LIGHTS, CAMERA, LIONS

Partners: Nationwide Distributors, executive produced by Kevin Richardson; distributed by National Geographic Television International

Length: 52 minutes

Wrapped: August 2011

Rights available: All TV worldwide except South Africa

Kevin Richardson is known as “the lion whisperer,” which one would figure is probably a bit more dangerous than Cesar Milan’s job. And when he took on the role of lion wrangler for White Lion, a fictional film that would in the end take four years to complete, he probably had no idea of the obstacle course that lay before him and the rest of the crew. The lions – all indigenous to South Africa – weren’t trained performers and in some cases, didn’t take too well to direction. Throw in horrible weather and rising costs, and it would be safe to say that the production process was far from “purr-fect.” This documentary traces the triumphs and travails behind the making of thefeature, and provides a window into the often untamed world of wildlife shoots.