HBO Scientology - America's premier TV network is preparing for possible legal battle against the big-pocketed members of the Church of Scientology, says Shiela Nevins, the station's president of Documentary Films.
The HBO Scientology show down comes as the station gears to air a documentary about the church. The Church of Scientology, which boasts of several Hollywood members, is shrouded in secrecy and controversy.
Nevins told Hollywood Reporter that the station has distributed the film to 160 lawyers for them to review it before it is aired. Reports indicate that the documentary could feature in the Sundance Film Festival in the beginning of next year if the lawyers finish their review process quickly.
The documentary at the center of the impending HBO Scientology show down is based on a book written by Pulitzer award-winning writer Lawrence Wright. Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief was published in the beginning of 2013.
The book has been ridden with controversies since it was published - or shall we say not published - by UK publishers Transworld. The publisher backed out of putting the book on their shelf at the last minute based on legal advice. Nonetheless, Going Clear has been well recognized at book awards.
The HBO Scientology show down is believed to center around parts of the book that deal with the life of the founder of the church - L. Ron Hubbard - as well as abuse within the church. Wright also deals with how the church goes out of its way to accommodate its famous members.
Wright, who has received numerous legal threats from representatives of top Hollywood stars, has been widely commended for his well researched book.
Meanwhile, the church has not officially made any comments about the HBO Scientology documentary.
The HBO Scientology documentary would definitely attract lots of viewers, and many commentators say the station has the legal backing and determination to graphically do what Transworld couldn't do.
