Spain’s film and TV industries are in their second wave as standout content providers for global streamers. Some of the country’s most intriguing titles will take the international stage this weekend at MipTV in Cannes.
Built on a foundation of hits such as “The Red Band Society,” “Grand Hotel,” “Velvet” and “Locked Up,” a new era of internationally renowned content creation in Spain kicked off in 2018 with Alex Pina’s blockbuster series “Money Heist,” picked up by Netflix.
Since then, Spain has enjoyed a place among the steadiest content suppliers for major players worldwide, taking advantage of its often character-driven dramas, high-quality creators and producers, and a language spoken by more than 600 million people around the globe.
Although the market is continuously evolving, local industry has adapted to different new business models, entering bigger and more ambitious productions, often via co-production. Spanish fiction’s global popularity continues to grow to accommodate audience appetites.
Built on a foundation of hits such as “The Red Band Society,” “Grand Hotel,” “Velvet” and “Locked Up,” a new era of internationally renowned content creation in Spain kicked off in 2018 with Alex Pina’s blockbuster series “Money Heist,” picked up by Netflix.
Since then, Spain has enjoyed a place among the steadiest content suppliers for major players worldwide, taking advantage of its often character-driven dramas, high-quality creators and producers, and a language spoken by more than 600 million people around the globe.
Although the market is continuously evolving, local industry has adapted to different new business models, entering bigger and more ambitious productions, often via co-production. Spanish fiction’s global popularity continues to grow to accommodate audience appetites.
- 4/5/2024
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
Miami — In two signs of the growing dynamism of Catalonia’s TV scene, Barcelona-based film-tv indie studio Filmax has licensed “Dating in Barcelona” to Amazon’s Prime Video.
Produced by Filmax, Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and Prime Video in Spain, “Dating in Barcelona” bowed last year in Spain to big ratings, both on its first-window debut on 3Cat and on Prime Video, where it bowed to become one of the streaming service’s most-watched debuts. A modern take on romance and sex in an online age, “Dating in Barcelona” also reflects a swing in TV towards a lighter, more episodic fare, whether in crime thrillers or other categories. Each episode features two dates which, as Variety has observed, play off each other.
Powered in creative terms by Pau Freixas, behind iconic series from “Red Band Society” to “I Know Who You Are” and “Todos Mienten,” all produced by Filmax, “Dating...
Produced by Filmax, Catalan public broadcaster 3Cat and Prime Video in Spain, “Dating in Barcelona” bowed last year in Spain to big ratings, both on its first-window debut on 3Cat and on Prime Video, where it bowed to become one of the streaming service’s most-watched debuts. A modern take on romance and sex in an online age, “Dating in Barcelona” also reflects a swing in TV towards a lighter, more episodic fare, whether in crime thrillers or other categories. Each episode features two dates which, as Variety has observed, play off each other.
Powered in creative terms by Pau Freixas, behind iconic series from “Red Band Society” to “I Know Who You Are” and “Todos Mienten,” all produced by Filmax, “Dating...
- 1/24/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Founded in 1953, bought by Julio Fernández in 1987 and now run by his brother Carlos Fernandez and daughter Laura Fernández, Filmax is one of its biggest true-blue independent studios in Spain, involved in film and TV production, and movie distribution, international film and TV sales and exhibition.
How it got there is another question. “At Filmax, we’ve always bet on creative talent. In Spain, there’s always been creative talents that have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax executive producer. “Filmax has known how to find talent in all parts of film production: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and directors.”
Jaume Balagueró’s “Nameless” gave Filmax its first experience of fulsome international pre-sales at 1999’s Mifed, helping to usher in a golden age of Spanish auteur genre that resonates to this day.
A director on “Polseres Vermelles,” the original Catalan version of “The Red Band Society...
How it got there is another question. “At Filmax, we’ve always bet on creative talent. In Spain, there’s always been creative talents that have revolutionized its sector: Architects, artists and designers,” says Laura Fernández, a Filmax executive producer. “Filmax has known how to find talent in all parts of film production: Composers, screenwriters, DPs, casting, VFX and directors.”
Jaume Balagueró’s “Nameless” gave Filmax its first experience of fulsome international pre-sales at 1999’s Mifed, helping to usher in a golden age of Spanish auteur genre that resonates to this day.
A director on “Polseres Vermelles,” the original Catalan version of “The Red Band Society...
- 5/18/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
In April 2018, Netflix announced that Spanish heist thriller “Money Heist” (“La Casa de Papel”) had become the U.S. streaming service’s most-watched non-English series ever.
With a Spanish series crowned as the first foreign-language blockbuster at the company that has transformed entertainment worldwide, Spain’s expansion — long nurtured by hits such as “The Red Band Society,” “Grand Hotel” and “Locked Up” — well and truly lifted off.
Building on that success, in March 2021, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled the Avs Hub Plan, which would invest €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) into Spain’s audiovisual sector.
For a country in which the word españolada was used to write off supposed second-rate homegrown fare, the re-positioning of Spain’s film and TV industries as core drivers in its digital post-pandemic “reindustrialization” is little short of a revolution. Spain, Cannes Marché du Film’s 2023 country of honor, now accounts for seven of the 20 entries in...
With a Spanish series crowned as the first foreign-language blockbuster at the company that has transformed entertainment worldwide, Spain’s expansion — long nurtured by hits such as “The Red Band Society,” “Grand Hotel” and “Locked Up” — well and truly lifted off.
Building on that success, in March 2021, Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez unveiled the Avs Hub Plan, which would invest €1.6 billion ($1.8 billion) into Spain’s audiovisual sector.
For a country in which the word españolada was used to write off supposed second-rate homegrown fare, the re-positioning of Spain’s film and TV industries as core drivers in its digital post-pandemic “reindustrialization” is little short of a revolution. Spain, Cannes Marché du Film’s 2023 country of honor, now accounts for seven of the 20 entries in...
- 5/10/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Picture Tree Intl. has picked up international sales duties on “Manta Manta: Legacy,” directed by and starring Til Schweiger. The action comedy is a sequel to the first “Manta, Manta” feature film from 1991, with a market premiere for both movies planned at the Cannes Film Market.
Released by Constantin Film Verleih on March 30, “Manta Manta: Legacy” has reached over 800,000 admissions and was the number one movie in Germany in its opening week.
Produced by Bernd Eichinger, Peter Zenk and Martin Moszkowicz, and directed by Wolfgang Büld, the first movie launched the acting career of Schweiger in a newly reunified Germany. Generating more than 1.2 million theatrical admissions, the film went on to be the most successful film on German commercial television.
“Manta Manta: Legacy” reunites the leading cast of the 1991 original: Schweiger, Tina Ruland (“Ants in the Pants”) and Michael Kessler. The ensemble cast also includes Tim Oliver Schultz, Luna Schweiger,...
Released by Constantin Film Verleih on March 30, “Manta Manta: Legacy” has reached over 800,000 admissions and was the number one movie in Germany in its opening week.
Produced by Bernd Eichinger, Peter Zenk and Martin Moszkowicz, and directed by Wolfgang Büld, the first movie launched the acting career of Schweiger in a newly reunified Germany. Generating more than 1.2 million theatrical admissions, the film went on to be the most successful film on German commercial television.
