CNN+ to Premiere a CNN Original Series: The Murdochs: Empire of Influence at Launch
Series is Produced with The New York Times and Left/Right and
Based on The New York Times’s Groundbreaking Article
CNN+ will premiere a new documentary series, The Murdochs: Empire of Influence, a new CNN Original Series, produced with The New York Times and Left/Right. This definitive telling of the world’s most powerful media family and their complicated history will debut exclusively on CNN+, the much-anticipated streaming subscription service that is set to launch in spring 2022 and will contribute to CNN+’s slate of original, on demand programming from the award-winning and critically acclaimed group at CNN Original Series and will be available at launch.
Based on Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg’s groundbreaking New York Times Magazine article “How Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Influence Remade the World,” this CNN Original Series explores the legacy of media mogul Rupert Murdoch and the dynasty he built. Featuring exclusive reporting from The New York Times, interviews with people who worked inside the Murdoch companies, and decades of rich archival footage, this six-part series goes behind the scenes of the improbable rise of a media tycoon, his outsized influence around the globe, and the intense succession battle between his children over who will inherit his throne. Cinematic and thrilling, The Murdochs: Empire of Influence charts the high-stakes deal making, political maneuvering, and dynastic betrayals – and how the ambitions of one family birthed one of the largest media empires in history.
“Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg’s reporting on Murdoch’s empire was revelatory and hard-hitting. We’re thrilled to expand on their work and to bring their findings to a new audience,” said Sam Dolnick, Assistant Managing Editor, The New York Times. “The mission of The New York Times is to help people understand the world. By producing this series with CNN and Left/Right, we’re pleased to bring quality, original journalism to new audiences.”
“Nothing captivates quite like family drama when an empire is at stake,” said Amy Entelis, EVP for Talent & Content Development, CNN Worldwide.“Through powerful storytelling and impeccable journalism, this series gives CNN+ subscribers a glimpse into the dynamics of one of the richest and most powerful families in the world and how they have wielded their influence.”
Executive producers for The Murdochs: Empire of Influence are Ken Druckerman, Banks Tarver, and Erica Sashin for Left/Right; Sam Dolnick and Kathleen Lingo for The New York Times; and Amy Entelis and Lyle Gamm for CNN Original Series.
Journalists Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg of The New York Times serve as consulting producers for the series.
More information about CNN+ lineup will be available in the weeks to come. Set to debut in spring 2022, announcements made to date about CNN+ can be found via the CNN Press Room.
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About CNN Original Series
The CNN Original Series group develops non-scripted programming for television via commissioned projects, acquisitions, and in-house production. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development, oversees CNN Original Series and CNN Films for CNN Worldwide. Lyle Gamm, senior vice president of current programming, supervises production of all CNN Original Series. Since 2012, the team has produced over 40 CNN Original Series, including the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown, Emmy Award-winning United Shades of America with W. Kamau Bell, and critically acclaimed series including This is Life with Lisa Ling, First Ladies, Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, the “Decades” series, American Dynasties: The Kennedys, The Windsors: Inside the Royal Dynasty, The History of Comedy, Race for the White House, and many others. For more information about CNN Original Series, please follow @CNNOriginals via Twitter, and join Keep Watching, our exclusive, members-only community that enables fans to stay engaged with their favorite CNN Original Series & Films https://cnn.it/3qOXGNz.
Press Contact:
Emily Kuhn, CNN+
emily.kuhn@warnermedia.com
Jordan Overstreet, CNN Original Series
jordan.overstreet@warnermedia.com