From the BET awards stage in 2022 to the big screen in 2024, the leader of the opposition, the global image of UDP Leader Shyne Barrow continues to evolve.
Barrow struck a deal with The Walt Disney Company in January, and now the project which entails the production of a documentary, a movie, and series based on his life story, is on the fast track. The production crew for the documentary commenced filming in Belize this week and our team met them last night at a private reception. Jomarie Lanza reports.
The rise, fall and return of the former Prime Minister's son, Moses Shyne Barrow, is a tale every Belizean knows all too well.
From a Rapper, turned convict, turned politician, turned leader of the opposition it's hard to deny how significant the younger Barrow's evolution has been.
In fact it's a story so remarkable that it caught the attention of Disney and its partners, Andscape. In January Shyne announced his Disney deal for a documentary, a movie, and a television series to be produced based on his life.
The Disney team is in Belize now and have already started filming the documentary for Hulu. We caught up with them last night at the Cork Street Whiskey Bar at a welcome reception:
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"Well this is just a celebratory meeting, a welcome meeting. You know Disney/Andscape is happy to be here happy to be commencing production and this is just how they treat their partners you know and so i invited close family and friends because it's something to celebrate because you know how many Belizeans I don't know of any other Belizean who has had this opportunity to have their life documented by such a giant in the motion the film and motion picture industry. So it really is a celebratory moment, Disney has always been excited about the deal that's why they did the deal in the first place and so this is how they have treated me every step of the way very great partners."
Marcus Clarke - who directed the "Blood Brothers: Malcolm X and Muhammed Ali" documentary for Netflix says he has a tactile feel for Shyne's story:
Marcus A Clarke, Film Director
"Well you know i'm born and raised in Brooklyn New York, I grew up around the time Shyne's music was coming out so i have an intimate memory and recollection of when he was coming out when he was getting signed to Bad Boy his history and his story so for Brooklyn I know that its something incredibly important and his life story in general as a documentarian its the kind of stories we look for that are super interesting you know someone who has gone through evolution and has had trials tribulations throughout their life and really the story is how do you deal with the difficult things that happen in your life how do you overcome and how do you triumph."
"I remember you know the situation that he went through And so flashforward now you know 20 something years later to see what he's doing in politics and how he completely changed his life around, the direction of his life his career its an impressive story it's an important story."
For Barrow, it's important that Belize also gets some shine:
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
"So as you said this is the first of a few projects we have a tv series about my life, a motion picture about my life and the bio documentary and so this is the first and we are commencing production here in Belize as I have stated, obviously they will shoot in the united states as well, but i am so delighted that we are here in Belize doing production and hiring Belizeans they have a young man that is going to play me they are going to do some reenactments of my childhood and we have other Belizeans working on the production staff so it is a great moment that was predicted by your executive director of Channel 7 when I was on UNCUT and he says your life story is worth millions of dollars and you'll monetize it one day with some big television production company and so we are happy that Disney/Andscape which is their urban entity that we were able to do that deal and that we are able to commence production and next year you'll see the Shyne bio documentary in theaters and on streaming platforms all over the world."
The Team will continue filming in Belize in the coming weeks. The release date for the documentary will be announced the following year.
