Endemol Shine North America, a division of Banijay Americas, is expanding its relationship with acclaimed chef and author Aarón Sánchez and looking to develop potential scripted projects with the “MasterChef” judge, it was announced today by the studio’s Chief Content Officer, Sharon Levy.
Endemol Shine North America, which produces the hit Fox series “MasterChef” and “MasterChef Junior,” has optioned the rights to Sánchez’s bestselling memoir, “Where I Come From: Life Lessons From a Latino Chef,” and is currently developing it for a potential scripted series. Flavio Morales, Lisa Fahrenholt and Levy are leading development efforts for Endemol Shine.
In the memoir, Sánchez shares his amazing personal journey, as well as the inspirational story of his mother, Zarela Martinez, a culinary trailblazer who raised Sánchez and steered him to become the award-winning chef, television personality, author and philanthropist he is today.
“America knows and loves Aarón from ‘MasterChef’ and his myriad culinary accomplishments, but most people don’t know the amazing journey and the obstacles that he and his mother overcame to become pioneers of Mexican-American cuisine in this country. He has truly lived the American dream and we are excited to now be developing his unique story into a dramatic TV series and exploring additional opportunities with Aarón,” Levy said.
“It’s more important than ever to tell genuine stories of what it’s like growing up bicultural in America. We want to share the nuances that are unique to Mexican-American culture and honor those roots, while also hoping audiences from different backgrounds connect to the similarities we share – the struggles, the celebrations, the food, the comedy, the survival instincts, the relentless pursuit of happiness. I came up at a time when food was making its way into pop-culture and cooking in restaurants was our primary form of creative expression, so having this opportunity to develop in the scripted space is something I'm really looking forward to. And I couldn’t be more excited to do it with my Endemol Shine family,” Sánchez commented.