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Spike Lee is going back to the drawing board. On August 25, the Academy Award-winning director announced he was re-editing the final episode of his HBO docuseries NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ after facing backlash for giving 9/11 conspiracy theorists a platform.
“I’m Back In The Editing Room And Looking At The Eighth And Final Chapter Of NYC EPICENTERS 9/11➔2021½ . I Respectfully Ask You To Hold Your Judgement Until You See The FINAL CUT. I Thank You,” he wrote in a statement released by HBO on Wednesday.
The docuseries, which examines the ways in which New York City has played a role in major American events like 9/11, the COVID-19 crisis, and the January 6 insurrection, is set to release its fourth and final episode on September 11, on the 20th anniversary of the attacks. A since-removed preview version of the finale provided to press gave significant screen time to the group Architects & Engineers for 9/11 truth, which promotes the conspiracy theory that the Twin Towers were actually destroyed as an inside job carried out by a controlled demolition.
Slate‘s Jeremy Stahl argued that by interviewing members of this group for a prominent docuseries, Lee and HBO are providing conspiracy theorists with “the biggest and most mainstream platform they’ve ever had, pointing their viewers directly toward a bog of heinously dangerous ideas.”
The New York Times‘ Reggie Ugwu brought up this inclusion of 9/11 conspiracy theories in an August 24 interview with Lee, arguing that the filmmaker didn’t indulge with conspiracy theorists who were involved with spreading different misinformation about things like President Donald Trump winning the 2020 election or the COVID-19 vaccine being dangerous.
After suggesting Congress hold a new hearing on the 9/11 attacks, Lee said he had his own questions on what happened that day.
“The amount of heat that it takes to make steel melt, that temperature’s not reached. And then the juxtaposition of the way Building 7 fell to the ground — when you put it next to other building collapses that were demolitions, it’s like you’re looking at the same thing. But people going to make up their own mind,” he said. “My approach is put the information in the movie and let people decide for themselves. I respect the intelligence of the audience.”
