El Chapo drama series, “#Cartel” in the works at History

El Chapo drama series, “#Cartel” in the works at History

PanARMENIAN.Net - History is ready to tell the story of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, The Hollywood Reporter reveals.

The A+E-owned cable network has put in development #Cartel, a scripted drama exploring the global drug wars as told through the true story of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

Written and produced by former Narcos showrunner Chris Brancato, the drama is a co-production of ABC Signature — the cable-focused arm of ABC Studios — and A+E Studios.

The drama, which is in development with a script order, will follow kingpin El Chapo's rise to power and how drug cartels use social media to maintain their image, recruit new members and threaten rivals. El Chapo, who became Mexico's top drug kingpin and is considered the most powerful drug trafficker in the world, has fan followings with relationships in the entertainment and music industry (like Sean Penn) that go beyond the Mexican border and into the U.S.

History described #Cartel as a story of power, money, sex and the human cost of the drug wars like none ever seen on television.

"As we expand the canvas of topics covered by History to include events of the recent past, we are pleased to be teaming with Chris Brancato on this project," History president and GM Jana Bennett said. “The true story of El Chapo, fraught with murder, drugs, corruption and celebrity, has been and continues to be one of the most disturbing and fascinating of the past decade. Chris is the perfect person to bring this slice of modern history to the screen."

For his part, Brancato co-created and served as showrunner on Netflix's Pablo Escobar drama Narcos, which explores the notorious Colombian drug lord known as "The King of Cocaine." He exited the drama after its first season for a deal with ABC Studios and, this season, oversaw ABC's short-lived Biblical drama Of Kings and Prophets.

"I've long been an avid viewer of History, so it's a thrill to work with them on this story about the intersection of technology and crime,” Brancato said. "The show is a metaphor for the lives we present on the internet, the secret selves we reveal in supposedly private communication, and the risks of not-so-humble-bragging on social media."

El Chapo has made headlines in the recent past for his capture, escape and recapture from prison as well as his clandestine meeting with Penn and actress Kate del Castillo. He most recently was the subject of an Reelz documentary called El Chapo & Sean Penn: Bungle in the Jungle.

Should #Cartel go to series, it would join other History scripted fare including Vikings, straight-to-series military drama Six and Jeremy Renner-produced drama Knightfall.

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