NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVES INTO THE COLORFUL WORLD OF COMPETITIVE BOLLYWOOD FUSION DANCE WITH UNSCRIPTED SERIES "LEGENDS" (W.T.)

From Academy Award(R)-Nominated Director and Creator of 'Indian Matchmaking' Smriti Mundhra, Emmy(R)- and Tony(R)-Winning Producer of '100 Foot Wave' Joe Lewis' Amplify Pictures and 30WEST, LEGENDS Follows Two Collegiate Dance Groups as They Vie for the Crown at the Legends National Championship

(PASADENA, Calif. - Feb. 8, 2024) National Geographic announced today the greenlight of LEGENDS (working title), an electrifying new competition series that follows the high-stakes world of competitive collegiate Bollywood fusion dance. Filled with rivalry, friendships and upsets, LEGENDS (working title) focuses on two Bollywood fusion dance teams who struggle to balance rigorous academic workloads and parental expectations with their intense drive to win the crown at Legends. The series is produced by Meralta Films, Amplify Pictures and 30WEST.

From Academy Award- and three-time Emmy Award-nominated director Smriti Mundhra ("St. Louis Superman," "Indian Matchmaking") and Emmy, Tony, Peabody and Golden Globe(R) Award-winning producer Joe Lewis ("100 Foot Wave," "Fleabag"), the six-part series delves into the cultural phenomenon that has swept universities across the United States.

For many Bollywood fusion dancers, the genre has proved an opportunity to express, create and perform on major stages while fostering community with their fellow first- and second-generation South Asian students. Capturing the grueling, ten-hour practice days and the personal sacrifices each dancer has to make, LEGENDS (working title) focuses on the stories of two key squads in pursuit of the national title.

A mashup of hip-hop, contemporary and pop with traditional Indian dance styles like bhangra, raas, kathak, and bharatnatyam, Bollywood fusion celebrates the convergence and beauty that emerges when two cultures meet. Every major university in the U.S. has a Bollywood fusion dance team, but only the top 10 teams in the country convene each April to compete in the Legends National Championship.

"This series is my ode to young adulthood, a universal coming-of-age story told uniquely through the South Asian lens," said Mundhra, director and executive producer. "It is the story of first-generation college students tasting freedom and chasing a glory that could transform their lives forever. I'm so honored to have the opportunity to introduce this vibrant world to Nat Geo's global audiences and hope it inspires others the way it has lit a fire for me."

"Amplify Pictures is thrilled to help bring the incredible world of competitive Bollywood fusion dancing to audiences worldwide. Through the brilliant direction of Smriti Mundhra, as well as our amazing partners at Nat Geo, LEGENDS (working title) has become not just a compelling drama about dance but a vibrant saga of youth, ambition and cultural heritage," added Lewis, executive producer and CEO of Amplify Pictures.

"National Geographic has a long and storied history of exploring different cultures and sub-cultures all around the world," said Tom McDonald, executive vice president, Global Factual and Unscripted Content, National Geographic. "In LEGENDS (working title), we're taking a very contemporary lens to a very competitive world. But more than that, we're exploring what it means to be a young first- or second-generation South Asian American in the 21st century. This is a timely series infused with high stakes and, of course, jaw-dropping dance".

LEGENDS (working title) is produced by Meralta Films, Amplify Pictures and 30WEST. For Meralta Films, Smriti Mundhra, Maya Gnyp and Nina Anand Aujla are executive producers. For Amplify Pictures, Joe Lewis, Rachel Eggebeen and Colin King Miller are executive producers. For 30WEST, executive producers include Micah Green, Daniel Steinman and Sarah Hong. For National Geographic, Betsy Forhan and Yari Lorenzo are executive producers, Bengt Anderson is senior vice president of Production, Charlie Parsons is senior vice president of Global Development, and Tom McDonald is executive vice president of Global Factual and Unscripted Content.