“Manta Manta: Legacy” reunites the leading cast of the 1991 original: Schweiger, Tina Ruland (“Ants in the Pants”) and Michael Kessler. The ensemble cast also includes Tim Oliver Schultz, Luna Schweiger,...
- 4/17/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish titles at MipTV:
“The Argonauts and the Golden Coin,” (Rtve)
A live action kids adventure, targeting 8-12s, from national public broadcaster Rtve and Galician powerhouse Portocabo as Rtve drives into regional co-production. Set over a summer in Galicia and inspired by the spirit of “The Famous Five” and “The Goonies,” translated to the 21st century.
“The Caravan,” (Cabal Films)
Selected for the inaugural MipDoc International Buyer Screenings, a first-person account of an eight-month pregnant woman in a caravan of Central American immigrants heading to the U.S.
“Dating in Barcelona,” (Filmax)
The latest from Filmax, behind “The Red Band Society” and “They All Lie,” following different romantic encounters of people who have met online.
“Dover: Die for Rock & Roll,” (Begin Again Films)
Doc feature on the Seattle/Jean Jett-inspired Spanish band, behind “Devil Came to Me,” and icon of late ‘90s Spanish alternative pop rock.
“Greenpeace,” (Zona Mixta...
“The Argonauts and the Golden Coin,” (Rtve)
A live action kids adventure, targeting 8-12s, from national public broadcaster Rtve and Galician powerhouse Portocabo as Rtve drives into regional co-production. Set over a summer in Galicia and inspired by the spirit of “The Famous Five” and “The Goonies,” translated to the 21st century.
“The Caravan,” (Cabal Films)
Selected for the inaugural MipDoc International Buyer Screenings, a first-person account of an eight-month pregnant woman in a caravan of Central American immigrants heading to the U.S.
“Dating in Barcelona,” (Filmax)
The latest from Filmax, behind “The Red Band Society” and “They All Lie,” following different romantic encounters of people who have met online.
“Dover: Die for Rock & Roll,” (Begin Again Films)
Doc feature on the Seattle/Jean Jett-inspired Spanish band, behind “Devil Came to Me,” and icon of late ‘90s Spanish alternative pop rock.
“Greenpeace,” (Zona Mixta...
- 4/14/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Coming Next from Spain, a showcase of five series, unspooled at Series Mania on March 21 just after a Spanish series, “Wrong Side of the Tracks” from Mediaset España and Alea Media, had scored 149.6 million watching hours in three weeks on Netflix for Seasons 1 and 2.
That platform connection and power of Spanish series threaded most of the series and much of the commentary at Tuesday’s Next from Spain, supported by Audiiovisual from Spain.
At least in terms of titles now ready to hit the market, there’s little sign as yet of platform pullback in Spain. Rather, it remains a ground zero in the streamer wars.
2023 will see the release of 70 new Spanish scripted series and 27 returning seasons of titles such as “Elite” “Rapa” “30 Coins” and “Veneno,” presenter Irene Jiménez, at Audiovisual 451, told a Next From Spain audience.
Of these new titles, 36% will be produced by linear TV broadcasters,...
That platform connection and power of Spanish series threaded most of the series and much of the commentary at Tuesday’s Next from Spain, supported by Audiiovisual from Spain.
At least in terms of titles now ready to hit the market, there’s little sign as yet of platform pullback in Spain. Rather, it remains a ground zero in the streamer wars.
2023 will see the release of 70 new Spanish scripted series and 27 returning seasons of titles such as “Elite” “Rapa” “30 Coins” and “Veneno,” presenter Irene Jiménez, at Audiovisual 451, told a Next From Spain audience.
Of these new titles, 36% will be produced by linear TV broadcasters,...
- 3/24/2023
- by John Hopewell and Callum McLennan
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish actors Joana and Mireia Vilapuig, who rose to fame with Spanish television phenomenon “The Red Band Society,” star in the drama series “Selftape,” which they co-wrote with Ivan Mercadé, Carlos Robisco and Clara Esparrach. The show plays at Series Mania this week ahead of its bow on the Spanish VOD platform Filmin on April 4.
The Vilapuig sisters spoke to Variety about the dark side of adolescent acting, and their experiences as young women working in showbiz.
“Selftape’s” story is based on their experiences as young stars, documenting their struggles after unforeseen circumstances bring them back together, wading through the trauma created by early fame.
With authentic clips from old audition tapes and a slow-burn plot that escalates as the past unfurls, audiences can expect themes of competition, regret, longing and disillusion to emerge through each of the show’s six episodes.
Bàrbara Farré directs the project, which was produced by Filmax,...
The Vilapuig sisters spoke to Variety about the dark side of adolescent acting, and their experiences as young women working in showbiz.
“Selftape’s” story is based on their experiences as young stars, documenting their struggles after unforeseen circumstances bring them back together, wading through the trauma created by early fame.
With authentic clips from old audition tapes and a slow-burn plot that escalates as the past unfurls, audiences can expect themes of competition, regret, longing and disillusion to emerge through each of the show’s six episodes.
Bàrbara Farré directs the project, which was produced by Filmax,...
- 3/22/2023
- by Holly Jones
- Variety Film + TV
Daniel Brühl is set to star as late fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld in “Kaiser Karl,” the anticipated Disney+ original series which Gaumont (“Lupin”) is currently producing. The show is currently shooting in France, Monaco and Italy.
The six-part series will chronicle the rise of Karl Lagerfeld through the world of 1970s Parisian high fashion. In 1972, a 38-year-old Karl Lagerfeld aspired to become the most famous French fashion designer, at a time when Yves Saint Laurent reigned supreme. Lagerfeld went on to become the head designer and creative director of Chanel, Fendi and his own label.
The series will also explore the rivalry between Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent’s partner Pierre Berge, as well as his love story with Jacques de Bascher.
Along with depicting the clan rivalries and ego battles of the high fashion world, the series will also portray the epic partying and decadence, tragic love affairs and...
The six-part series will chronicle the rise of Karl Lagerfeld through the world of 1970s Parisian high fashion. In 1972, a 38-year-old Karl Lagerfeld aspired to become the most famous French fashion designer, at a time when Yves Saint Laurent reigned supreme. Lagerfeld went on to become the head designer and creative director of Chanel, Fendi and his own label.
The series will also explore the rivalry between Lagerfeld and Yves Saint Laurent’s partner Pierre Berge, as well as his love story with Jacques de Bascher.
Along with depicting the clan rivalries and ego battles of the high fashion world, the series will also portray the epic partying and decadence, tragic love affairs and...
- 3/8/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Barcelona-based indie studio Filmax is hailing into Content Americas selling the semi-autobiographical series “Selftape,” made by members of a new generation of women TV writers and directors now building in Spain.
Described as fiction with autobiographical overtones, the series revolves around the real-life Spanish actresses and sisters, Joana Vilapuig and Mireia Vilapuig who, in a personal touch, found fame as teen actresses in “The Red Band Society,” one of Filmax’s most successful TV productions ever. A decade on, now 27 and 25, they are now figuring out how to move their careers forward and trying to find their place in the film-tv industry and life in a present which is far from certain. That sums up the malaise of much of their generation.
The sisters co-wrote the series with Ivan Mercadé, Carlos Robisco (“Lucky Strike”) and Clara Esparrach (“Three Days of Christmas”).
Bàrbara Farré directs. Her credits include the award-winning short...
Described as fiction with autobiographical overtones, the series revolves around the real-life Spanish actresses and sisters, Joana Vilapuig and Mireia Vilapuig who, in a personal touch, found fame as teen actresses in “The Red Band Society,” one of Filmax’s most successful TV productions ever. A decade on, now 27 and 25, they are now figuring out how to move their careers forward and trying to find their place in the film-tv industry and life in a present which is far from certain. That sums up the malaise of much of their generation.
The sisters co-wrote the series with Ivan Mercadé, Carlos Robisco (“Lucky Strike”) and Clara Esparrach (“Three Days of Christmas”).
Bàrbara Farré directs. Her credits include the award-winning short...
- 1/23/2023
- by Liza Foreman
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish distributors, who have enjoyed a strong track record selling remake rights to local pics, have received a major boost this year with the Malaga Festival Industry Zone’s (Mafiz) inaugural Remake Day event on Thursday.
Leading film sales companies, among them Cinema Republic, Latido Films, Filmax and Feel Content, presented showcases of films considered particularly adaptable to foreign markets. Not surprisingly, comedies and genre pics made up most of the selections.
David Castellanos’ Cinema Republic offered one strong example with Borja Cobeaga’s hit 2009 romantic comedy “Pagafantas,” which has over the years sold to Germany, Italy and Mexico.
Cinema Republic also touted Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wedding” (“La Boda de Rosa”), about a woman in her mid-40s who decides to finally take charge of her life and fulfill her dream of starting a business.
In Robert Bellsolà’s 2014 laffer “Dos a la Carta” (“Menu for Two”), another Cinema Republic title,...
Leading film sales companies, among them Cinema Republic, Latido Films, Filmax and Feel Content, presented showcases of films considered particularly adaptable to foreign markets. Not surprisingly, comedies and genre pics made up most of the selections.
David Castellanos’ Cinema Republic offered one strong example with Borja Cobeaga’s hit 2009 romantic comedy “Pagafantas,” which has over the years sold to Germany, Italy and Mexico.
Cinema Republic also touted Icíar Bollaín’s “Rosa’s Wedding” (“La Boda de Rosa”), about a woman in her mid-40s who decides to finally take charge of her life and fulfill her dream of starting a business.
In Robert Bellsolà’s 2014 laffer “Dos a la Carta” (“Menu for Two”), another Cinema Republic title,...
- 3/24/2022
- by Ed Meza
- Variety Film + TV
Lasting just three seasons, the American version of The X Factor didn’t have the staying power of international versions of the show. But to its credit, Fox’s The X Factor did give talented individuals and groups their start in showbiz. We haven’t heard much from the X Factor winners recently, but many of the runners-up have found success after the show. So now, with December 22 marking the 10th anniversary of the Season 1 finale, we’re checking in with some of those notable alums. Astro The rapper—born Brian Bradley, now going by Stro—starred as Dash Hosney in the Fox teen drama The Red Band Society between 2014 and 2015 and as Calvin Walker in the 2019 Netflix sci-fi film See You Yesterday. He also dropped out of a starring role on HBO’s Euphoria, with sources telling The Hollywood Reporter he ...
- 12/22/2021
- TV Insider
Disney Plus has acquired Latin American broadcast rights to animated musical “Turu and the Wackies,” a 26-episode CGI spin-off series from the hit 2019 toon movie “Turu, the Wacky Hen,” a Spanish Academy best animated feature winner that Filmax has sold to 75 countries.
In further deals, Spanish public broadcaster Rtve has taken broadcast rights in Spain and A’Punt those to Spain’s Valencia region.
An ode to diversity, “Turu, the Wacky Hen” turns on a hen which can’t lay eggs but, when taken in by Isabel, an elderly lady and ex music teacher, discovers that it can speak to humans. Also, it sure can sing.
In the Spanish-Argentine series, which is being sold internationally by Filmax, Turu sets up a band with his farm friends: the elegant little pig Rhythm, who plays guitar, and energetic sheep Beat, on drums. Together they discover the world around them through adventures and...
In further deals, Spanish public broadcaster Rtve has taken broadcast rights in Spain and A’Punt those to Spain’s Valencia region.
An ode to diversity, “Turu, the Wacky Hen” turns on a hen which can’t lay eggs but, when taken in by Isabel, an elderly lady and ex music teacher, discovers that it can speak to humans. Also, it sure can sing.
In the Spanish-Argentine series, which is being sold internationally by Filmax, Turu sets up a band with his farm friends: the elegant little pig Rhythm, who plays guitar, and energetic sheep Beat, on drums. Together they discover the world around them through adventures and...
- 4/12/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Partners on “The Red Band Society,” “I Know Who You Are” and “Welcome to the Family,” Barcelona-based studio Filmax and writer-director Pau Freixas are set to re-team on “The New Thirties,” a sci-fi laced comedy set on the idyllic Mediterranean island of Formentera.
Penned by Eric Navarro and Natalia Durán, the writing duo behind recent Netflix hit romcom “Crazy for Her,” “The New Thirties” will be showrun by Navarro, supervised by Freixas.
An eight-part half hour, it will be directed by Paco Caballero, who helmed episodes of dysfunctional family saga “Welcome to the Family” on which Navarro served as head writer as Filmax seeks to bring on key members of its creative team to help Freixas lead in creative terms its energetic expansion as a drama series producer.
Billed by Filmax as a comedy about the passing of time and the fear of commitment, “The New Thirties” begins with Alberto,...
Penned by Eric Navarro and Natalia Durán, the writing duo behind recent Netflix hit romcom “Crazy for Her,” “The New Thirties” will be showrun by Navarro, supervised by Freixas.
An eight-part half hour, it will be directed by Paco Caballero, who helmed episodes of dysfunctional family saga “Welcome to the Family” on which Navarro served as head writer as Filmax seeks to bring on key members of its creative team to help Freixas lead in creative terms its energetic expansion as a drama series producer.
Billed by Filmax as a comedy about the passing of time and the fear of commitment, “The New Thirties” begins with Alberto,...
- 4/11/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Germany’s Beta Film has picked up world sales on two tales of Spanish power women: Movistar Plus’ originals “Supernormal” and “You Shall Not Lie,” the latter created and directed by “The Red Band Society” helmer Pau Freixas.
Written by Olatz Arroyo and Marta Sánchez, head writers on Atresmedia hit “Down There,” “Supernormal” is directed by Emilio Martínez Lazaro, whose credits take in “Spanish Affair,” the highest grossing Spanish film of all time in Spain. A six-part half-hour, it stars Miren Ibarguren as Patricia, a hyper over-achiever who has it all: a top job at an investment bank, a loving husband and three children, a lovely house in a leafy Madrid suburb. But she wants far more, especial when battling rival Mauro for promotion in the man-dominated high finance world.
