Five-Part Docuseries ‘Boston George: Famous Without the Fortune’ Premieres on Fandor July 22nd
Cinedigm announced that Boston George: Famous Without the Fortune, the five-part docuseries about famed drug smuggler George Jung, aka “Boston George,” will premiere the first two episodes on Fandor, the ultimate streaming destination for cinephiles, July 22. Following its premiere, the company plans to drop one episode per week each Friday. In addition, Cinedigm will make each episode available on TVOD the day after it premieres.
Boston George (who passed away May 5, 2021) was portrayed by Johnny Depp in the 2001 hit feature film Blow andappeared on The New York Timesbestseller list in Bruce Porter’s Blow: How a Small Town Boy Made $100 Million With the Medellín Cocaine Cartel and Lost It All.
Hitting the peak of his drug smuggling career in the 1970s and ‘80s, Jung was an associate of the Medellín Cartel and one of the world’s most notorious and wealthiest criminal leaders, Pablo Escobar.
Described by Johnny Depp as “one of my favorite people instantly,” Jung’s life of sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll is given a new lens in the upcoming docuseries, produced by Georgette Angelos and Chris Chesson and directed by Clint Choate, as the then-75-year-old Boston George revisits decades of escapades.
Friends from all walks of life reunite with Jung to tell the ultimate outlaw narrative, featuring interviews with actor Johnny Depp, author Bruce Porter, partner Ronda Clay Spinello, friend Waino “Tuna” Tuominen (portrayed by Ethan Suplee in Blow) and former undercover DEA agent Tom Tinnerington and DEA Special Agent Mike McManus, responsible for Jung’s bust.
Said Boston George producer Georgette Angelos, “Our time spent with George was so impactful, not only as filmmakers, but as individuals. An everlasting impression we came to realize throughout the interview process was a theme for anyone who crossed George’s path. I know the audience will feel the same way after they watch the series. It was an honor to have been a part of this project, and to watch it all come to fruition, telling the whole story of the last true outlaw.”
“As a longtime fan of the movie Blow, it was an amazing opportunity to sit down with Boston George and hear these memories firsthand,” said producer Chris Chesson. “This series will give the audience a real feel of what it was like for George from both the past and present parts of his life that are now vastly different. He left a lasting impression on everyone he met, including me, and I’m lucky to have been able to call George Jung a friend.”
“Boston George was the ultimate cult icon, as famous as he was infamous,” said Phil Hopkins, president of Fandor. “Georgette and Chris have masterfully given Boston George fans an up-close-and-personal, uncensored look at the years following Blow and George’s release from prison and we couldn’t be more excited to present George’s story to audiences.”
EPISODE DESCRIPTIONS:
Part One: Some Kind of Happiness (44 Minutes)
Meet George Jung, the scotch-swilling cigarette smoker from Massachusetts who made and lost $100 million by the age of 30. Boston George’s life of “sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll” with the rich and dangerous led him running alongside a then-unknown Pablo Escobar, eventually inspiring a New York Times bestselling book and the Hollywood blockbuster Blow, starringJohnny Depp and Penélope Cruz. At 77-years-old and free from a 22-year prison sentence for drug trafficking, George reconnects with Johnny Depp, Bruce Porter and all of those who helped him to “fame without the fortune.”
Part Two: High on Tuna (33 Minutes)
If there’s one question Boston George gets about Blow, it’s “Whatever happened to Tuna?” In this episode, George shares a beer and talks about the good old days with Waino Tuominen, aka “Tuna,” portrayed by Ethan Suplee. George then heads over to Weymouth, Massachusetts, for a visit with childhood friends and fans as word of his return spreads fast.
Part Three: Dancing With the Stars (39 Minutes)
California was a second home for Boston George, a place with beaches, babes and the golden opportunity to grow the ultimate life of an outlaw. George and Tuna talk about the early days of dealing marijuana and how George set his sights on building a massive international smuggling operation, only to be left with no money to his name and facing jail time.
Part Four: Operation BLOW (45 Minutes)
Not many outlaws can say they’ve shared a meal with the same guys who helped put him away. Boston George reunites with former undercover DEA agent Tom Tinnerington and DEA Special Agent Mike McManus, the duo responsible for George’s bust in 1985, one of the largest cocaine seizures ever seen at the time.
Part Five: Retrospect (30 Minutes)
George Jung spent his life indulging in the chase; the high of the chase shaped every decision in his path. Obsessively tempted, George pursued more in everything he did; more money, more love, more adventure, more substance, all wrapped in an outlaw persona designed to feed the ego of an untouchable. In this final episode of Boston George: Famous Without the Fortune, George looks back at his life of adventure, love and loss.
About Cinedigm:
For more than 20 years, Cinedigm (NASDAQ:CIDM) has led the digital transformation of the entertainment industry. Today, Cinedigm entertains consumers around the globe by providing premium feature film and television series, enthusiast streaming channels and technology services to the world’s largest media, retail and technology companies. As a leader in the rapidly evolving streaming ecosystem, Cinedigm continues its legacy as an innovator through its adoption of next-generation technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, through its proprietary, highly-scalable Matchpoint™ technology platform. For more information, visit http://www.cinedigm.com
About Fandor:
Fandor streams thousands of handpicked, award-winning movies from around the world. With dozens of genres that include Hollywood classics, undiscovered gems, and the latest festival favorites, Fandor provides curated entertainment and original editorial offerings on desktop, iOS, Android, Roku, YouTube TV and Amazon Prime. With a rapidly expanding library and innovative partnerships, Fandor’s goal is to captivate and inspire a global community of movie lovers. Learn more at http://www.Fandor.com