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Paramount+ & C5 explore the last days of Dodi Al-Fayed
Paramount Global streamer Paramount+ and UK broadcaster Channel 5 have ordered a documentary about the life of Egyptian film producer Dodi Al-Fayed and his untimely death alongside Britain’s Princess Diana.
Produced by Wonderhood Studios, the 1 x 90-minute Dodi: Last Days Of A Playboy aims to go “beyond the image of a pampered playboy portrayed by the media, to reveal how an isolated, lonely boy had to deal with his parents’ divorce at a young age, built a career in Hollywood and ended up dating the most famous woman in the world.”
In August 1997, Al-Fayed, the previously little-known and shy son of business tycoon and Harrods owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, suddenly became one of the most famous men in the world. His face was on the front page of every newspaper, locked in a passionate embrace with Princess Diana.
For the next three weeks, their every move was tracked by the international media, from a super-yacht in the Mediterranean to dinners at exclusive restaurants, until finally they were chased by the paparazzi to their tragic deaths in a Parisian tunnel later that month.
Until now, the narrative of their doomed romance has only been told from one side – Princess Diana’s. This feature-length documentary reveals the untold story and life of the other passenger in the car, Dodi Al-Fayed.
With unprecedented access to Dodi’s former girlfriends, closest friends, business partners and inner circle, the film charts his life from his early days as a child caught up in his parents’ separation, through a stint at Sandhurst at the behest of his father, and a career in Hollywood – to his final weeks in France.
Tom Anstiss, executive producer, Wonderhood Studios said: “The story of Diana’s death is one of the most well-told stories in history, but half of that story is missing. Our film reclaims the life and legacy of Dodi. It’s a nuanced and tragic tale which explores how a kaleidoscope of seminal moments in social history brought together a princess, a patriarch and a playboy.”
Dodi: Last Days Of A Playboy is a Wonderhood Studios production, in association with All3Media International. It is filmed, produced and directed by Luke Korzun Martin, produced by Cecilia Valensise, and executive produced by Tom Anstiss and Samantha Anstiss. It was ordered by commissioning editor, Channel 5 & Paramount+, Daniel Pearl.