The real reason Netflix hasn’t released its Osama Bin Ladan doc, as theories emerge

American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden was supposed to drop on Netflix earlier this week, and after missing its March 10 premiere, Netflix has remained eerily silent besides a “Coming soon” message on its platform.

The American government’s conquest to take down the founder of Al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks was a huge years-long manhunt throughout much of the early 2000s. The hunt came to an end in 2011 when US Navy SEAL Team 6 member Robert O’Neill shot the “shot him in the face three times.”

The Netflix documentary is said to contain never-before-seen footage and first-hand accounts of the manhunt which is why many people were keen to watch it on March 10 – only it never came out.

“So Netflix just doesn’t release American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden and doesn’t give a single reason as to why? That’s super lame dude @netflix,” one person wrote on Twitter.

You know what I hate? When you pay for something and you don’t get what you pay for. @netflix has raised prices which has forced me to now downgrade and put up with ads. Yesterday, they were supposed to release a documentary on Odama Bin Laden, but it’s not on there 😐

— Kiara Wallace (@luvs_kiki) March 11, 2025

Another said: “@netflix can we just get some kind of update on American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden? Like s**t happens but just pretending like nothing isn’t the best customer service practice.”

There are some theories about why the Bin Laden documentary didn’t drop

Because of Netflix’s silence and the sudden change of premiere date on the platform itself, the mysterious nature of the decision has sparked mountains of speculation and theories.

Day 3 and still no American Manhunt Osama Bin Laden on Netflix 🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄🙄

— 𓅓November's Very Own🇻🇮 (@TheRasta340) March 13, 2025

Firstly, some people online suggested that Netflix could have pushed back the release date to avoid controversy around dropping it during Ramadan, one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. Other people questioned whether it had anything to do with Bin Laden’s birthday also being on March 10.

Most Read

Harry Potter actor resorts to starting unexpectedly niche OnlyFans account to ‘get out of debt’

Influencer who’s suing over a screaming toddler on her plane sparks debate about plane etiquette

Lily Phillips just slept with an 82-year-old man in a care home and the videos are grim

On Reddit, people also blamed the delay on the US government because the Netflix documentary contains previously undisclosed intelligence about the manhunt and subsequent killing. For that reason, it has been suggested that the US and other allied countries might want to view the footage beforehand.

Here’s the real reason it didn’t drop, according to Netflix

As of March 13, Netflix is yet to issue an official statement about the delay despite the hundreds of scathing tweets and conspiracy theories bubbling up. Amid speculation, a Netflix representative reportedly told Forbes that the real reason is much more mundane.

They confirmed that it was due to a “scheduling shift” but that doesn’t actually reveal the reason why the schedule was shifted or why they were so clandestine about the move. It now looks like some of those theories could be true.

Netflix said they would be releasing a new date once they land on one.

American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden SHOULD be available on Netflix now. For all the latest Netflix news, drops, quizzes and memes like The Holy Church of Netflix on Facebook. 

Featured image credit: Netflix