...as it continues to stream his stand-up special

Netflix has announced a new documentary film about Russell Brand’s rise to fame and criminal convictions.

Russell Brand: Open Secret comes from the same producers who made Jimmy Savile: A British Horror Story, 72 Films.

The documentary was produced with a tight turnaround and will be released tomorrow.

It comes as the streamer faced a backlash for not removing the comedian’s 2018 stand-up special, Re:Birth, from its platform following his conviction for rape and three sexual assaults, for which he was sentenced to 10-and-a-half years on Monday.

Netflix says: ‘The documentary features inside voices and archive footage providing insight into Brand’s life and the investigation run by The Times and The Sunday Times, through their chief news correspondent, Rosamund Urwin and investigations correspondent, Charlotte Wace.’

The film is directed by Olivia Isaacs, whose credits include the true crime docuseries The Other Mrs Jordan, about bigamist and conman William Allen Jordan,  and the boxing documentary Eddie Hall: The Beast vs. The Mountain.

Of its decision to keep streaming Re:Birth, as filmed at the Hackney Empire, a Netflix source told journalists: ’We prioritise choice and control for our members: the freedom to watch what, how and when you want, with recommendations and ratings to inform those choices.’

Published: 12 Nov 2026