‘Going Clear’ Trailer: Scientology Gets Exposed

One of the buzzy titles at this year’s Sundance Film Festival was Going Clear, the new documentary from Academy Award winner Alex Gibney, which takes you behind the scenes of Scientology. The first trailer for the new doc, based on Lawrence Wright’s book Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood and the Prison of Belief, has arrived, and it’s as enigmatic as the religion itself.

If you aren’t familiar with Wright’s book, then Going Clear should prove rather illuminating, promising to uncover some of Scientology’s secrets and exploring the inner workings of the religion, which boasts famous members like Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Beck. Rumors and damning allegations about the religion and its members have swirled over the years, attracting attention from both the media and Scientology detractors.

Going Clear isn’t doing much to quell the negative attention, instead serving to further shed light on what many believe to be a cult operation. The new doc comes courtesy of Alex Gibney, the acclaimed documentarian behind such films as The Armstrong Lie, We Steal Secrets: The Story of Wikileaks, and Finding Fela. Gibney previously won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for 2007's Taxi to the Dark Side, and was nominated for 2005's Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room.

HBO Films picked up the distribution rights for Going Clear, which will officially premiere on the network on March 29.