Hulu Buys True-Crime Documentary 'The Promise' and Australian Drama 'Invisible Boys' from Banijay Rights
Hulu has acquired two very different titles from distributor Banijay Rights: a true-crime documentary about a three-decade hunt for a killer, and an Australian coming-of-age drama about gay teenagers in a remote coastal town. Deadline reported both deals on 19 August 2026.
The first, The Promise: Finding My Mother's Killer, is a three-part documentary series tracing Iranian-American Pooneh Entezari's search for answers after her mother was murdered more than 30 years ago. Effie Entezari was killed in an execution-style shooting outside her Vancouver apartment in 1989. Her husband, Mike Entezari, was convicted of the murder and died in prison in 2019.
Pooneh's investigation did not stop there. Her efforts led a civil trial to conclude that another man, Viktor Pell, was responsible for the killing. Douglas Perry of The Oregonian / Oregon Live first told the story the year before the documentary was acquired.
The series was produced by Workerbee, part of Banijay Entertainment's Banijay UK, alongside Advance Originals and Circle M+P. Banijay and other investors financed the project before it was taken to market, meaning the production was funded first and a buyer was found afterwards. Deadline
The second acquisition, Invisible Boys, is a Stan original — a series made for the Australian streaming platform Stan — that launched in Australia the year before. It follows a group of gay teens in Geraldton, a remote coastal town in Western Australia, after one of them is outed on social media.
Nicholas Verso created and directed the series, producing alongside Tania Chambers. The cast includes Joseph Zara, Aydan Calafiore, Zach Blampied, Joe Kloce, Pia Miranda and David Lyons. Feisty Dame Production and Asphodel Films made the show for Stan, in association with Screenwest, Lotterywest and the WA Regional Screen Fund — public funding bodies that also supported its development.
Invisible Boys has picked up recognition on the awards circuit. It won Best Original Web Series at the IFFA Awards and earned nominations for both Peabody and AACTA Awards.
Both titles are sold by Banijay Rights, the distribution arm of Banijay Entertainment, which is in the middle of its own corporate story. Banijay Rights is merging with All3Media International, the sales arm of All3Media, following the combination of Banijay Entertainment and RedBird IMI's All3 assets. Louise Pedersen, who led All3Media International, has departed, and Banijay Rights CEO Cathy Payne is running the enlarged company.
For Hulu, the two pickups add a true-crime title with a built-in investigative narrative and an acclaimed drama from Australia to a slate that has leaned heavily on both genres. The deals also give Banijay Rights its first confirmed US home for each title — a useful data point as the distributor absorbs a major competitor's catalogue.
