Netflix has set a September 25, 2026 premiere date for Unabomber, starring Critics Choice Awards winner Jacob Tremblay (Room) in the titular role. The film’s based on true events, and Tremblay told Netflix’s Tudum he was surprised to learn that Ted Kaczynski went to Harvard. “[…] He was a mathematical genius when he was 16. It’s quite fascinating, actually.”
The drama also stars Russell Crowe, Shailene Woodley, Annabelle Wallis, Alexander Ludwig, Steven Ogg, and Marc Menchaca.
Netflix’s synopsis reads, “Inspired by true events, Unabomber follows Ted Kaczynski’s (Tremblay) transformation from 16-year-old Harvard prodigy into the infamous Unabomber. Subjected to controversial psychological experiments by Professor Henry Murray (Crowe), Kaczynski’s troubled past resurfaces decades later when his manhunt, led by FBI agent Joanne Miller (Woodley), brings to light the chilling consequences of ambition and isolation.”
Janus Metz (All the Old Knives, Andor) directs from a screenplay by Sam Chalsen and Nelson Greaves. Commenting on the appeal of the project, Metz said, “I was fascinated by the fact that the hunt for the Unabomber was the FBI’s longest and most expensive operation to date.” Metz added, “But what really drew me in was the story about Ted Kaczynski’s years at Harvard when he was a young math student. This was a side to the story I didn’t know about; it helps uncover a very dark chapter in American history.”
Executive producers include Donald J. Lee, Sam Chalsen, and Nelson Greaves in Association with MRC.
