Simon Cowell Teams With ‘Drive To Survive’ Outfit Box To Box Films In Search For 1D-Style Boy Band

Simon Cowell is embarking on a new kind of talent search.

The Got Talent impresario has teamed with Box to Box Films, the prolific producer behind Netflix hit Formula 1: Drive to Survive, to film a hunt for a One Direction-style boy band.

Cowell will audition hopefuls across the UK from next month, with open days taking place in Newcastle, Dublin, Liverpool, and London.

In a press notice announcing the auditions, organizers said the talent hunt is a stripped-back affair, swapping shiny-floor studios and TV audience votes for core talent discovery.

Box to Box Films is following the journey for a “potential documentary series,” but it is not clear if the project has found a home on a streamer or broadcaster.

A recent report in The Sun (a newspaper Cowell keeps close) said a potential Netflix deal is in the offing after he held talks with streamers about the documentary.

Cowell said: “Every generation deserves a megastar boyband and I don’t think there has been one to have the success of One Direction in over 14 years. The industry tends to focus on solo artists – so it usually takes someone from outside to put a group together.

“There’s always a high degree of risk and I genuinely have no idea what’s going to happen! We might uncover an incredible group; we might not get there. What if no one shows up to auditions? That could be awkward. There is no guaranteed path to success – anything can happen, but that’s what’s exciting for me and that’s why I’m doing this.”