Bell Media Lands BossaNova Siegfried and Roy Doc

Bell Media has picked up the feature documentary Siegfried and Roy: The Original Tiger Kings from BossaNova Media.

Produced by AMS Pictures for Reelz, the one-hour special—first pitched to the international market at BossaNova’s 2022 Development Days—tells the story of the illusionists through exclusive interviews with activists, friends and contemporaries.

BossaNova is gearing up for its third Development Days event from January 10 to 11, with virtual and in-person pitching sessions. Olivia Daines, acquisitions and co-pro executive at BossaNova, is curating the event, which is being produced by Jasmin Joseph, marketing manager. Successes that have come out of previous events include Searching for Michael Jackson’s Zoo from Rare TV for ITV; Ancient Egypt by Train and Lost Temples of Cambodia, produced in partnership with Channel 4; and Con Girl, which is slated to air on Paramount+ and Seven later this year.

“Each year, we seek to build on the knowledge gained from the previous year’s Development Days to create a better and more user-friendly experience—which is why we’re pioneering a hybrid event format for 2023,” Joseph said. “As far as I’m aware, this edition will be our industry’s first totally live-streamed interactive event. We’ve invested in state-of-the-art technology to ensure that there’s no time lag, which means that everyone, however they attend, will have the same audiovisual experience. In true BossaNova style, we want to make it as easy and enjoyable as possible.”

Daines added, “By dialing 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.”