1: The Heat of a Cold Case – September 8, 2024

Crime writer Michael Connelly examines one of the most famous murder cases in Los Angeles history – the 1981 Wonderland Avenue massacre – which involved a colorful mix of characters, including a legendary porn star and a drug lord.

Episode 2: The Man Who Knew Too Much – September 15, 2024

Scott Thorson, one of the key witnesses in the case, recounts what he overheard on the night of the murders and details his extraordinary life with Liberace, the Hollywood elite and the drug underworld in 1980s Los Angeles.

Episode 3: Up in Smoke – September 22, 2024

Scott Thorson tells the story of building a drug empire in Hollywood in the 1980s as the crack epidemic explodes in Los Angeles – all before he is discovered as the missing piece of the Wonderland puzzle nearly a decade after the murders.

Episode 4: The Last Man Standing – September 29, 2024

In 1990, Scott Thorson testifies against the alleged mastermind of the Wonderland massacre. The trial does not go as planned and Thorson is placed under witness protection. What follows is a series of events stranger than anything one could imagine… if we believe him.

About The Intellectual Property Corporation

Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC), part of Sony Pictures Television, is an Emmy-winning content creation and production studio based in Van Nuys, California. Founded in 2016 by Eli Holzman and Aaron Saidman, IPC develops and produces premium television, film, documentary, commercial and interactive mobile content for global streamers and U.S. broadcast and cable networks. Recent productions include Indian Matchmaking and Night Stalker (Netflix); Secrets of Playboy (A&E); Selena + Restaurant (Food Network); The Climb (Max); We're Here (HBO); Expedition from Hell: The Lost Tapes (Discovery); United States of Scandal with Jake Tapper (CNN); Death in the Dorms, The D'Amelio Show and RapCaviar Presents (Hulu); and The Con (ABC). IPC has won two Emmy Awards and a Producers Guild Award for its series Leah Remini: Scientology & the Aftermath (A&E).

About MGM+

MGM+, an Amazon company, is a premium linear broadcaster and streaming service that offers a wide range of exclusive original series and docuseries, current feature films and classic film franchises – all available in the U.S. on television, on demand, online and across devices. MGM+ is a destination for premium content, with original series such as crime drama Hotel Cocaine, western adventure Billy the Kid, suspense thriller Emperor of Ocean Park, sci-fi horror film FROM, Emmy-winning series Godfather of Harlem and the upcoming Earth Abides, along with miniseries A Spy Among Friends and theatrical drama series Rogue Heroes, War of the Worlds and Beacon 23. The network is also home to acclaimed docuseries, including the critically acclaimed In Restless Dreams: The Music of Paul Simon, Emmy-nominated Laurel Canyon, My Life as a Rolling Stone and NFL Icons, as well as the highly anticipated docuseries Hollywood Black and The Wonderland Massacre & The Secret History of Hollywood. Premium films are also available, including “Challengers,” “IF,” “Mission Impossible – Dead Reckoning,” “The Beekeeper,” “The Boys in the Boat,” “American Fiction,” and “Mean Girls.”

MGM+ is available nationwide via cable, telco, satellite, digital distribution channels and the MGM+ app. For more information on the current MGM+ offering, visit www.mgmplus.com or follow us on X, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube.