EXCLUSIVE: Howzat! Angel City director Arlene Nelson is helming cricket doc Floodlight about the journey of a new Women’s Premier League (WPL) team in India.
Floodlight follows the mix of seasoned and emerging Indian cricketers who play alongside world-class players for the UP Warriorz in India’s WPL, which launched in 2023 and is the female equivalent to the money-spinning Indian Premier League.
Global media and and entertainment company Art&M is producing, with UTA attached for worldwide sales in an unusual TV distribution move for the U.S. agency. Jinisha Sharma from Capri Global and Dipti Agrawal and Tushar Apshankar from Tudip Entertainment are series co-producers and Art&M’s Arnab Chakraborty is showrunner.
Filmed across the UK, Australia, Dubai and India, the series looks at the WPL’s global impact and the figures driving the growth of women’s sports. The WPL offers its stars some of the largest contracts in women’s sport and has fast been accruing value.
Director Nelson was behind HBO sports doc series Angel City, which followed the inaugural season of Angel City Football Club, a National Women’s Soccer League team that was founded by Natalie Portman, and counts Eva Longoria, Jennifer Garner, Mia Hamm, Becky G and Serena Williams among its owners. She also co-directed A&E’s Secrets of Playboy, a 10-part series investigating the dark underbelly of the Playboy world, and helmed an episode of Apple TV+ docuseries Gutsy with Hillary and Chelsea Clinton.
Her new doc series Floodlight will feature “intimate scenes, compelling interviews and dynamic broadcast footage” to reveal “the aspirations, determination and challenges faced by players striving to excel in the fiercely competitive WPL.” It begins with looks into player trials, international tours and the high-stakes auction where millions of dollars exchange hands as teams stock their squads.
“Floodlight is about much more than cricket,” said Chakraborty from Art&M, which has offices in LA, London and Mumbai and headquarters in Dubai.
“It’s a story about women from the Global South who are defying expectations and changing the game, literally and figuratively. It highlights one of the wealthiest women’s sports leagues, showcasing the journey of the UP Warriorz and the power of women’s sports. This story aims to inspire both sports fans and anyone fighting for their place in the world. Together with UTA as partners, we are highlighting the global impact of female cricket and sports with this documentary.”
Tudip Entertainment is a studio focused on stories of women’s empowerment and is part of Agrawal and Apshankar’s Tupid Group, while Capri Global’s involvement in the project comes through its Capri Sports arm, which also places emphasis on female empowerment and providing opportunities.
Nelson is represented by UTA.
