A new report indicates Disney and ABC passed on Sylvester Stallone and Dolph Lundgren’s upcoming action drama series, The International, because it is not female-focused.
The report comes from Deadline, who indicates Disney-owned ABC was the only major network to not hear Stallone’s pitch for the show because they are focusing on “female-focused fare.” The show was reportedly pitched to Fox, CBS, NBC, Netflix, and Apple.
The International is written by Ken Sanzel and stars Lundgren as a secret operative for the United Nation’s Department of Safety and Security. According to Deadline, Lundgren’s character “is described as the UN’s secret special agent, a one-man S.W.A.T. team and hostage negotiator.”
The series comes from Tony Krantz’s Flame Ventures. Stallone will executive produce alongside his partner at Balboa Productions, Braden Aftergood. They are also joined by Craig Baumgarten of Zero Gravity.
Stallone confirmed the show on Instagram writing, “Myself and Balboa Productions are so proud to announce this incredible new show called “The International” … It’s going to be fantastic working with my old hard punching friend Dolph Lundgren.” He also promised “more info in the near future.”
Balboa Productions Projects in the Works
Balboa Productions has a number of other projects in the works. They are working on adapting legendary comic book writer Chuck Dixon’s novel series Levon Cade into a TV series.
Dixon described the series to us:
“He has his demons, but he’s never one to complain. He’s the original stoic warrior. There’s a stark contrast between Levon, the badass hunter/killer, and Levon, the loving father. He’s trying to raise his daughter and keep her safe from his past and the consequences of some of the decisions he’s made as a civilian. The two have their share of adventures together and I think Merry is a whole lot tougher than her daddy thinks she is. The apple did not fall far from the tree.”
Not only are they adapting Levon Cade, but they are working on a film adaptation of James Byron Huggins’ Hunter and Michael McGowan and Ralph Pezzullo’s Ghost: My Thirty Years as an FBI Undercover Agent. They also plan on adapting novelist Charles Sailor’s Second Son.
Stallone will also be starring in an upcoming superhero film titled, Samaritan, written by Bragi Schut. The film is described as a new, dark take on the superhero genre.
Do you think Disney might have made a mistake on passing on Stallone and Lundgren’s upcoming action drama? What network would you want to see this on?