Netflix Orders Drug Lords Docu-Drama

From ITN Productions, the new docu-drama Drug Lords is set to launch globally on Netflix on January 19.

The eight-episode series reveals the true stories behind the rise, reign and fall of the world’s most infamous drug lords, including Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar to “American Gangster” Frank Lucas. The hour-long episodes feature commentary from the men and women directly involved in the cases themselves: the cops, crooks and closest associates on either side of the law.

Ian Russell, the head of international programming at ITN Productions, said: “This is a hugely ambitious series that proves that real-life stories are often even more extreme and dramatic than fiction. Our production team spent more than a year working on this series which involved seeking out people who have spent their life in the shadows—and then persuading them to tell us about their lives.”

Michael Welsh, the VP of TV production and development at ITN Productions, said: “We were delighted that Netflix could see the potential of this series that’s both shocking and compelling.”