CNN Films, BBC Arts team for Jackie Collins doc from Passion Pictures

(Source: JackieCollins.com / Jackie Collins Estate)

CNN Films, AGC Studios and BBC Arts have teamed up to co-produce Passion Pictures’ feature doc Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story.

Produced by Searching For Sugar Man’s John Battsek and Lizzie Gillett, the film tells the untold true story of the best-selling novelist, whose turbulent life rivalled the stories of her novels.

AGC Studios and CNN Films – which recently teamed up for the Dawn Porter-directed doc John Lewis, about the iconic civil rights activist and his social and legislative activism – are co-financing and co-producing the film with Trilogy Films and Color Farm Media.

The film is the latest high-profile undertaking for CNN Films, which backed awards contender Three Identical Strangers and Oscar nominee RBG this past year.

AGC International will handle global distribution rights on behalf of Passion Pictures, while CNN Films will retain broadcast television rights in North America.

BBC Arts is to keep broadcast rights for BBC Two and VOD rights for BBC iPlayer.

AGC Chairman and CEO Stuart Ford is exec producing the film alongside CNN Worldwide EVP for talent and content development Amy Entelis, VP for CNN Films Courtney Sexton, BBC Arts commissioning editor Mark Bell and Rachel Traub.

The deal for Lady Boss was negotiated by Traub and AGC’s VP of legal and business affairs Anant Tamirisa on behalf of AGC; by Battsek on behalf of Passion Pictures; Sexton for CNN Films; and Stacey Wolf, VP of business affairs for CNN Worldwide, on behalf of CNN. It was overseen by Mark Bell, commissioning editor for BBC Arts on behalf of BBC Two.