Endemol Shine NA Expands Deal with MasterChef Judge

Endemol Shine North America has expanded its relationship with acclaimed chef, author and MasterChef judge Aarón Sánchez.

The company has optioned the rights to Sánchez’s best-selling memoir Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef and is currently developing it for a scripted series. It plans to develop more scripted projects with Sánchez as well.

Sánchez’s memoir delves into his formative years and shares the story of how his mother, a culinary trailblazer herself, steered him to become who he is today. He is now the owner of Johnny Sánchez in New Orleans and a judge on both MasterChef and MasterChef Junior. He is also a partner and creative director of Cocino, an online content platform dedicated to celebrating Latin culinary culture.

Sánchez has starred in other cable food shows such as Chopped and Chopped Junior, and he has hosted Taco Trip, 3 Minutos con Aarón and Motochefs. In addition to his memoir, he has published two cookbooks: La Comida del Barrio and Simple Food, Big Flavor.

“America knows and loves Aarón from MasterChef and his myriad culinary accomplishments, but most people don’t know the amazing journey and the obstacles that he and his mother overcame to become pioneers of Mexican-American cuisine in this country,” said Sharon Levy, chief content officer of Endemol Shine North America. “He has truly lived the American dream, and we are excited to now be developing his unique story into a dramatic TV series and exploring additional opportunities with Aarón.”

“It’s more important than ever to tell genuine stories of what it’s like growing up bicultural in America,” added Sánchez. “We want to share the nuances that are unique to Mexican-American culture and honor those roots, while also hoping audiences from different backgrounds connect to the similarities we share—the struggles, the celebrations, the food, the comedy, the survival instincts, the relentless pursuit of happiness. I came up at a time when food was making its way into pop culture and cooking in restaurants was our primary form of creative expression, so having this opportunity to develop in the scripted space is something I’m really looking forward to. And I couldn’t be more excited to do it with my Endemol Shine family.”