HBO Max Is Bringing ‘Diabolical: The Epstein Files’ to a Wave of New Countries This September

Documentaries examining the Jeffrey Epstein case have continued to draw significant international attention throughout the year, as networks and streamers work to make sense of one of the most scrutinized scandals in recent memory. Few outlets have tackled the material with the same level of access and institutional weight as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, whose recently launched news documentary unit made the case its very first project.

That documentary, ‘Diabolical: The Epstein Files,’ originally premiered on ABC in Australia earlier this year, built around firsthand interviews with survivors, journalists, and political figures directly connected to the case. Led by Walkley Award-winning reporter Grace Tobin, the film has already built a reputation for pulling together an unusually wide range of voices tied to Epstein’s story.

Now that reach is expanding significantly. According to Variety, Warner Bros. Discovery has acquired international distribution rights to ‘Diabolical: The Epstein Files’ for HBO Max, with the documentary set to premiere across a slate of new territories starting Sept. 3, including the United Kingdom, Italy, and the Netherlands.

The deal gives HBO Max exclusive all-television and SVOD rights in both the UK and Italy, including Italian-speaking Switzerland, along with exclusive non-standard television and SVOD rights in the Netherlands. The platform has also secured exclusive SVOD rights across a much broader footprint that includes the CEE territory, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Turkey, Iceland, Cyprus, the Baltics, the CIS, Malta, Israel, and Ukraine.

The film traces Epstein’s rise, the mechanics of his trafficking network, and his eventual downfall, while also examining the broader institutional failures across policing, the courts, and other systems that allowed his abuse to continue for as long as it did. Investigators, legal experts, journalists, and individuals connected to the case all contribute testimony throughout the documentary, giving the film a wide-angle view of how the scandal unfolded and who was implicated along the way.

Warner Bros. Discovery framed the acquisition as part of a broader effort to bring meaningful, well-sourced journalism to international audiences. Myriam Lopez-Otazu, senior VP of international unscripted content and global networks EMEA at Warner Bros. Discovery EMEA, said the documentary offers a timely look at a case that shook international headlines and reshaped how audiences think about power and influence, according to Variety.

The film’s Australian roots also help explain why it stands out among the growing number of Epstein-related projects that have emerged across streaming platforms this year. Rather than relying purely on archival footage or secondhand reporting, ‘Diabolical’ leans heavily on original interviews conducted specifically for the documentary, giving international viewers access to perspectives that haven’t necessarily circulated as widely outside Australia.

With HBO Max now positioned to bring the documentary to a significant swath of Europe and beyond, the film’s reach is set to expand well past its original domestic audience just months after its initial release. Given how much international appetite there continues to be for deeply reported true crime content tied to major public scandals, the timing of this rollout suggests Warner Bros. Discovery sees real demand for the material across these new markets.

It’s also a notable vote of confidence in the ABC’s newly formed documentary unit, whose first major project has now found a home on one of the world’s most widely distributed streaming platforms just months after its debut. For a division still establishing its identity, landing this kind of international distribution deal marks a significant early milestone.

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