Presented by CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with TIME Studios, the documentary tells the story of America’s most prolific opioid kingpins.
Promo: https://cnncreativemarketing.com/project/american-pain/
NEW YORK, NY – (January 11, 2023) – American Pain, from Academy Award-nominated Motto Pictures and Emmy® Award-winning director Darren Foster, will premiere for television on Sunday, February 5 at 9pm ET/PT on CNN. Heralded as “a bruising and vital piece of film journalism” and “akin to Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street,” American Pain had its world premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival and traces the rise and fall of Floridians Chris and Jeff George, identical twins who trafficked more than $500 million in opioid pills in the United States.
“American Pain is the story of the greatest drug racket to hit the Sunshine State since the cocaine cowboys of the 1980s,” said Darren Foster, director of American Pain. “The George brothers were the biggest players among a colorful cast of characters who made millions during Florida’s pill mill boom. Together with their trusty suppliers – a pharmaceutical industry pumping out billions of powerful and addictive pills – they fueled the worst drug epidemic in American history.”
In just a few short years of operation, the Georges created one of the largest opioid pill mill empires in the nation, attracting clients from around the country. Weaving together hundreds of hours of FBI wiretap recordings, undercover videos, and exclusive jailhouse interviews with the twins themselves, this fast-paced thriller traces the Georges’ rise and fall, corruption and violence, which ultimately led to the ruin of scores of lives, including their own.
“The on-going opioid epidemic is at the forefront of our national conversation on public health,” said Amy Entelis, executive vice president for talent and content development for CNN Worldwide. “Through Darren’s carefully-researched and compelling film, it is urgent to amplify this important issue that continues to impact Americans across the country.”
American Pain is produced by Motto Pictures, Muck Media, and Fishbowl Films for CNN Films and HBO Max, in association with TIME Studios. Academy Award-nominated, Emmy® Award-winning producers Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, and Carolyn Hepburn of Motto Pictures are producers, alongside Diane Becker of Fishbowl Films. Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton of CNN Films are executive producers.
American Pain will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com and CNN OTT and mobile apps, or CNNgo where available. The film will be available On Demand beginning Monday, February 6, to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms.
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About CNN Films
The CNN Films group develops and produces nonfiction feature and short films for television, streaming, theatrical distribution, and festival exhibition. Amy Entelis, executive vice president of talent and content development, oversees CNN Original Series and CNN Films for CNN Worldwide. Alexandra Hannibal, vice president of CNN Films, supervises production of CNN Films. Since 2012, the team has produced over 60 feature-length and shorts for CNN Films, including Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher, about the attempted assassination of Russian opposition leader, Alexey Navalny, which won the Audience Award at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival; The Last Movie Stars, directed by Ethan Hawke about the lives and careers of actors and humanitarians Joanne Woodward and Paul Newman, which is available on HBO Max; Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, directed by Emmy® Award winners Julie Cohen and Betsy West; Emmy® Award-winner Dreamland: The Burning Of Black Wall Street, directed by Salima Koroma; Three Identical Strangers, directed by Tim Wardle, nominated for an Emmy® Award and a BAFTA; Linda Ronstadt: The Sound Of My Voice, which won Best Music Film at the 63rd Annual Grammy® Awards; the Primetime Emmy® Award-winning RBG which was also nominated for an Academy Award® and a BAFTA; and Apollo 11, directed by Todd Douglas Miller and nominated for five Primetime Emmy® Awards; and many others. CNN Films can be found on CNN, the CNN Originals hub on discovery+, HBO Max, and for pay TV subscription via CNN.com, CNN apps and cable operator platforms. For more information about CNN Films, please follow @CNNFilms via Twitter, and join Keep Watching, an exclusive, members-only community that enables fans to stay engaged with their favorite CNN Original Series & Films https://cnn.it/3qOXGNz.
About Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ: WBD) is a leading global media and entertainment company that creates and distributes the world’s most differentiated and complete portfolio of content and brands across television, film, and streaming. Available in more than 220 countries and territories and 50 languages, Warner Bros. Discovery inspires, informs and entertains audiences worldwide through its iconic brands and products including: Discovery Channel, discovery+, CNN, DC, Eurosport, HBO, HBO Max, HGTV, Food Network, OWN, Investigation Discovery, TLC, Magnolia Network, TNT, TBS, truTV, Travel Channel, MotorTrend, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Warner Bros. Pictures, Warner Bros. Television, WB Games, New Line Cinema, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Discovery en Español, Hogar de HGTV, and others. For more information, please visit www.wbd.com.
Press Contacts
Jordan Overstreet
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Sophie Tran
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