London-based documentary specialist Dogwoof, Toronto-based production company Visitor Media, New York’s Rolling Stone Films, CBC (Canada's national public broadcaster) and filmmakers Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna’s Mexico City-based production company 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. The verité-driven documentary series takes viewers inside the hunt to uncover how Wedding transformed from national hero to alleged cartel boss and international fugitive.
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. 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. As the hunt for Wedding escalates, SNOW KING incorporates firsthand accounts from the people whose lives have been irrevocably changed by the crimes he and his co-conspirators have been charged with, creating a visceral, story-driven portrait of the international drug trade – and its devastating human costs.
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. The project is the first in a multi-year development partnership between Dogwoof and Visitor Media, formed following the success of the 2024 documentary feature and CBC series Swan Song.
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.”
“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.
“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.”
“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.
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