EXCLUSIVE: Banijay is pushing into the premium feature doc space with a show about Pablo Escobar’s son’s extraordinary reconciliation with Colombian Politician Rodrigo Lara’s son Jorge, whose father’s death was ordered by the drug kingpin.
Lara vs. Escobar is being produced by Banijay Benelux JV Scenery and distributed by Banijay Rights, which will launch sales in a few days’ time at Mipcom.
BAFTA-winning director Mags Gavan said she dedicated over a decade to get access for the feature, which delves into Rodrigo Lara’s Escobar-backed murder and the incredible fallout. Upon learning of his father’s death, Jorge Lara was initially out for revenge but a twist of fate reconciled him with Escobar’s son, one of the most notorious criminals of all time, as he realized that they had more in common than he thought. The doc will be told via double narrative, weaving between past and present.
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Escobar has long been a subject of fascination and the story of his attempted assassination was told in recent BBC doc Killing Escobar.
“Our expansion into the premium feature documentary space is led by this extraordinary modern-day story and with no hesitation we decided to take this gripping project to market,” said Simon Cox, Banijay Rights EVP Content Acquisitions.
“Lara vs. Escobar is a reconciliation tale like no other, bringing two of the unlikeliest of friends together to find common ground, with a plot as powerful of some of the world’s best dramas.”
Gavan added: “I started the most inspiring journey which also took me through the worst tragedy whilst developing this film. It’s going to take the audience on the same emotional rollercoaster but hopefully leave them in better, more hopeful place”.
Premium factual is set to dominate Mipcom next week with all major distributors bringing big-budget shows in the genre and the likes of Cara Delevingne and Brian Cox present to promote them.
Banijay is also taking the likes of Steven Knight drama Rogue Heroes, Canal+’s Marie Antoinette and formats Starstruck, Blow Up and Love Triangle to the October 17-20 market.
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