Aaron Hernandez New Netflix True Crime Documentary Almost Wasn't Made: Here's Why

On Wednesday, "Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" began streaming on Netflix. The new true-crime documentary series delves into the story of the former New England Patriots star who took his own life in prison after being convicted of murder. However, the project almost didn't get made due to one particular hurdle.

According to Mass Live, Geno McDermott, the director of the Netflix miniseries, said the path to getting the chance to create the episodes was not easy.

McDermott revealed to the outlet that the documentary about the one-time NFL star was almost never made due to the rejection he kept facing from various studios. However, due to his inherent belief about its potential, he decided to find different ways of financing the project. These avenues included "using his own money and Blackfin Productions, a small company he founded in New York," states the outlet.

"We had so many rejections I thought the project was going to die. We had a lot of major setbacks, people rejecting the film. Everyone was passing on it. So I said we're going to make the film, we're going to do it. ... It's the most ambitious singular project that I've ever done, financially and emotionally," he shared.

As work progressed for the Netflix series, the filmmakers also faced additional issues, including not being allowed initially to access recorded prison calls and being turned down for several film festivals upon completion. However, after it was accepted to DOC NYC, Netflix took notice and decided to turn it into a three-part series.

Since its release, several positive reviews have surfaced, including one from The Cinemaholic that said the true-crime documentary is a "compelling watch" that "consistently has something new to offer as it lets Aaron’s life unravel before us."

"Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez" is now streaming on Netflix.