Ryan Wedding
London-based Dogwoof, Toronto-based Visitor Media, New York’s Rolling Stone Films, Canada's public broadcaster CBC and Mexico City-based La Corriente del Golfo have joined forces in the development of the docuseries "Snow King: From Olympian to Narco". The series, which draws from the comprehensive investigative reporting of Rolling Stone and the Toronto Star, charts the astonishing journey of Ryan Wedding – a former Olympic snowboarder who is now one of the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted fugitives, accused of running a violent, billion-dollar drug empire for Mexico’s most notorious cartel.
Dogwoof’s Anna Godas states: “When we first came across the story last year, we instantly knew it could become an incredible series that elevates the true crime genre by going deeper into what drives people to make certain choices, much like 'Breaking Bad'. I also knew Sean O’Neill was the right person to develop this with as he’s truly aligned to Dogwoof’s taste and ethos, and we had a great experience with 'Swan Song'.”
The Department of State is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the arrest and/or conviction of Wedding, who is wanted by the FBI for multiple charges, including orchestrating the murders of four people in Ontario, Canada. “This story is epic in scope, with shocking turns and devastating impacts. I’m thrilled to collaborate with Dogwoof, the CBC and our extraordinary partners at Rolling Stone and La Corriente del Golfo to create a series that’s as cinematically vital and thematically rich as it is propulsive and engrossing to watch,” adds Visitor’s Sean O’Neill.
TALENTED TEAM
"Snow King" is a co-production between Dogwoof and Visitor Media that is being developed in partnership with CBC, Rolling Stone Films and La Corriente del Golfo. Dogwoof senior development exec Nico Wasserman initially developed the project and is executive producer. Dogwoof CEO Anna Godas and Visitor Media President Sean O’Neill are producers. Rolling Stone CEO Gus Wenner, Rolling Stone Films SVP Jason Fine, journalist Jesse Hyde and La Corriente del Golfo’s Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna are executive producers. For CBC, Sally Catto is General Manager of Entertainment, Factual, & Sports; Jennifer Dettman is Executive Director, Unscripted Content; Sandra Kleinfeld is Senior Director, Documentary; and Michelle McCree is Executive in Charge of Production, CBC Docs.
“'Snow King' will offer crucial insights into a stranger-than-fiction Canadian story that will no doubt capture the attention of audiences across the country and around the world. We look forward to working with our recent 'Swan Song' partners Dogwoof and Visitor Media to bring this unbelievable personal journey to the screen,” said Jennifer Dettman, Executive Director, Unscripted Content, CBC.
Since January, the team has been filming across Canada, Mexico, and the U.S., working alongside expert journalists and investigators - including Rolling Stone’s Jesse Hyde, the Toronto Star’s Calvi Leon and operatives in Mexico - as well as current and former FBI agents and law enforcement officials. Together, they trace Ryan Wedding’s shocking transformation from Canadian snowboarding prodigy into alleged drug kingpin.
“For more than a decade, Rolling Stone has been tracking the saga of Ryan Wedding,” said Jason Fine, SVP, Rolling Stone Films. “We are thrilled to partner with this incredible team to delve deeper and bring to screen this sensational story at the intersection of sports and crime.”