discovery+ explores Anni Dewani murder in new docuseries
October 4, 2021
Discovery has announced the commission of Anni: The Honeymoon Murder (w/t), a 4×60 box set series with an extraordinary cast of interviewees and archive footage that blows open previous preconceptions about one of the most high-profile investigations in South Africa’s history.
This testimony-driven series follows the incredible twists and turns of the case, with extensive access including CCTV recordings and exclusive in-depth interviews featuring Anni’s family, the lead investigators, the legal teams and even those involved. Available to stream on discovery+ from 13 November 2021, the 11th anniversary of Anni’s murder, this true-crime series is produced by Dragonfly, a multiple BAFTA-winning production company.
In November 2010, British millionaire Shrien Dewani and his new Swedish wife Anni travelled to Cape Town for their honeymoon trip of a lifetime that soon turned into horror. The newly-wed couple were hijacked at gunpoint during a taxi journey back to their hotel from dinner and the next morning the 28-year-old bride was found dead, having been shot.
The murder of Anni quickly became one of the world’s most talked-about headlines. For years, the truth about who was responsible for her death remained unclear, with the public constantly torn between the Dewani family, whose representatives maintained their son Shrien’s innocence, and Anni’s family, desperate to find out what happened that night and why Anni had to die.
Clare Laycock, SVP Planning & Insights, Head of Entertainment at Discovery, said: “We all remember this horrific story and the press coverage it generated. Anni Dewani lost her life in the most tragic of circumstances – but the full story hasn’t yet been told. Dragonfly has done an incredible job of reviewing the investigation and producing an enthralling narrative about her family’s search for answers.”
Richard Bond, MD of Dragonfly said: “It’s been a real privilege for Dragonfly to work so closely with Anni’s family, and their support allowed us to investigate her tragic story in forensic detail.”
Anni: The Honeymoon Murder (w/t) joins other popular discovery+ Originals Children of the Cult, Jimmy Savile: The People Who Knew and The Murder of Grace Millane: A Faking It Special.
The series was ordered by Discovery’s Clare Laycock, commissioned by Charlotte Reid and executive produced by Matt Reid. At Dragonfly, Toby Paton was the series director, Kate Scholefield was the series producer, and Tom Pullen and Richard Bond were executive producers. Anni: The Honeymoon Murder (w/t) was produced for discovery+ internationally and will air globally later this year.