NASCAR Teams With Eugenio Derbez for Comedy Film – Variety

NASCAR is amping up its commitment to original content by teaming up with Mexican helmer-thesp Eugenio Derbez on a comedy feature.

A partnership between one of Mexico’s most powerful stars and one of the biggest brands in sports dovetails with the motorsports company’s overall original content strategy, which includes more Latino-themed projects.

NASCAR’s cachet among Latinos has grown in recent years as drivers such as Cuban-American Aric Almirola and Mexican Daniel Suarez have triumphed in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup series and NASCAR XFINITY series. Derbez raced competitively in Mexico and has a deep passion for the sport.

Derbez helmed, co-penned and toplined “Instructions Not Included,” the most successful Spanish-language release ever in the U.S., which grossed $44.5 million. Benjamin Odell, partner of Derbez’s LA-based production company, 3Pas Studios, will serve as producer of the comedy along with Derbez.

Zane Stoddard, VP of NASCAR’s entertainment, marketing and content development division, will serve as executive producer.

Other Latino-themed series includes a reality docuseries on Hispanic drivers in partnership with Cuban-American thesp-model William Levy.

As it gears up more original content, other NASCAR projects include:

* A NASCAR-themed scripted TV drama series in collaboration with producers Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, whose credits include “The Bible,” “The Voice,” “Shark Tank” and “Survivor.”

* “American Speed: The True Story of NASCAR,” an in-depth docuseries on the history of NASCAR to debut on CMT in early 2016. NASCAR has partnered with Stephen David on the project, which will combine archived footage with historical reenactments. Star race track driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. will narrate the series.

* “I Am Dale,” an original doc that premiered on Spike TV on March 2. Doc featured in-depth interviews with some of the biggest names in racing, with highlights from Earnhardt’s greatest moments on the track, and rare footage of his life off the track.