News round-up: Banijay links with Stallone & preps Escobar doc; Nat Geo LatAm acquires Frida Kahlo doc; C4 returns ‘Come Dine With Me: The Professionals’

Sylvester Stallone

Banijay links with Stallone & preps Escobar doc

Endemol Shine North America and Bear Grylls’ The Natural Studios, a joint venture with Banijay, have created a new production partnership with Rocky and Rambo star Sylvester Stallone’s production company Balboa Productions.

The three creative houses are coming together to develop “high-adrenaline, cinematic and genre-bending adventure series.” Bear Grylls & Delbert Shoopman from Natural Studios will be executive producing alongside Sylvester Stallone, Kourosh Taj & Carrie Keagan from Balboa Productions and Sharon Levy & DJ Nurre from Endemol Shine North America.

“We are truly excited to be working with two of the biggest global names in both action and adventure – Sylvester Stallone and Bear Grylls and their respective production teams,” said Sharon Levy, CCO, Endemol Shine North America. “We’ve come together to create first-of-its-kind, hybrid unscripted series that we look forward to bringing to the marketplace very soon with both Balboa Productions and Natural Studios.”

Stallone added, “My goal has always been to push the envelope not only in life, but in all of my creative endeavors. Nothing is more satisfying than mixing the improbable with the incredible and creating the unforgettable. What we have planned is epic, beautiful and game-changing and I can’t wait for everyone to experience it.”

In related news, Banijay Rights has announced a partnership with Banijay Benelux joint venture Scenery on Lara vs. Escobar, a new feature documentary that recounts the extraordinary reconciliation story behind Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar’s most famous assassination.

Frida Kahlo

Nat Geo LatAm acquires Frida Kahlo doc

National Geographic in Latin America has acquired the BBC Studios documentary series Frida (working title), exploring the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo.

The 3 x 60-minute series explores the impact of her epic love affair with fellow artist Diego Rivera, her determined ambition and personal tragedies, all of which shaped her life and work as an artist.

Frida, is a Rogan Production series for BBC and National Geographic, and is amongst a number of new factual titles that BBC Studios will be launching at MIPCOM.

C4 returns ‘Come Dine With Me: The Professionals’

Channel 4 has commissioned a new series of the Come Dine With Me spin off which sees teams of professional chefs and restaurateurs take each other on in a bid to be crowned the best independent restaurant in their area.

Come Dine With Me: The Professionals, will return for a second 20 x 60-minute series, with each self-contained episode featuring three local eateries competing to win a £1000 cash prize.

Commissioned for Channel 4 by Jo Street, head of daytime and features, with Barry Agnew, acting commissioning executive, the series is produced by MultiStory Media, part of ITV Studios, with Henry Hainault as series editor and head of factual entertainment and formats, Simone Haywood, as executive producer.