HBO kicks on with first Europe-Lat Am copro

HBO’s European and Latin American arms are springboarding off the upcoming football FIFA World Cup in Russia to coproduce together for the first time.

The pair is working up ten-part documentary Destino Rusia 2018, which will tells stories of “passion, friendship, solidarity and achievement in the world of football, as told by leading players from across Latin America and Europe and their most immediate entourage”.

The news comes soon after HBO Europe unveiled its first coproduction with Time Warner stablemate Turner, a drama called Hackerville.

Destino Rusia 2018 will span twelve countries, and follows on from HBO Latin America’s 2010 series Destino South Africa and Desino Brazil in 2014.

“For the first time we are coming together to produce a global original documentary series providing a unique, compelling, intimate look at soccer and the World Cup, an event that brings the whole world together,” said Roberto Ríos, HBO Latin America’s corporate VP of original production.

HBO España commissioning editor of original programming Miguel Salvat said Destino Rusia 2018 would more “even more universal” than its predecessors.

Ríos, Luis F. Peraza, Paul Drago and Gabriela Remirez are executive producers for HBO Latin America, with Salvat and Hanka Kastelicova doing the same for HBO Europe. Eulogio Romero from Koncept Company is producing.

Pay TV networks HBO Europe and HBO Latin America will premiere the show in April.

The World Cup begins June 14.