Content creation, funding and distribution company BossaNova Media is celebrating a win with Canada’s Bell Media which has acquired new feature documentary Siegfried and Roy: The Original Tiger Kings.
Produced by AMS Pictures for Reelz, the 60-minute documentary tells the compelling story of master illusionists Siegfried and Roy, whose Las Vegas shows incorporated magic tricks featuring 20 white lions and tigers, which they treated like cuddly props. That illusion, however, was shattered when an angry tiger attacked and severely wounded Roy Horn — a moment that sparked countless conspiracy theories and cover-ups.
The doc features exclusive interviews with activists such as Carol Baskin as well asa friends and contemporaries of the German-American magicians, whose mix of sequined glitz and white-tiger magic reinvented Las Vegas. But the myths that made Siegfried and Roy global superstars were more fiction than fact. The documentary reveals the shocking truth behind the lies they spun before and after the fateful night that ended their career. Tiger experts, meanwhile, discuss the tragic legacy of the pair’s obsession with giant cats, which still reverberates worldwide.
Siegfried and Roy: The Original Tiger Kings was first pitched to the international market at BossaNova’s 2022 Development Days. BossaNova has now announced its third Development Days in the Soho Screening Rooms in central London on 10-11 January 2023. The event will combine virtual and in-person pitching sessions and BossaNova is issuing an open call to independent producers interested in pitching their brand new factual and true-crime projects to key UK and international buyers. Data will be collected from buyers on such factors as strength of editorial concept and perceived international potential. This information will then provide the basis for greenlighting projects.
The doc features exclusive interviews with activists such as Carol Baskin as well asa friends and contemporaries of the German-American magicians, whose mix of sequined glitz and white-tiger magic reinvented Las Vegas. But the myths that made Siegfried and Roy global superstars were more fiction than fact. The documentary reveals the shocking truth behind the lies they spun before and after the fateful night that ended their career. Tiger experts, meanwhile, discuss the tragic legacy of the pair’s obsession with giant cats, which still reverberates worldwide.
Siegfried and Roy: The Original Tiger Kings was first pitched to the international market at BossaNova’s 2022 Development Days. BossaNova has now announced its third Development Days in the Soho Screening Rooms in central London on 10-11 January 2023. The event will combine virtual and in-person pitching sessions and BossaNova is issuing an open call to independent producers interested in pitching their brand new factual and true-crime projects to key UK and international buyers. Data will be collected from buyers on such factors as strength of editorial concept and perceived international potential. This information will then provide the basis for greenlighting projects.
The 2023 Development Day will again be curated by BossaNova’s Olivia Daines, acquisitions and co-pro executive, and produced by Jasmin Joseph, marketing manager. Commenting on the event, Daines (pictured) said: “By dialling back on numbers, there’s a higher probability that the projects we showcase will get made as we will be honing in on subjects gathered in our research. In response to buyer feedback, this year’s line-up will focus on factual and crime projects. We all understand the pressure our broadcast partners are under when it comes to accessing fresh ideas that can be made within ever-tighter constraints of time and budget and BossaNova’s Development Days can help make that happen.”