A six-hour crime drama-thriller, “You Shall Not Lie” (“Todos Mienten”) is produced by Filmax, the Barcelona-based production-distribution-sales studio behind Freixas...
Written by Olatz Arroyo and Marta Sánchez, head writers on Atresmedia hit “Down There,” “Supernormal” is directed by Emilio Martínez Lazaro, whose credits take in “Spanish Affair,” the highest grossing Spanish film of all time in Spain. A six-part half-hour, it stars Miren Ibarguren as Patricia, a hyper over-achiever who has it all: a top job at an investment bank, a loving husband and three children, a lovely house in a leafy Madrid suburb. But she wants far more, especial when battling rival Mauro for promotion in the man-dominated high finance world.
A six-hour crime drama-thriller, “You Shall Not Lie” (“Todos Mienten”) is produced by Filmax, the Barcelona-based production-distribution-sales studio behind Freixas...
- 4/9/2021
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Rebecca Rittenhouse has been cast as the titular lead in the ABC pilot “Maggie.”
Hailing from 20th Television for the alphabet network, “Maggie” is a single-camera comedy based on Tim Curcio’s short film of the same name. It is about a young woman who is trying to cope with her life while she comes to terms with her abilities as a psychic.
Rittenhouse’s character Maggie is described as “quick-witted, charming and soulful” and is noted to be a “real deal” when it comes to her psychic abilities. Her visions of the future will complicate her present-day reality, as she receives a “pummeling assault of energy from every person around her.” While this makes her “intensely sensitive,” it has also resulted in her need to put up emotional walls as a defense mechanism. Underneath them, though, she is really a “huge romantic with a big heart” and someone who...
Hailing from 20th Television for the alphabet network, “Maggie” is a single-camera comedy based on Tim Curcio’s short film of the same name. It is about a young woman who is trying to cope with her life while she comes to terms with her abilities as a psychic.
Rittenhouse’s character Maggie is described as “quick-witted, charming and soulful” and is noted to be a “real deal” when it comes to her psychic abilities. Her visions of the future will complicate her present-day reality, as she receives a “pummeling assault of energy from every person around her.” While this makes her “intensely sensitive,” it has also resulted in her need to put up emotional walls as a defense mechanism. Underneath them, though, she is really a “huge romantic with a big heart” and someone who...
- 3/25/2021
- by Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Jaime Rosales shooting the life-affirming Girasoles silvestres - Production / Funding - Spain/France
The filmmaker is directing Anna Castillo and Oriol Pla in an optimistic, passionate and intense story that unfolds in various settings in Catalonia and the city of Melilla. The shoot for the new film by Jaime Rosales, Girasoles silvestres (lit. “Wild Sunflowers”), kicked off a few days ago in his home town of Barcelona. The movie stars Anna Castillo (whom we saw last year in Adú), who breathes life into a mother in search of true love, but who, above all else, battles to protect her children, and Oriol Pla, playing a boy who embarks on a relationship with her. The cast is topped off by Quim Àvila (glimpsed in the series The Red Band Society), Lluís Marquès (Isla bonita), Manolo Solo (The Fury of a Patient Man) and the much sought-after Carolina...
Exclusive: CAA has signed Jan Martin Scharf and Arne Nolting for representation in all areas. Scharf and Nolting are the creators, writers and showrunners of the German series Barbarians on Netflix.
The series topped 36 million views in its first 28 days on the streamer and peaked at #2 in the U.S. Barbarians follows the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest where Germanic warriors halted the northward advance of the Roman Empire in 9 C.E.
Scharf and Nolting created TNT’s miniseries Weinberg, and Club der roten Bänder (The Red Band Society). The former recently directed episodes of the long-running German crime series, Tatort: Cologne.
They continue to be repped by attorney Sebastian Moellmann at Moellmann BiessmannRechtsanwaelte Partnerschaft mbB.
The series topped 36 million views in its first 28 days on the streamer and peaked at #2 in the U.S. Barbarians follows the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest where Germanic warriors halted the northward advance of the Roman Empire in 9 C.E.
Scharf and Nolting created TNT’s miniseries Weinberg, and Club der roten Bänder (The Red Band Society). The former recently directed episodes of the long-running German crime series, Tatort: Cologne.
They continue to be repped by attorney Sebastian Moellmann at Moellmann BiessmannRechtsanwaelte Partnerschaft mbB.
- 1/27/2021
- by Alexandra Del Rosario
- Deadline Film + TV
The Walt Disney Company Germany has picked up a pair of Beta Films series for its Fox pay TV network for German-speaking territories: Spanish YA drama “Alive and Kicking” and Russian thriller “Dead Mountain – The Dyatlov Pass Incident.” Both series were presented to buyers at Mipcom in October and several more deals for each are in advanced negotiations, and expected to be announced shortly.
A Movistar Plus original series from Spain, “Alive and Kicking” will participate in the official program of this year’s Brlinale, screening at its newly-designed section, Berlinale Series Market Selects, alongside fellow Beta Film YA series “Echos,” produced by Neuesuper for ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery’s Joyn.
Co-produced by Movistar Plus and Dynamo Audiovisual, “Alive and Kicking” marks the latest series from Spanish screenwriter Albert Espinosa, creator of Spain’s most successful ever drama format “Polseres vermelles,” adapted more than a dozen times around the world including an English-language version,...
A Movistar Plus original series from Spain, “Alive and Kicking” will participate in the official program of this year’s Brlinale, screening at its newly-designed section, Berlinale Series Market Selects, alongside fellow Beta Film YA series “Echos,” produced by Neuesuper for ProSiebenSat.1 and Discovery’s Joyn.
Co-produced by Movistar Plus and Dynamo Audiovisual, “Alive and Kicking” marks the latest series from Spanish screenwriter Albert Espinosa, creator of Spain’s most successful ever drama format “Polseres vermelles,” adapted more than a dozen times around the world including an English-language version,...
- 1/26/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Spanish formats are having a moment in Europe and further abroad, headlined by successes such as “Dangerous Moms,” “Gran Hotel” and, perhaps most successful of all, Albert Espinosa’s “The Red Band Society” — the format was sold globally, including to the U.S.
Espinosa, after a decade remaking his highly autobiographical Catalan original “Polseres vermelles” (“Red Band Society”), is back with “Alive and Kicking,” a new coming-of-age series that Beta Film is shopping at Mipcom.
Produced by Movistar Plus and Dynamo Audiovisual — the Madrid-based branch of Colombian indie powerhouse Dynamo, producers of Netflix’s “The Great Heist” and Colombia’s 2019 Oscar submission “Monos” — “Alive and Kicking” marks something of a sea change for Spain’s most successful fiction format creator.
A decade ago, when “Red Band Society” was created and its format sold globally, Netflix wasn’t a player in Europe and wouldn’t even arrive in Spain for another five years.
Espinosa, after a decade remaking his highly autobiographical Catalan original “Polseres vermelles” (“Red Band Society”), is back with “Alive and Kicking,” a new coming-of-age series that Beta Film is shopping at Mipcom.
