King of Spain

King of Spain (working title) aims to be the definitive biopic of Juan Carlos of Spain, in English, for an international audience. The script leans into the Shakespearean themes of the story (succession, impossible love, family rivalries and treason), and has no political agenda: it portrays Juan Carlos' instrumental role in taking Spain from dictatorship to democracy, but does not balk at portraying his later scandals. The core story is a Bildungsroman: a timid young boy who loses his innocence through tough trials, eventually becoming a man and a king, before losing his touch and throne.

There are thousands of ways to portray the life of such an iconic and controversial figure as Juan Carlos of Spain. The story we are choosing to focus on is that of a dictator who tries to shape a young prince as a puppet heir, and how that prince escapes that destiny to form a democracy against all obstacles. The "side stories" we are including is how he had to give up on his true love (Princess Gabriella) in the process and how he lost his reputation in his old age.