AMERICAN CONSPIRACY: THE OCTOPUS MURDERS
Releases Globally On Netflix February 28, 2024
DIRECTED BY: Zachary Treitz
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Chapman Way, Maclain Way, Juliana Lembi, Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Christian Hansen, Zachary Treitz
When journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in a hotel bathtub, police ruled it a suicide. But his family and colleagues believe he may have been murdered for investigating a conspiracy he called “The Octopus” – a hidden organization connected to stolen government spy software, a string of unsolved murders, and some of the biggest political scandals of the 20th century. Years later, researcher Christian Hansen pushes to uncover the secrets behind Casolaro’s death, and the story that killed him. From Stardust Frames, Duplass Brothers Productions, and director Zachary Treitz – this four part docuseries untangles a mystery decades in the making.
ABOUT ZACHARY TREITZ | DIRECTOR & EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Zachary Treitz was raised in Louisville, Kentucky. He later moved to New York City where he produced The Pleasure of Being Robbed, directed by Josh Safdie, and co-produced Daddy Longlegs, directed by Josh and Benny Safdie, both of which premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight section of Cannes. Zachary directed the short film We’re Leaving, which premiered at Sundance and is available on the Criterion Channel, and the feature film Men Go to Battle, which won the Best New Director prize at the Tribeca Film Festival and was distributed by Film Movement.
After years of hearing his childhood friend Christian Hansen talk about his research into Danny Casolaro’s Octopus conspiracy, Zachary and Christian began filming and investigating the story together. This began a years-long odyssey around the United States to discover the connections between Danny Casolaro’s death and his unfinished book about a complex web of interconnected political conspiracies. With Zachary directing and Christian as lead researcher, they partnered with Stardust Frames and Duplass Brothers Productions to create the four-part documentary series American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders, released by Netflix in February 2024.