Produced by Movistar Plus and Dynamo Audiovisual — the Madrid-based branch of Colombian indie powerhouse Dynamo, producers of Netflix’s “The Great Heist” and Colombia’s 2019 Oscar submission “Monos” — “Alive and Kicking” marks something of a sea change for Spain’s most successful fiction format creator.
A decade ago, when “Red Band Society” was created and its format sold globally, Netflix wasn’t a player in Europe and wouldn’t even arrive in Spain for another five years.
- 10/13/2020
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Nuria Valls
Valls already has 14 producer or exec-producer credits, including Eugenio Mira’s “Grand Piano,” Fernando González Molina’s Spanish blockbuster “Palm Trees in the Snow,” and Dan Krauss’ “The Kill Team;” all alongside her partner Adrián Guerra at Nostromo. Her latest productions include Alex and David Pastor’s “The Occupant” and Molina’s “Offering to the Storm,” both acquired by Netflix. Valls will shortly resume shooting on “Los favoritos de Midas,” created by Mateo Gil, her first TV series. “I’d like to do exactly what we’ve done so far: Making all kinds of movies we’d like to watch, not only genre.”
Oriol MAYMÓ
Maymó participated in the production of Rodrigo Cortés’ “Buried,” Marcel Barrena’s “Little World” and Pau Freixas’ TV-series “The Red Band Society” among many other titles. Now based out of Corte y Confección, he has produced Leticia Dolera’s Canneseries winner “A Perfect...
Valls already has 14 producer or exec-producer credits, including Eugenio Mira’s “Grand Piano,” Fernando González Molina’s Spanish blockbuster “Palm Trees in the Snow,” and Dan Krauss’ “The Kill Team;” all alongside her partner Adrián Guerra at Nostromo. Her latest productions include Alex and David Pastor’s “The Occupant” and Molina’s “Offering to the Storm,” both acquired by Netflix. Valls will shortly resume shooting on “Los favoritos de Midas,” created by Mateo Gil, her first TV series. “I’d like to do exactly what we’ve done so far: Making all kinds of movies we’d like to watch, not only genre.”
Oriol MAYMÓ
Maymó participated in the production of Rodrigo Cortés’ “Buried,” Marcel Barrena’s “Little World” and Pau Freixas’ TV-series “The Red Band Society” among many other titles. Now based out of Corte y Confección, he has produced Leticia Dolera’s Canneseries winner “A Perfect...
- 6/22/2020
- by Emilio Mayorga
- Variety Film + TV
From its fans’ opposition to Francisco Franco’s arcane dictatorship to Johan Cruyff’s total football and Pep Guardiola’s pass-and-run, Barcelona F.C., one of the world’s greatest soccer clubs, has always prided itself about being ahead of the game.
Now, in the latest pioneering move, announced Wednesday, Barcelona F.C. has launched Barça TV Plus, with 3,000 videos and 1,000 hours of content including live and delayed broadcast matches and on-demand content.
Together with a Culers Premium Membership loyalty program, Barça TV Plus forms part of a new digital strategy at the club, reflecting Barça’s drive into a direct-to-consumer business model.
Two further moves may prove crucial to that. Once held in exclusivity by Nike, Barcelona F.C. now has enlarged e-commerce rights to its merchandising. It is also ramping up its original productions.
Barça Studios, the club’s original production arm, also unveiled on Wednesday a clutch of new original productions,...
Now, in the latest pioneering move, announced Wednesday, Barcelona F.C. has launched Barça TV Plus, with 3,000 videos and 1,000 hours of content including live and delayed broadcast matches and on-demand content.
Together with a Culers Premium Membership loyalty program, Barça TV Plus forms part of a new digital strategy at the club, reflecting Barça’s drive into a direct-to-consumer business model.
Two further moves may prove crucial to that. Once held in exclusivity by Nike, Barcelona F.C. now has enlarged e-commerce rights to its merchandising. It is also ramping up its original productions.
Barça Studios, the club’s original production arm, also unveiled on Wednesday a clutch of new original productions,...
- 6/3/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Barça Studios and Sony Music Latin Iberia are teaming to produce “Talent Explorers,” an animated series which marks the third title from Barça Studios, the burgeoning film-tv content arm of F.C. Barcelona, one of the world’s biggest soccer clubs.
The series – which sees Max, a 15 year-old boy, Roc, big bear with a heart of gold, and Lynds, a tech-savvy pink kitten, travel the world, scouting for the next generation of soccer stars, – marks the third title at Barça Studios, after first team player doc series “Matchday,” just released by Netflix in Latin America.
A second title, “La Masia,” represents Barça Studios’ first scripted series, set at the soccer club’s youth academy, and written by Albert Espinosa, creator of the Filmax-produced “The Red Band Society,” one of the most re-versioned Spanish series in its TV History, including a U.S. makeover adapted for Fox by Steven Spielberg...
The series – which sees Max, a 15 year-old boy, Roc, big bear with a heart of gold, and Lynds, a tech-savvy pink kitten, travel the world, scouting for the next generation of soccer stars, – marks the third title at Barça Studios, after first team player doc series “Matchday,” just released by Netflix in Latin America.
A second title, “La Masia,” represents Barça Studios’ first scripted series, set at the soccer club’s youth academy, and written by Albert Espinosa, creator of the Filmax-produced “The Red Band Society,” one of the most re-versioned Spanish series in its TV History, including a U.S. makeover adapted for Fox by Steven Spielberg...
- 5/15/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin — Germany’s Beta Film is driving into Young Adult scripted, acquiring international distribution rights and co-financing four high-profile fiction series, three set up at top European regional Svod players: Germany’s Joyn and Telekom and Scandinavia’s Viaplay.
Many also involve top European production houses as well. To be unveiled at the Berlinale Series Market’s German Showcase on Monday, the four storyline “Echos,” in which four witless upper-class socialites discover an underworld beneath Munich, is produced by “8 Days’” Neuesuper for Joyn, the new Discovery/ProSieben Svod joint venture.
Set to air on Viaplay, and a pop graphic novel-style high-school gore fest that is sparking large word-of-mouth. “Cryptid” is a passion project of Patrick Nebout at Dramacorp, a part-owned Beta Film company whose credits include “Agent Hamilton” and “Midnight Sun.”
“Ya series can take traditional elements and play with them, or rework them in different formats, creating something new,...
Many also involve top European production houses as well. To be unveiled at the Berlinale Series Market’s German Showcase on Monday, the four storyline “Echos,” in which four witless upper-class socialites discover an underworld beneath Munich, is produced by “8 Days’” Neuesuper for Joyn, the new Discovery/ProSieben Svod joint venture.
Set to air on Viaplay, and a pop graphic novel-style high-school gore fest that is sparking large word-of-mouth. “Cryptid” is a passion project of Patrick Nebout at Dramacorp, a part-owned Beta Film company whose credits include “Agent Hamilton” and “Midnight Sun.”
“Ya series can take traditional elements and play with them, or rework them in different formats, creating something new,...
- 2/24/2020
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. and El Estudio, a major new independent production player in the Spanish-speaking world, are teaming to produce a Mexican version of breakout Cuban feature “Juan of the Dead,” with Emilio Portés directing.
