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Factual round-up: BBC orders Putin docuseries; eOne preps D&D 50th anniversary film; Prime Video explores ‘Life After’ NFL
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Putin And The West
BBC orders Putin docuseries
UK broadcaster BBC Two has ordered Putin And The West, a new docuseries exploring how Western leaders have struggled to deal with Russia as Vladimir Putin tries to exert his power on the world stage.
The 3 x 60-minute series is a co-production between Brook Lapping, Les Films d’Ici and ARTE France. It has been pre-sold to DR in Denmark, SVT in Sweden, NRK in Norway, VPRO in the Netherlands and BBC Select.
Putin And The West will be produced by filmmaker Norma Percy, whose previous BBC Two docs include Trump Takes on the World, Inside Europe: Ten Years of Turmoil and Inside Obama’s White House.
“There is a huge global appetite for these types of documentaries, and our relationship with BBC Two in particular making landmark programmes like this, goes back decades,” said Brook Lapping series producer Percy. “Once again, we will set out to show viewers what it’s like to be in the room when important decisions are made by top political aides, told in their own words.”
eOne preps D&D 50th anniversary film
Entertainment One (eOne) is producing a documentary feature marking the 50th anniversary of roleplaying fame Dungeons & Dragons.
The Dungeons & Dragons Documentary will debut in 2024, with the game’s writer and official ambassador Joe Manganiello co-directing with Kyle Newman and producing alongside his brother Nick Manganiello, Anthony Savini, and Cecily Tyler.
Tara Long and Geno McDermott are executive producing for eOne alongside Dungeons & Dragons scholar Jon Peterson, Adam F. Goldberg, and Kyle Newman.
The film will draw from over 400 hours of archived, never-before-seen Dungeons & Dragons footage going back to the game’s creation in the early 1970s, to which the Manganiellos, Newman, and Goldberg have spent the last years acquiring exclusive rights.
It will also include exclusive interviews with a variety of celebrity fans of the game.
“I have had the pleasure of working in the past with Joe on True Blood among other projects and cannot think of a better more passionate person to dive headfirst into the world of Dungeons & Dragons from both a player and fan perspective,” said Michael Lombardo, eOne’s Head of Global Television.”
Prime Video explores ‘Life After’ NFL
Prime Video is launching a new docuseries from NEO Studios and New World Distribution following 12 retired NFL players as they navigate life after their professional football careers.
The eight-part Life After will feature DeMarcus Ware, Thomas Q. Jones and other retired players and debut on the streamer on 18 October.
From neurosurgery and competitive steer wrestling to the cookie business and beyond, Life After highlights how these athletes transformed their passion for football into their second acts.
“These athletes were so iconic in their football careers that their post-NFL lives are largely overlooked,” said NEO Studios’ head of unscripted and Life After executive producer Mike Basone.
“One of our specialties at NEO is uncovering these under-explored and unexpected stories from the sports world, and Life After is right in our sweet spot in that it highlights universal themes, including mental health and identity struggles, all while telling a story of human triumph.”
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