Expos' 2004 MLB Exit from Montreal to Be Subject of Untitled Netflix Documentary
February 21, 2024
It's been two decades since the Montreal Expos departed Canada to become the Washington Nationals, and now the former MLB franchise will be under the spotlight.
Per Variety's Amber Dowling, Netflix has picked up an untitled documentary that will explore the events surrounding the Expos' exit from Montreal in 2004.
The documentary will be directed by Jean-François Poisson and is the first to be greenlit under Netflix's new creative partnership with Montreal-based production company Attraction. Marie-Christine Pouliot, Attraction's head producer for documentaries, and Richard Speer, president of Attraction, will serve as executive producers.
"It is with great pride and enthusiasm that Attraction announces the first project to result from our partnership with Netflix," Speers said in a statement. "The Expos were the first MLB team outside of the U.S., and despite their departure from Montreal, they continue to have passionate fans to this day. This film will tell the story of the team through the eyes of those who lived it."
The loss of the Expos, who officially became the Nationals in 2005, is still a topic of debate 20 years after it all went down.
Netflix said the documentary will detail the setbacks that led to the Expos leaving Montreal, which include "fee disputes between the city and Expos owner Jeffrey Loria over a new stadium, the firing of beloved, long-time manager Felipe Alou, and a historic switcheroo in which Loria bought the Miami Marlins, Marlins owner John Henry bought the Boston Red Sox, and the MLB purchased the Expos."
The upcoming documentary continues a run of recent sports entertainment projects by Netflix, following the path created by Formula 1: Drive To Survive, Full Swing, NASCAR: Full Speed, Untold, Quarterback, Tour de France: Unchained, Under Pressure: The U.S. Women's World Cup Team and Six Nations: Full Contact. MLB also announced earlier this month that the Boston Red Sox will be the subject of a Netflix docuseries that follows the entirety of their 2024 season.
