Fremantle’s Passenger, Anonymous & Michael Winterbottom prep ex-CEO Carlos Ghosn escape drama

LR: Michael Winterbottom & Christian Vesper

Fremantle-owned Passenger and Michael Winterbottom’s Revolution Films have partnered with Anonymous Content (Maniac) on a new drama that tells the story of Carlos Ghosn, the former Nissan and Renault CEO who undertook an audacious escape via private jet after being arrested in Japan.

Fall Of The God Of Cars, which is being written and directed by Winterbottom, tells the story of the Brazilian-Lebanese former CEO who was arrested in Japan and one year later orchestrated his own escape to Beirut, hidden in a music case on a jet.

The six-parter will star Tony Shalhoub (Monk) as Ghosn, with Passenger’s Richard Brown exec producing alongside Revolution’s Melissa Parmenter.

Violaine Etienne is attached for Anonymous, with David Levine and Garrett Kemble overseeing the project on behalf of the company. The series was originally developed by Winterbottom, Alfonso Cuaron and Anonymous.

The deal comes four months since Fremantle acquired Passenger, with the deal seeing Brown taking on a new creative role across Fremantle’s global drama division.

The RTL Group-owned firm also has an exclusive first-look deal with Winterbottom’s Revolution Films and partnered with the company, as well as Passenger, on recent Sky drama This England.

Christian Vesper, Fremantle’s CEO of global drama, said: “We are excited to announce this latest collaboration with Michael, Richard and the team at Anonymous Content. They are the perfect visionary and creative partners to bring this fascinating and incredulous story to life.”

Winterbottom added: “Carlos Ghosn was a superstar of the car industry, the first person ever to have simultaneously been CEO of two Fortune 500 companies. It is wonderful to have Tony Shalhoub on board to play this complex character.”