Trainwreck: Balloon Boy

Last updated
Trainwreck: Balloon Boy
Directed byGillian Pachter
Produced byCheryl Hockey
StarringRichard Heene
CinematographyRyan Earl Parker
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • July 15, 2025 (2025-07-15)
Running time
52 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Trainwreck: Balloon Boy is a 2025 American documentary film directed by Gillian Pachter. It premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2025, as part of the Trainwreck series. [1] The film documents the 2009 "Balloon Boy" incident in Fort Collins, Colorado, when Richard and Mayumi Heene claimed that their six-year-old son Falcon had floated away in Richard's homemade helium balloon. [2] [3] The event sparked a nationwide panic and live international news coverage before Falcon was found safe at home, hiding in the attic. [4] [5]

Contents

The documentary reexamines the case sixteen years later through new interviews with the Heene family, journalists and investigators. [6] [7] [8] The Heenes continue to maintain their innocence, arguing the event was misunderstood and not a publicity stunt, while others in the film argue that the Heenes only did it for viral fame. [9] [10] By August 2025, the documentary received 7 million views. [11]

Cast

Archival footage

References

  1. ↑ Waxman, Olivia B. "The True Story Behind 'Trainwreck: Balloon Boy'". TIME. Archived from the original on 2025-07-21. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  2. ↑ "The True Story Behind 'Trainwreck: Balloon Boy:' Did Falcon Heene's Parents Know Where He Was Hiding?". People.com. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  3. ↑ Maglio, Tony (2025-07-16). "But What if "Balloon Boy" Wasn't a Hoax?". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  4. ↑ "Where is Balloon Boy now? Revisiting the bizarre 2009 controversy, as seen in Netflix's 'Trainwreck' documentary". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  5. ↑ "What is the "Balloon Boy" controversy? Documentary about strange Colorado news story to debut on Netflix Tuesday - CBS Colorado". www.cbsnews.com. 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  6. ↑ "Netflix's "Balloon Boy" doc revives Fort Collins hoax that gripped the U.S." The Denver Post. 2025-06-23. Archived from the original on 2025-08-21. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  7. ↑ "'Balloon Boy' Family Speaks Out as New Doc Revisits Infamous Controversy 16 Years Later (Exclusive)". People.com. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  8. ↑ Udell, Erin. "Fort Collins Balloon Boy hoax reexamined in Netflix docuseries". Fort Collins Coloradoan. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  9. ↑ "Where Is the Balloon Boy Now? All About His Life After the 2009 Hoax". People.com. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  10. ↑ "'Balloon Boy' Family Denies Alleged Hoax That Made Them Infamous and Opens Up About Life on Florida Compound (Exclusive)". People.com. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
  11. ↑ White, Peter (2025-08-26). "'Trainwreck' Franchise That Germinated 'Poop Cruise' Doc Returning To Netflix For Season 2". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-10-27.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.