Louis Theroux is returning to the Westboro Baptist Church for a third time.
The 49-year-old documentary maker is set to head back to Kansas to spend time with the notorious Christian ministry – which has infamously picketed military funerals and other high-profile events with homophobic and provocative placards – and find out how the organisation has changed since founder and figurehead Pastor Fred Phelps, aka Gramps, passed away in 2014.
The church has been rocked by a number of high-profile defections, including Gramps’ grandaughter Megan, and rumours about mental illness and excommunication surrounding the pastor’s final days, but it has also found some new members and Louis is looking forward to showing the changes in a new documentary.
The filmmaker – who previously spent time with the church in 2006 and again in 2011 – said: "I am always interested in how people change over time – both physically and in their outlook – and even more so when they are involved in lifestyles that are somehow wrong-headed or self-sabotaging.
"With our unique access to the inner workings of the Westboro Baptist Church over the last 13 years we’ve been able to track the changes in an extreme religious group from the inside, and also from the perspective of its ex-members.
"We’ve been able to tell a story about indoctrination, where it comes from, how it is enforced – but also about deradicalisation, and the way in which a handful of those who were formerly zealots have managed to break free and take a kinder less hateful view of the world.
"In particular, in this, our third visit to Topeka, I was curious to see how the Church was faring after the loss of the church founder, Pastor Fred Phelps, who died in 2014.
"Gramps’ angry and bigoted outlook had been the bedrock of Westboro’s practises and I was curious to see whether his death might have caused any kind of break-up or re-evaluation within the church, especially since there had been rumours that Fred Phelps might have had some kind of change of heart at the end of his life."
And Louis admitted he feels "lucky" to have been allowed back by the group.
He added: "It was exciting going back for thirds. For their own reasons – to do with spreading their twisted take on the gospels – Westboro let me back in. For my part it was a chance to see the strange machinations of psychology, religion, and social conditioning. I feel lucky to have had the chance to conduct this kind of longitudinal documentary making."
The 60-minute documentary will air on BBC 2 and network bosses are excited for it to air.
Patrick Holland, Controller, BBC Two, said: "Louis’ films are always must-watch documentaries, but this return to Westboro could not be more timely and important."
Louis Theroux making another Westboro Baptist Church film