# # #

About National Geographic Content

Award-winning and critically acclaimed National Geographic Content, part of a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the National Geographic Society, creates and delivers riveting stories and experiences in natural history, science, adventure and exploration. Inspiring a deeper connection to the world, the content studio reaches 300 million people worldwide in 180 countries and 33 languages across the global National Geographic channels (National Geographic Channel, Nat Geo WILD, Nat Geo MUNDO), National Geographic Documentary Films, and direct-to-consumer platforms Disney+ and Hulu. Its diverse content includes Emmy(R) Award-winning franchise Genius, series Life Below Zero and Secrets of the Whales, and Oscar(R)- and BAFTA award-winning film Free Solo. In 2022, National Geographic Content was awarded eight News and Documentary Emmys, in addition to Life Below Zero's Emmy win for Outstanding Cinematography for a Reality Program, its sixth Emmy overall. For more information, visit natgeotv.com or nationalgeographic.com, or follow Nat Geo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

ABOUT MERALTA FILMS

Meralta Films is a Los Angeles and Mumbai-based production company focused on creating premium fiction and non-fiction content from the perspective of the global majority, founded by Academy Award-nominated, DGA-winning, and three-time Emmy-nominated director/producer Smriti Mundhra, alongside partners Nina Anand Aujla (Head of Films and TV) and Maya Gnyp (VP of Production).

Meralta Films' upcoming 2024 releases include films and series for Hulu, National Geographic, Paramount+ and Netflix. The company also has a dozen unscripted and scripted projects in development, including two series for Netflix with Chernin Entertainment and a film franchise called ERRANDS AND ESPIONAGE with Wayfarer Studios.

Mundhra is the creator, director, and EP of the Emmy-nominated Netflix show, INDIAN MATCHMAKING, now in its third season. She also created and directed Netflix's THE ROMANTICS, a four-part documentary series on Netflix about the history of Bollywood, featuring interviews and footage from 35 of its biggest stars. Additionally, her 2019 documentary short ST. LOUIS SUPERMAN was nominated for an Oscar and tells the story of a battle rapper-turned-Congressman lobbying for gun rights. Her second short film, SHELTER, distributed by Max, earned her a Directors' Guild Award in 2022. In addition to her extensive non-scripted success, Smriti more recently directed two episodes of Season 3 of Mindy Kaling's NEVER HAVE I EVER for Netflix/UTV and directed an episode of Amazon/Freevee's THE PRADEEPS OF PITTSBURGH, EP'ed by Michael Showalter.

ABOUT AMPLIFY PICTURES

Amplify Pictures is the pioneering independent studio that develops, finances and produces award-winning, commercially successful scripted series, documentary projects and theatrical productions, including HBO's Emmy-winning 100 Foot Wave. Founded in 2018 by Emmy, Tony and Golden Globe-winning producer and Amazon Studios co-founder Joe Lewis (Fleabag, Transparent), Amplify Pictures is helmed by CEO Lewis alongside founding partners Rachel Eggebeen, Chief Content Officer, and Colin King Miller, Chief Operating Officer.

Their unique business model focuses on investing in diverse, creator-driven, independently produced series and providing a platform for innovative, original global franchises. By partnering with creators and sharing in the project's success - as well as the willingness to greenlight a show without a distributor or broadcast partner - the company is revolutionizing the traditional television process. With offices in Los Angeles, New York and Amsterdam, Amplify Pictures is capitalizing on the demand for global content.

The second season of Amplify Pictures' hit series 100 Foot Wave received six Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series and took home the Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program. The first season of 100 Foot Wave won an Emmy for Outstanding Cinematography for a Nonfiction Program as well as a PGA Award for Outstanding Sports Program. This summer, HBO announced season three of the big wave docuseries.

Amplify Pictures has recently expanded their theater production division and is a co-producer on Gutenberg! The Musical!, starring Grammy award-winners Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. Directed by Tony Award winner Alex Timbers, the show is currently on Broadway.

For more information, please visit https://amplifypics.com/

ABOUT 30WEST

30WEST is an investment and advisory firm specializing in the media, entertainment, and lifestyle industries. The privately held company manages a growing portfolio of companies including acclaimed film distributor NEON, leading European film and TV studio Altitude Media Group, emerging streaming platform Special and the experiential entertainment company Constellation Immersive. 30WEST's in-house studio has helped assemble and finance many of the last half-decade's most memorable projects, from streaming breakouts "Tiger King" and Fyre to award-winning theatrical features including: Ruben Östlund's Triangle of Sadness with Woody Harrelson which won the 2022 Palme d'Or; The Mauritanian, starring Jodie Foster, Benedict Cumberbatch and Tahar Rahim; Late Night, starring Mindy Kaling and Emma Thompson; I, Tonya starring Margot Robbie; The Contractor starring Chris Pine; and FLEE which was nominated for three Academy Awards.

The slate includes The Crow with Bill Skarsgård and FKA Twigs and Hell of a Summer written and directed by Finn Wolfhard and Billy Bryk, which made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival.