Elian: The sequel

Filmworld's Elian bio-pic is already in production

Elian Gonzalez has gone home to Cuba after months of marathon media coverage, but US TV networks are betting that Americans want more.

At least two US TV networks are working on movies or mini-series about the boy, his plight and US-Cuban relations.

Elian is coming to prime time

CBS has a mini-series in development, according to a spokesperson with Los Angeles-based Craig Anderson Productions, which is working on the project for the network.

The mini-series will be more of a behind the scenes look at the political situation, the spokesperson said.

She added that the series will look at "the issues surrounding the story, rather than Elian's story".

The series hopes to dramatically review relations between the US and Cuba over the last 40 years and see how Elian affected policy between the two countries.

Right now the production company is researching the project and a script has yet to be written.

Race to the finish

But the production company knows that they have competition in producing an Elian docu-drama.

Elian will continue to get attention in the US media

"There are other projects out there, and maybe they are further ahead, but we like to have an ending to the story," the spokesperson said.

One of those competitors is the Fox Family Channel, which is also is reportedly working on a television movie due out this autumn.

Another is director Menahem Golan, who specialises in low-budget movies, whose company Filmworld is making a movie about the boy.

The director took out full-page adverts in the trade press at the Cannes Film Festival to promote his latest project.

The adverts announced that "Elian: The Gonzales-boy Story" is "shooting now in a secret location" and will be ready to hit the screens in September.