Dori sells La Lola to USA

Israeli production and distribution company Dori Media has closed its first major US deal, inking an agreement to produce its hit novela La Lola with Sony Pictures Television.

The Hollywood studio has picked up English language format rights for the show, which was created by Underground Productions’ Sebastian Ortega and produced by Dori Media Contenidos.

Nadav Palti, CEO and president of Dori Media, told TBIvision: "We sold the format – the non Hispanic rights – to Sony and they plan to produce it in the USA like Ugly Betty, with 26 episodes. We hope it will then be on one of the biggest networks."

The show, which follows the womanizing Lalo, the editor of a successful men’s magazine as he has a spell cast over him turning him into a beautiful woman, has already sold to broadcasters in France, Spain, Germany and Italy, as well as across Latin America.

Dori, which published its annual results today showing overall revenue up 47% to US$30m, is also hoping to boost the number of hours it produces from 730 hours to 1000 hours in 2008. It is in development with three novelas in Argentina, four in Israel and a 5x8mins online series.