LOS ANGELES, Oct. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kevin Hart’s HartBeat Productions and Driven Studios today announced their partnership in production of a premium documentary series that follows the SSC Tuatara’s journey to become the world’s fastest car in what has been called “the Fyre Festival of automobiles.”
The controversy began in October 2020, when SSC’s CEO Jerod Shelby made a world speed record attempt on a remote seven-mile stretch of road in Nevada, and claimed they broke the much sought after 300 mph barrier that had once seemed beyond reach. After over 150 major media outlets including the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal shared the news, a viral video of the run was released by BBC's Top Gear that had online critics questioning the legitimacy of the record. In one blindingly fast moment, Shelby’s life changed forever; SSC went from popping Champagne to an explosion of controversy that they had never expected. After being forced to walk back the claim, Shelby made a commitment to try again to top 300 mph, this time with complete transparency. That upcoming attempt will be exclusively covered by the production team to be released with the American Hypercar docuseries.
HartBeat Productions and Driven Studios have the exclusive rights to the project and are holding never-before-seen interviews and footage of the controversial 2020 run and the conflict that has ensued leading up to the next attempt - slotted for Fall 2021. All eyes will be on Shelby, from hypercar rivals to car enthusiasts, ready to parse the video and data for any hint of deception or misdirection.
Once complete, HartBeat Productions and Driven Studios will take the docuseries to market with the goal of finding a partner for distribution.
“While covering what we thought was a historical moment in automotive history, we stumbled upon a much more compelling human-interest story that culminated in this controversial moment that came crashing down on Shelby and SSC,” said Michael George, founder of Driven Studios. “We’ve continued following them as they fight to win back their reputation in the pursuit of redemption.”
The project is being produced by HartBeat Productions and Driven Studios. Kevin Hart, Bryan Smiley, Mike Stein, and Harry Ratchford will Executive Produce for HartBeat. Matt Swanson and Michael George will Executive Produce for Driven Studios along with showrunners Tod Mesirow and Jennifer Ducker. Greg Pedicin of Gersh facilitated the partnership across multiple projects.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Malory Van Guilder, Skyya PR for Driven Studios
Haley Hileman, Viewpoint PR for HartBeat Productions
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ba8573d2-873f-47a1-99f4-f965634c5628.
