Fremantle Teams with Kirk Ellis for Bibi Series

Fremantle has tapped Kirk Ellis to write for its new TV series Bibi, based on the personal and political life of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel.

Ellis, who wrote and produced the John Adams event series for HBO, also adapted David McCullough’s 1776 and James Ellroy’s American Tabloid for the network. His other credits include Into the West for Dreamworks/TNT and Anne Frank: The Whole Story for ABC. Adapted from journalist Ben Caspit’s best-selling biography The Netanyahu Years, Bibi is being produced by Fremantle’s Abot Hameiri.

Guy Hameiri, co-founder of Abot Hameiri, said: “Kirk Ellis’s track record speaks for itself, so we’re delighted that he is joining this unique project. The series is the biggest IP we can deliver out of Israel today to the world, and with Kirk’s esteemed catalog of work, particularly in exploring the lives of high-profile figures, it makes him a perfect addition to this series looking at one of the most influential figures in modern geopolitics.”

“This is an epic political story with a very big philosophical and psychological undertone,” Hameiri added. “At the same time, it will be a scandalous family melodrama that explores how the personal can become political, and vice versa.”

Ellis commented: “Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the most complex figures in modern history. His is a life lived on a Shakespearean scale. Ben Caspit’s insightful reporting demonstrates how private life always shapes public affairs, and there’s no shortage of conflict—or opinions—when it comes to Benjamin Netanyahu. I’m thrilled and honored to be working with Guy and the entire Abot Hameiri team to bring this story to life.”