Starz Developing International Organized Crime Drama From ‘Spartacus’ Duo

EXCLUSIVE: Starz has put in development Gringo, a drama written by Spartacus alums Aaron Helbing and Todd Helbing and executive produced by Steve Lee Jones (HBO’s You Don’t Know Jack) of Bee Holder Prods. Inspired by The Shadow Catcher, the nonfiction book by decorated U.S. Immigration Officer Hipolito Acosta, Gringo will chronicle a Mexican-American Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent who infiltrates one of Mexico’s most deadly drug and human smuggling cartels. Acosta, who wrote Shadow Catcher with Lisa Pulitzer, will serve as a a consultant. “Gringo provides a thrilling and uniquely personal look into international organized crime, never seen by the American public, from the viewpoint of a federal undercover agent on the front lines,” said Starz managing director Carmi Zlotnik.

Jones’ Bee Holder Prods is developing DeLorean, a miniseries with writer Adam Mazer about the auto industry maverick; series Rube, about the godfather of the porn industry Reuben Sturman; Being Reich, based on the thriller by Christopher Reich; and reality series Guilty By Association hosted by Court TV reporter Beth Karas. The CAA-repped Helbing brothers, who worked on Spartacus: War Of The Damned and Spartacus: Gods Of The Arena, are supervising producers on Starz’s Black Sails. Acosta, repped by The B.G. Dilworth Agency and Intellectual Property Group, is an expert on immigration laws, regulations, policy and procedures who has conducted extensive undercover enforcement operations domestically and abroad. He was the District Director of I&NS at the U.S. Embassy, Mexico City in charge of all I&NS operations in Latin America and the Caribbean.