HBO to Premiere “Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare” Marking 15th Anniversary of Nuclear Crisis
The documentary highlights the immense scale of the crisis, noting that while the natural disaster erased entire towns and claimed 20,000 lives, an even greater threat loomed as radiation levels soared.
RMN Stars Documentary Desk
New Delhi | February 23, 2026
LOS ANGELES — HBO has announced the upcoming debut of its original documentary, “FUKUSHIMA: A NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE,” scheduled to premiere on Tuesday, March 10, at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. The film, which will also be available for streaming on HBO Max, arrives in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the 2011 catastrophe.
Directed by James Jones (HBO’s “Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes”) and co-directed by Megumi Inman, the documentary provides a forensic, real-time reconstruction of the nine harrowing days following the 9.0-magnitude earthquake—the strongest ever recorded in Japan. The film chronicles the near-total meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant after a giant tsunami disabled the cooling systems of three reactors.
The documentary highlights the immense scale of the crisis, noting that while the natural disaster erased entire towns and claimed 20,000 lives, an even greater threat loomed as radiation levels soared. At the height of the emergency, Japanese leaders were forced to confront the “unthinkable” prospect of evacuating Tokyo, the world’s largest city with 35 million residents.
At the heart of the narrative are the “Fukushima 50,” the power plant workers tasked by Prime Minister Naoto Kan with a mission that many considered a suicide attempt to prevent a total meltdown. For the first time, control-room supervisor Ikuo Izawa and other workers break over a decade of silence—often burdened by stigma rather than celebrated as heroes—to recount their experiences publicly.
The film features a wide range of perspectives, including first-hand insights from plant engineers, TEPCO officials, government advisors, and American consultants. “FUKUSHIMA: A NUCLEAR NIGHTMARE” is a Blast Films Production in association with Dogwoof, with executive producers including Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, and Tina Nguyen for HBO.
