Filmmaker's Unfinished Zodiac Killer Doc Becomes Meta Masterpiece

In November 2025, British artist and critic Charlie Shackleton's film "Zodiac Killer Project" is set to open in theaters. The film is a unique exploration of Shackleton's own unfinished Zodiac killer documentary project, which he was commissioned to make but ultimately fell through.

Shackleton's "Zodiac Killer Project" provides an assemblage of the missing pieces from his abandoned documentary, giving viewers a glimpse of what that film would have looked like, including a close-call encounter with a potential suspect. However, the film is more than just a behind-the-scenes look at a failed project – it is a satirical deep dive into the true crime documentary genre itself.

Through his droll voiceover and meta-narrative approach, Shackleton delivers a witty and insightful critique of the conventions and tropes of the true crime documentary format. The film probes the audience's obsession with serial killers and the stories we tell about them, deconstructing the form with the incisive eye of a true crime connoisseur.