Paramount TV & Telefe Partner On Multi-Lingual Drama Series About Nazi Hunters
We are starting to see the closer cooperation between Viacom divisions that the company’s new regime had touted. Paramount Television and new corporate sibling Telefe, a recent acquisition of Viacom, have teamed up to develop the one-hour, multi-lingual thriller drama Cazadores (Hunters).
Created by journalist-turned-TV writer Jason George (Narcos), Cazadores is based on recently declassified documents and centers on men and women hailing from more than 10 countries — many of whom had personally suffered under the Nazi regime — who track down the Nazi high command that fled to South America after WWII. The serialized cable drama begins as a world war is ending and a cold war is beginning.
An estimated 9,000 Nazis, including dozens of SS officers, escaped to South America via so-called “ratlines,” or escape networks set up by Nazi sympathizers, who were aided, at times, by the Vatican and U.S. intelligence. The hunters’ targets include Josef Mengele, the Auschwitz physician known as the “Angel of Death”; Adolf Eichmann, considered by many to be the architect of the Holocaust; Klaus Barbie, aka “The Butcher of Lyon”; and Herberts Cukurs.
George will also serve as executive producer alongside Diego Piasek on behalf of Telefe.
“We are excited to have Telefe as part of the Viacom family. Their unmatched leadership in Argentina’s high-growth market and their on-the-ground knowledge of this fascinating moment in history, will allow for factual, unique and culturally-immersive elements within the series,” said Amy Powell, President of Paramount TV.
Added Pierluigi Gazzolo, President of Telefe’s managing company, Viacom International Media Networks – Americas: “This development deal is testament to Telefe’s ability to create compelling content that travels the world and solidifies Viacom’s commitment to growing Telefe’s global presence via intercompany co-development projects such as this.”
Paramount TV is behind the Emmy-winning Grease: Live special and series Berlin Station on EPIX, School of Rock on Nickelodeon, Shooter on USA, 13 Reasons Why on Netflix, Jack Ryan on Amazon, The Alienist on TNT.
George is repped by ICM Partners, Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and Gang, Tyre, Ramer & Brown.
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