Chronicling a U.S. zombie invasion of Mexico, the remake marks one in a strong first slate of titles from El Estudio, launched at the Berlin Festival by three of the most connected producers in the Spanish-speaking world: Ex-Canana producer-partner Pablo Cruz, “The Impossible” producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Based out of Mexico, Los Angeles and Madrid, El Estudio has 63 projects in development or production. El Estudio is represented by CAA. Partners on early titles include Sony Pictures Intl. Prods., Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate, Viacom Intl. Pictures, Movistar Plus and Beta Film, El Estudio told Variety, announcing some of its 2020-21 projects:
“Verguenza” stars Mexico’s...
Chronicling a U.S. zombie invasion of Mexico, the remake marks one in a strong first slate of titles from El Estudio, launched at the Berlin Festival by three of the most connected producers in the Spanish-speaking world: Ex-Canana producer-partner Pablo Cruz, “The Impossible” producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head Diego Suárez Chialvo.
Based out of Mexico, Los Angeles and Madrid, El Estudio has 63 projects in development or production. El Estudio is represented by CAA. Partners on early titles include Sony Pictures Intl. Prods., Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate, Viacom Intl. Pictures, Movistar Plus and Beta Film, El Estudio told Variety, announcing some of its 2020-21 projects:
“Verguenza” stars Mexico’s...
- 2/21/2020
- by John Hopewell and Anna Marie de la Fuente
- Variety Film + TV
Berlin — Netflix has unveiled five new Spanish original series, including titles by well-known film director Nacho Vigalondo (“Timecrimes”) and Pau Freixas, executive producer of Spanish breakout “The Red Band Society.”
The new titles see the streaming giant near doubling the number of new and returning scripted series it has in development and production in Spain from six to 11.
Marking its first collaborations with two classic Spanish production houses, Filmax and Plano a Plano, the new series sees the streaming giant still still predominantly targeting women and YA viewers, but brings a far larger variety of series types to the mix.
Announced on the eve of the 2019 Berlin Film Festival, to which Netflix brings a powerful at least 49 executive delegation, and has its first movie ever playing in competition, Isabel Coixet’s “Elisa & Marcela,” the five series announcement marks yet another powerful statement of Netflix’s ambitions in Europe and...
The new titles see the streaming giant near doubling the number of new and returning scripted series it has in development and production in Spain from six to 11.
Marking its first collaborations with two classic Spanish production houses, Filmax and Plano a Plano, the new series sees the streaming giant still still predominantly targeting women and YA viewers, but brings a far larger variety of series types to the mix.
Announced on the eve of the 2019 Berlin Film Festival, to which Netflix brings a powerful at least 49 executive delegation, and has its first movie ever playing in competition, Isabel Coixet’s “Elisa & Marcela,” the five series announcement marks yet another powerful statement of Netflix’s ambitions in Europe and...
- 2/6/2019
- by John Hopewell and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Horror director Michael David Pate goes social in the terrifying flick Haunted Hospital: HEILSTÄTTEN arriving on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD February 12 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film tells the story of a group of vloggers who travel to Berlin to film a viral social media challenge by illegally accessing the abandoned, derelict military hospital Beelitz Heilstätten that once housed a recuperating Adolph Hitler, and documenting their experience spending the night in the ominous surgery block in the hopes that the video will go viral. They soon experience many strange events which terrorize them both physically and mentally. Haunted Hospital: HEILSTÄTTEN stars Nilam Farooq (“Soko Leipzig”), Farina Flebbe (Alone in Berlin), Sonja Gerhardt (Jack the Ripper), Maxine Kazis, Emilio Sakraya (“4 Blocks) and Tim Oliver Schultz (“The Red Band Society”).
A group of vloggers illegally access a condemned asylum for a “Will you Survive the Night” viral social media challenge.
A group of vloggers illegally access a condemned asylum for a “Will you Survive the Night” viral social media challenge.
- 1/28/2019
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Is it wise to stay the night in a potentially haunted former hospital that was once occupied by a wounded Hitler? In Haunted Hospital: Heilstätten, Nilam Farooq, Farina Flebbe, Sonja Gerhardt, Maxine Kazis, Emilio Sakraya, and Tim Oliver Schultz will find out. Haunted Hospital: Heilstätten will debut on Blu-ray, DVD, and digital on February 12th from Well Go USA, and we have a look at the trailer and Blu-ray cover art.
Press Release: Horror director Michael David Pate goes social in the terrifying flick Haunted Hospital: HEILSTÄTTEN arriving on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD February 12 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film tells the story of a group of vloggers who travel to Berlin to film a viral social media challenge by illegally accessing the abandoned, derelict military hospital Beelitz Heilstätten that once housed a recuperating Adolph Hitler, and documenting their experience spending the night in the ominous surgery...
Press Release: Horror director Michael David Pate goes social in the terrifying flick Haunted Hospital: HEILSTÄTTEN arriving on digital, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD February 12 from Well Go USA Entertainment. The film tells the story of a group of vloggers who travel to Berlin to film a viral social media challenge by illegally accessing the abandoned, derelict military hospital Beelitz Heilstätten that once housed a recuperating Adolph Hitler, and documenting their experience spending the night in the ominous surgery...
- 1/14/2019
- by Tamika Jones
- DailyDead
There has been an exponential hike in international sales for non-English-language drama series as the TV business has become increasingly global.
Spain’s no exception. Traditionally, international buyers were looking for local primetime TV fiction such as Diagonal’s period skein “Isabel,” which has been acquired by Rai in Italy, the 82nd territory nabbing the series.
The global explosion of OTTs has propelled a new culture of Spanish TV fiction consumption.
“Spanish drama works excellently on premium platforms and is definitely not only for the Hispanic world,” says Christian Gockel, Evp acquisitions & sales at Beta Film.
Handled by Beta, Telefonica-Movistar Plus’ “La Zona,” a thriller set in a nuclear plant meltdown, has been taken by Starz in the U.S., France’s Canal Plus and Germany’s Zdf.
“We are at a key moment where non-traditional territories are betting on Spanish drama,” Gockel adds.
“Money Heist” came close to being a global Netflix phenomenon.
Spain’s no exception. Traditionally, international buyers were looking for local primetime TV fiction such as Diagonal’s period skein “Isabel,” which has been acquired by Rai in Italy, the 82nd territory nabbing the series.
The global explosion of OTTs has propelled a new culture of Spanish TV fiction consumption.
“Spanish drama works excellently on premium platforms and is definitely not only for the Hispanic world,” says Christian Gockel, Evp acquisitions & sales at Beta Film.
Handled by Beta, Telefonica-Movistar Plus’ “La Zona,” a thriller set in a nuclear plant meltdown, has been taken by Starz in the U.S., France’s Canal Plus and Germany’s Zdf.
“We are at a key moment where non-traditional territories are betting on Spanish drama,” Gockel adds.
“Money Heist” came close to being a global Netflix phenomenon.
- 10/15/2018
- by Emiliano De Pablos
- Variety Film + TV
For the first time in festival history, Spanish productions — Asghar Farhadi’s “Everybody Knows,” Terry Gilliam’s “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote” — will both open and close Cannes. In all, five Spanish titles made the festival cut, a recent record.
