Published Feb 24, 2026, 12:30 PM EST
Ryan O'Rourke is a Senior News Writer at Collider with a specific interest in all things adult animation, video game adaptations, and the work of Mike Flanagan. He is also an experienced baseball writer with over six years of articles between multiple outlets, most notably FanSided's CubbiesCrib. Whether it's taking in a baseball game, a new season of Futurama or Castlevania: Nocturne, or playing the latest From Software title, he is always finding ways to show his fandom. When it comes to gaming and anything that takes inspiration from it, he is deeply opinionated on what's going on. Outside of entertainment, he's a graduate of Eureka College with a Bachelor's in Communication where he honed his craft as a writer. Between The IV Leader at Illinois Valley Community College and The Pegasus at Eureka, he spent the majority of his college career publishing articles on everything from politics to campus happenings and, of course, entertainment for the student body. Those principles he learned covering the 2020 election, Palestine, and so much more are brought here to Collider, where he has gleefully written on everything from the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes to Nathan Lane baby-birding sewer boys.
Few moments in music history have shaken the world quite like the sudden, tragic death of Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. On April 8, 1994, still at the height of the grunge band's fame, he was found dead in his greenhouse, having passed away just three days earlier from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at only 27 years old. In his abbreviated time alive, he helped change the very landscape of alternative rock forever, leaving behind countless hits with his band like "Heart-Shaped Box," "Lithium," and "Smells Like Teen Spirit." However, his passing, in such a manner and at such a critical time of change in music and culture, also impacted the world and changed how the public discussed fame and grief.
Now, in partnership with the free premium streamer The Network, Collider can exclusively share a new trailer for the platform's original documentary Cobain that revisits that tragic time and explores how the world reacted through the lens of archival footage. The film looks to transport viewers back in time to 1994 with raw news footage from the moments leading up to and after Cobain's death. However, what makes it stand out is its inclusion of never-before-seen video from fans reacting in real time and sparking conversations that reflected the global effect of the tragedy. From that perspective, director John Osborne tracks the evolution of the story in the media, from the moment a Seattle electrician discovered the rock star's body, through every step of the investigation, and ultimately to the discovery of the shotgun and the heartbreaking conclusion that Cobain took his own life.
The trailer begins more like a documentary highlighting the rise of a world-famous band rather than its tragic downfall. Past interviews and coverage of Cobain are shown as Nirvana took over the charts, even displacing Michael Jackson for the bestselling album. Then the channel changes to the breaking news of the frontman's sudden death, with past news reports, interviews, and visits to Cobain's residence in the days after his body was found. Immersion is the focus as it goes on the ground to public gatherings and vigils to honor his legacy, marrying the hard facts of the investigation with the individual feelings of the people who loved the artist.
'Cobain' Is the Latest Addition to The Network's Ever-Expanding Catalog
Osborne is no stranger to tackling history-defining moments through his films. He previously helmed the 2018 documentary Apollo 8: The Mission that Changed the World, as well as Hillsborough Remembered, reflecting on the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that saw 97 football fans perish in a fatal crowd crush at Hillsborough stadium during a match between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. His latest will bolster a still-growing catalog for The Network, which is still less than two years old and has already gathered over 2 million active monthly users. The free premium streamer currently boasts more than eight originals and 1,500 hours of content, including its most recent release, the starry Gilded Age mystery series The Artist, led by Emmy winner and Homeland star Mandy Patinkin, alongside Janet McTeer, Hank Azaria, Danny Huston, Zachary Quinto, Patti LuPone, and more.
In an official statement about Cobain, Osbourne not only thanked The Network for helping his documentary reach more viewers, but also emphasized how it invites viewers to live in the moment that forever changed music history.
"I’m proud that The Network will be introducing this film to US audiences. Kurt Cobain was the voice of a generation, but a reluctant one, and his death left a huge void. The only way to get a true sense of what happened is to take viewers back to 1994, to immerse themselves in this seismic story, and that’s exactly what this film does. It never lets you look away."
Cobain launches as The Network's February original title this Friday, February 27. Check out our exclusive trailer in the player above.
English (US) ·