Dolph Lundgren, Sylvester Stallone Action Drama Lands at CBS With Put Pilot Order

Joe Otterson

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CBS has given a put pilot order to the one-hour drama with Dolph Lundgren attached to star and Sylvester Stallone attached to direct.

Titled “The International,” Lundgren would star as Anders Soto, described as a one-man covert black-ops team working for the U.N., who is called in to find asymmetrical solutions to the world’s most delicate and complex problems. He is part negotiator and part international spy.

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Ken Sanzel will write and executive produce. Sanzel most recently created the series “Reef Break,” with his other credits including shows like “Numb3rs” and “Blue Bloods.” In addition to directing, Stallone will executive produce under his Balboa Productions banner. Balboa Productions’ Braden Aftergood will also executive produce along with Tony Krantz of Flame Ventures and Craig Baumgarten. Lundgren will produce. CBS Television Studios will serve as studio on the project.

This marks the latest in a string of projects Lundgren and Stallone have collaborated on throughout their careers. They first came together in “Rocky IV,” with Lundgren playing the fearsome Soviet boxer Ivan Drago. Lundgren reprised the role in the 2018 film “Creed 2” alongside Stallone, who returned as Rocky Balboa. The two also worked together on “The Expendables” film franchise. Lundgren’s other recent TV roles include “Arrow” and an upcoming episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

Lundgren is repped by Gersh.

Should the project go to series, it would mark the first time Stallone has directed for television. In addition to his numerous iconic acting roles, his notable directing credits include four of the “Rocky” films as well as the first “Expendables” film.

Stallone is repped by CAA. Sanzel is repped by Field Entertainment.

This is the second United Nations-based series to find a home at CBS this development season. It was previously announced that CBS was developing the comedy “Unprofessionals,” which follows a group of low-ranking employees at the U.N. That series is being executive produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg with Jay Chandrasekhar attached to direct and executive produce.

At this point, “The International” is also one of the biggest broadcast packages to be announced this development season. Others include the Mayim Bialik-Jim Parsons comedy series “Carla” at Fox, which received a series commitment last month, and “Other People’s Houses” starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, also at Fox.

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