Such films speak of foreign auteurs’ fascination with Spain and its culture. They remain, however, “a minority” in Spain, says Juan Gordon at Morena Films, whose Alvaro Longoria produced “Everybody Knows.”
Spain’s industry “is driven by broadcasters investing in commercial films,” Gordon adds, acknowledging “a vitality in the industry” due to “the number of drama series getting made.”
“Two key factors are at work: Netflix, and the contraction of cinema-going arthouse audiences,” says Vicente Canales at Film Factory Ent., which represents Luis Ortega’s “El Angel,” in Un Certain Regard, and Jaime Rosales’ “Petra,” a Directors’ Fortnight player.
“Many Spanish films have sold to Netflix, some have functioned very well,...
Such films speak of foreign auteurs’ fascination with Spain and its culture. They remain, however, “a minority” in Spain, says Juan Gordon at Morena Films, whose Alvaro Longoria produced “Everybody Knows.”
Spain’s industry “is driven by broadcasters investing in commercial films,” Gordon adds, acknowledging “a vitality in the industry” due to “the number of drama series getting made.”
“Two key factors are at work: Netflix, and the contraction of cinema-going arthouse audiences,” says Vicente Canales at Film Factory Ent., which represents Luis Ortega’s “El Angel,” in Un Certain Regard, and Jaime Rosales’ “Petra,” a Directors’ Fortnight player.
“Many Spanish films have sold to Netflix, some have functioned very well,...
- 5/11/2018
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Summer 1993 — Catalonia, Spain
So cathartic was Summer 1993 that my personal psyche will be marked by it forever. Why this story, about a six year old girl who quietly and slowly comes to terms with the death of her mother and how the process, invisible to anyone watching, culminates in a sudden crescendo of emotion moved me to tears, is what you must find out on your own.
No one knows the emotions of another person unless communication, self-knowledge and compassion work in favor of knowing. Yes tears and laughter mean a lot but without tears and laughter, there are thousands of feelings not communicated which result in actions whose meaning is unknown. And for children who have no words for their feelings or why they act as they do, adults can only surmise and intuit if they are able.
A child of six has no way of knowing death; children are fearless,...
So cathartic was Summer 1993 that my personal psyche will be marked by it forever. Why this story, about a six year old girl who quietly and slowly comes to terms with the death of her mother and how the process, invisible to anyone watching, culminates in a sudden crescendo of emotion moved me to tears, is what you must find out on your own.
No one knows the emotions of another person unless communication, self-knowledge and compassion work in favor of knowing. Yes tears and laughter mean a lot but without tears and laughter, there are thousands of feelings not communicated which result in actions whose meaning is unknown. And for children who have no words for their feelings or why they act as they do, adults can only surmise and intuit if they are able.
A child of six has no way of knowing death; children are fearless,...
- 12/5/2017
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
Author: David Sztypuljak
Every year, Ee sponsor the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards here in London town. The award is always a fascinating one since it’s voted for by the public.
Star Wars’ John Boyega won the 2016 BAFTA Rising Star Award
The nominations have just been announced from BAFTA HQ are in the running for the 2017 spot are all listed below. It’s going to be very interesting to see who takes the win this year with the likes of Tom Holland as Spider-Man being so mainstream and Anya Taylor-Joy appearing in the likes of The Witch.
Previous winners of the award include James McAvoy, Eva Green, Shia Labeouf, Noel Clarke, Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Will Poulter, Jack O’Connell and last year the award was taken by Star Wars star John Boyega.
This year the nominations are as strong as every with Laia Costa,...
Every year, Ee sponsor the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the British Academy of Film and Television Awards here in London town. The award is always a fascinating one since it’s voted for by the public.
Star Wars’ John Boyega won the 2016 BAFTA Rising Star Award
The nominations have just been announced from BAFTA HQ are in the running for the 2017 spot are all listed below. It’s going to be very interesting to see who takes the win this year with the likes of Tom Holland as Spider-Man being so mainstream and Anya Taylor-Joy appearing in the likes of The Witch.
Previous winners of the award include James McAvoy, Eva Green, Shia Labeouf, Noel Clarke, Tom Hardy, Juno Temple, Will Poulter, Jack O’Connell and last year the award was taken by Star Wars star John Boyega.
This year the nominations are as strong as every with Laia Costa,...
- 1/5/2017
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg is the latest film festival to dedicate a section to quality television serial drama with the launching of a new competition for the New Creators Award.
World premieres of TV and web series from Sweden, Switzerland and Germany will be featured among a competition of eight productions to be judged by an expert jury consisting of Marcus Ammon, svp film at Sky Deutschland, Rola Bauer, CEO of Tandem Productions, Prof. Nico Hofmann, Ufa Fiction’s Co-ceo, and the screenwriter/creative producer Juliana Lima Dehne.
Mannheim will present four productions as world premieres:
Anomalia - the first in-house produced series by Suisse Romande dedicated to the mystery genre, to be screened by Swiss public TV Rts in February 2016;
Boy Machine - a Swedish musical comedy series about a former boy band wanting to make a comeback 20 years after their breakup, to be aired by TV4;
Red Band Society - a 10-part German version of the...
World premieres of TV and web series from Sweden, Switzerland and Germany will be featured among a competition of eight productions to be judged by an expert jury consisting of Marcus Ammon, svp film at Sky Deutschland, Rola Bauer, CEO of Tandem Productions, Prof. Nico Hofmann, Ufa Fiction’s Co-ceo, and the screenwriter/creative producer Juliana Lima Dehne.
Mannheim will present four productions as world premieres:
Anomalia - the first in-house produced series by Suisse Romande dedicated to the mystery genre, to be screened by Swiss public TV Rts in February 2016;
Boy Machine - a Swedish musical comedy series about a former boy band wanting to make a comeback 20 years after their breakup, to be aired by TV4;
Red Band Society - a 10-part German version of the...
- 9/8/2015
- by screen.berlin@googlemail.com (Martin Blaney)
- ScreenDaily
The source show for Fox’s well-reviewed but ill-fated drama Red Band Society won the top award tonight at the International Emmy Kids Awards. Spain’s Polseres Vermelles (The Red Band Society) was named best series during the ceremony at Pier 60 in New York. Fox’s version of the show about teenagers with life-threatening illnesses got off to a promising start when it debuted in September, following the massive success of The Fault In Our Stars. But ratings for the series…...
- 2/21/2015
- Deadline TV
So we come to the end of the Red Band Society. Production has been halted, and the final episodes have been moved to Saturday night to be burned off. Now, Red Band Society hasn't been officially canceled....but come on. It's hard to single out one reason why this show failed to take off, but "sick kids in a hospital get into antics in-between chemo sessions and surgery" was always a strange, hard-to-market concept for a mainstream TV program, while at the same time this show was never able to shake off the perception that it was riding the coat tails of The Fault in Our Stars, even though it's actually an adaptation of the Catalan series Polseres vermelles. Creatively, the show had an appealing cast and worthwhile moments, but it just never gelled properly. As a dramedy, it could be amiable but never laugh-out-loud funny, and the producers often...
