The Miami Herald
January 26, 2000
 
 
CBS signs deal for miniseries on Elian drama

 BY TERRY JACKSON

 Elian Gonzalez: survivor of a tragedy, focus of a bitter custody feud, international
 symbol of the fight against Communism.

 And subject of the perfect made-for-TV movie plot.

 The tale of the world's most famous 6-year-old has gotten the attention of CBS,
 which has signed a deal with a production company to turn Elian's saga into a
 two-part, four-hour miniseries, a network executive confirmed Tuesday.

 The only major hurdle: How will the movie end?

 A CBS entertainment executive, who would not be quoted by name, said there
 are too many loose ends to the real story to predict when a script might be
 finished and when the TV movie might air. Industry speculation has the network
 rushing to film the movie so it could be ready for the ratings sweeps period in
 May, when the case would still be fresh in people's minds. But the network official
 said that was largely wishful thinking.

 ''It's not likely to happen that quickly. They haven't even hired a writer yet,'' the
 executive said.

 Craig Anderson Productions -- which produced the upcoming CBS miniseries
 Sally Hemings: An American Scandal, about the relationship between President
 Thomas Jefferson and Hemings, his slave mistress -- will handle the Elian movie.

 Ripped-from-the-headlines stories always have been fertile ground for television.
 This season, the infamous cases of Mary Kay Letourneau, the Seattle teacher
 who had an ongoing affair with a 14-year-old boy, and the Chicago woman whose
 baby was forcibly removed from her womb have been TV movie fodder. CBS is
 also working on a film about the murder of JonBenet Ramsey.

 When a story with television potential erupts, a movie producer often will quickly
 sign contracts with the principal characters to lock up rights to their story. But
 that doesn't appear to have been the case with Elian's tale.

 Delfin Gonzalez, Elian's great-uncle, said Tuesday the family knew nothing about
 a planned CBS movie. But because so much of Elian's story has already been
 made public, a movie could be made without compensating the family or getting
 their permission.

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald