Please wait...
Please wait...

Discovery+ orders scripted/doc hybrid

Discovery+ has given a straight-to-series order to a true crime scripted/documentary show from Curtis ’50 Cent’ Jackson’s G-Unit Film & Television, Goodbye Pictures and Lionsgate Television.

Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson

Confessions of a Crime Queen is described as a “first of its kind” true crime anthology series that brings to life headline-making stories by combining the documentary and scripted genres.

Each season will focus on the true story of one larger-than-life woman who created and led a multimillion-dollar criminal empire before a dramatic fall from power. They will be portrayed by an A-list actor who will also interview the real-life crime lord at the centre of the story.

Casting is underway for the first season, expected to debut next year, Discovery+ said. It will be executive produced by Jackson and Rich Bye.

“As G-Unit Film & Television continues its rapid growth, we have to think outside the box and challenge ourselves to tell entertaining and important stories in new ways,” said Jackson.

Lisa Holme, group senior VP for commercial content and strategy at Discovery+, said: “Combining our unparalleled home for original true crime content with his vision for how to tell these stories in a new way will give true crime fans a fresh perspective on the genre.”

Jackson is represented by APA and attorneys Eric Feig and Stephen Savva. Bye and Goodbye Pictures are represented by ICM Partners and Del Shaw Moonves Tanaka Finkelstein & Lezcano.

The move marks Discovery+’s first step into the hybrid scripted/documentary genre. Ahead of the streaming service’s US launch, David Zaslav, Discovery’s president and CEO, said last year that it would not feature scripted programming.

The boss of the factual giant has previously said the world of scripted entertainment is of no interest to his firm, as it’s “a crowded, aggressive and risky market.”

However, US reports this week say the factual giant is also working on a scripted miniseries adaptation of Girls With Bright Futures, a novel set in the cutthroat world of college admissions by Tracy Dobmeier and Wendy Katzman.

Manhunt: Unabomber producer John Goldwyn and Twilight producer Karen Rosenfelt are attached to the project.

Please wait...