Synanon Documentary Set at HBO From Director Rory Kennedy (EXCLUSIVE)
Joe Otterson TV ReporterA documentary about the rehab center turned cult Synanon is in production at HBO Documentary Films, Variety has learned exclusively.Spanning more than three decades until the early 1990s, Synanon originated as a Santa Monica-based storefront rehab and was celebrated both as a breakthrough treatment center and a culturally forward attempt at communal living. Led by the charismatic Chuck Dederich and his wife Betty, Synanon was a darling of the recovery community as well as the political and celebrity elite.