Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist will lift the lid on one of the most infamous crime sprees of the internet age in a three-part miniseries.
Between October 2008 and August 2009 a wave of burglaries took place in some of the richest suburbs of LA, rocking Hollywood to its core. Dubbed the "Bling Ring" by reporters, the thieves raked in over $3m worth of cash, art, designer goods and jewelry from A-List celebrities.
Since the crimes took place there has been a reality series and a Hollywood movie made about what happened — but the truth about the Bling Ring burglaries has never been told…until now.
More than 10 years after the notorious heists, the culprits have served their jail time and are coming forward to tell the real story behind the Hollywood Hills home invasions that gripped the nation.
A cautionary tale for teens today, the docuseries shows what can happen when a fame-and-celebrity-obsessed culture meets the rise of social media and spins wildly out of control.
Larry Walford, Creative Director at Double Act Productions says: "This series will also have a tantalizing take on popular culture at a time when reality tv, the paparazzi and social media conspired to create a new type of celebrity."
Jonah Weston, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4 adds: "This is a classic 'only in Hollywood' tale, and I think audiences will love the mix of celebrity and social media that led to one of the most notorious crime stories ever."
Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist release date
Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist is available to stream worldwide on Netflix from Saturday, May 27, 2023.
The three-part series also aired on Channel 4 in April 2022 and is still available to stream on channel4.com.
Is there a trailer for Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist?
Yes, and in the trailer you can see the teenagers accused of the crimes talking about how they went about stealing from the rich and famous, as well as the celebrities they targeted reliving their experience of finding their homes had been raided and personal items stolen...
What happens in Bling Ring: Hollywood Heist?
From 2008 to 2009 a group of teens robbed the LA homes of high-profile celebs including Paris Hilton and Orlando Bloom. They used celebrity gossip websites to determine when the stars would be out and pocketed £2.3 million of stolen goods.
The series will see original gang members Nick Prugo and Alexis Neiers explain what drew them to commit their crimes — and reveal where they are now and how their lives have changed. "Paris Hilton was our personal ATM," says Nick, explaining how the robberies funded their own lifestyles.
There will also be interviews with law enforcement and other experts to tell the definitive story of the first major crime spree of the social media age which become so infamous that it inspired a movie starring Emma Watson.
Which celebrities were targeted in the crimes?
Celebrities targeted by the gang include Paris Hilton, Orlando Bloom, Audrina Patridge and Lindsay Lohan who all lost jewelry, watches, purses and shoes in the heists.
The culprits were eventually revealed to be a group of middle-class suburban teenagers who planned their heists based on paparazzi sites and social media posts which revealed when their famous victims would be away from their homes.
The documentary also features interviews with Alexis Haines (Neiers), Nick Norgo (Prugo), Andrea Arlington-Dunne, Gabrielle Hames, Audrina Patridge and Perez Hilton.