- 2/8/2015
- by Michael Tedder
- Vulture
Three Australian programs, all screened on the ABC, have been nominated for the International Emmy® Kids Awards.
Matchbox Pictures. Nowhere Boys and Werner Film Productions. Dance Academy 3 will compete for best kids series and 1440 Productions. Heart & Soul is in the running for kids factual series. Let.s Get Inventin. from New Zealand.s Luke Nola & Friends is nominated in the non-scripted entertainment category.
The winners will receive their Emmys at the third International Emmy® Kids Awards on February 20 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York.
Nowhere Boys creator Tony Ayres told If, "It.s very exciting to have two Australian shows in one category and three Australian nominations overall. It shows, yet again, that our work is of the highest international standard."
Heart & Soul is a 13-part series about the Sweethearts, a 30-piece, all female soul band from Geelong whose members are all still in high school. The...
Matchbox Pictures. Nowhere Boys and Werner Film Productions. Dance Academy 3 will compete for best kids series and 1440 Productions. Heart & Soul is in the running for kids factual series. Let.s Get Inventin. from New Zealand.s Luke Nola & Friends is nominated in the non-scripted entertainment category.
The winners will receive their Emmys at the third International Emmy® Kids Awards on February 20 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York.
Nowhere Boys creator Tony Ayres told If, "It.s very exciting to have two Australian shows in one category and three Australian nominations overall. It shows, yet again, that our work is of the highest international standard."
Heart & Soul is a 13-part series about the Sweethearts, a 30-piece, all female soul band from Geelong whose members are all still in high school. The...
- 10/8/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Three Australian programs have been nominated for the International Emmy® Kids Awards.
Matchbox Pictures. Nowhere Boys and Werner Film Productions. Dance Academy 3 will compete for best kids series and 1440 Productions. Heart & Soul is in the running for kids factual series. Let.s Get Inventin. from New Zealand.s Luke Nola & Friends is nominated in the non-scripted entertainment category.
The winners will receive their Emmys at the third International Emmy® Kids Awards on February 20 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York.
Nowhere Boys creator Tony Ayres told If, "It.s very exciting to have two Australian shows in one category and three Australian nominations overall. It shows, yet again, that our work is of the highest international standard."
Heart & Soul is a 13-part series about the Sweethearts, a 30-piece, all female soul band from Geelong whose members are all still in high school. The show followed the Sweethearts. quest...
Matchbox Pictures. Nowhere Boys and Werner Film Productions. Dance Academy 3 will compete for best kids series and 1440 Productions. Heart & Soul is in the running for kids factual series. Let.s Get Inventin. from New Zealand.s Luke Nola & Friends is nominated in the non-scripted entertainment category.
The winners will receive their Emmys at the third International Emmy® Kids Awards on February 20 at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in New York.
Nowhere Boys creator Tony Ayres told If, "It.s very exciting to have two Australian shows in one category and three Australian nominations overall. It shows, yet again, that our work is of the highest international standard."
Heart & Soul is a 13-part series about the Sweethearts, a 30-piece, all female soul band from Geelong whose members are all still in high school. The show followed the Sweethearts. quest...
- 10/8/2014
- by Don Groves
- IF.com.au
Among the main characters of Fox's new drama "Red Band Society" (Wednesday at 9 p.m.), two suffer from cancer, one needs a heart transplant, and one is in a prolonged coma. All of them are 16 years old or younger. Fictional stories about seriously ill people are already fraught with emotion. When the ill people are kids, the inherent emotions are so overwhelming that a storyteller has to either address them head-on or work around them. You can heighten everything else to try to equal the feeling of tragedy and wasted potential, or you can underplay everything to keep the story from drowning in sadness. "Red Band Society," adapted by Margaret Nagle from the Spanish-language series “Polseres Vermelles," tries both approaches at once, with mixed but mostly promising results. If it can pull back on some of its excesses — if it can be the good version of "Glee," rather than the bad version,...
- 9/16/2014
- by Alan Sepinwall
- Hitfix
Red Band Society Fox Premieres: Sept. 17 Airs: Wednesdays at 9pm Et/Pt From Steven Spielberg’s Amblin Television, Fox’ unique new dramedy Red Band Society stars Academy Award-winning Octavia Spencer (The Help), Brothers & Sisters’ Dave Annable and a cast of fresh young faces in a funny, touching coming-of-age story that should appeal to all ages. Based on the award-winning Spanish series Polseres Vermelles — and bringing to mind The Breakfast Club — Red Band Society is narrated by comatose 12-year-old Charlie (Griffin Gluck, Private Practice), who observes his fellow patients in the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital in Los … Continue reading →
The post Bonded by the band: Red Band Society on Fox is a family friendly charmer appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
The post Bonded by the band: Red Band Society on Fox is a family friendly charmer appeared first on Channel Guide Magazine.
- 9/8/2014
- by Amanda Watter
- ChannelGuideMag
Although Fox's hospital-set dramedy "Red Band Society" is one of the few network series launching this fall that could reasonably be described as unique, showrunner Margaret Nagle spent a lot of time discussing influences at the TCA 2014 summer press tour. For one, the series is based on a successful Spanish drama called "Polseres Vermelles" that launched in 2011. Steven Spielberg snagged the remake rights for DreamWorks the same year and an American adaptation has been in the works ever since. Just like the original, the show follows six teens of various backgrounds united by the fact they're all facing long-term hospital stays for rare diseases. Oscar winner Octavia Spencer plays the lead nurse in their ward, equal parts bossy and nurturing. If the premise sounds a bit like "The Breakfast Club," with a hospital filling in for detention, the cast and crew agree it's not far off. "That's what I thought...
- 7/20/2014
- by Geoff Berkshire
- Hitfix
Fox is taking a risk with a unique teen based show, Red Band Society. The show will follow a group of teen who live at the pediatric ward of Ocean Park Hospital. It will follow their laughter and struggles, along with the staff who work with the kids. The show will certainly hold laughter and tears, but should hit all of the right notes for everyone. You can check out the trailer for the series that premiers this fall down below. Here is the official description for the series.
What if a hospital was your high school, boarding school and summer camp rolled into one? What if it was the place where you fell in love for the first time and made friendships that lasted a lifetime? And what if it was all weirdly hilarious and the most fun you ever had in your entire life? This is the world of Red Band Society.
What if a hospital was your high school, boarding school and summer camp rolled into one? What if it was the place where you fell in love for the first time and made friendships that lasted a lifetime? And what if it was all weirdly hilarious and the most fun you ever had in your entire life? This is the world of Red Band Society.
- 5/26/2014
- by Sarah Peel
- Boomtron
Sick kids in a pediatric ward are almost guaranteed to be charming, heartwarming and occasionally break your heart with very little effort, and that seems to be the goal of the Steven Spielberg-produced "Red Band Society," which will debut on Fox this fall. Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer stars as a cranky nurse who probably has a marshmallow center we haven't seen yet, or at least haven't seen in this trailer for the show. This seems to be "The Breakfast Club" with a generous sprinkling of cancer, comas and heat problems. With Spencer on board, the bar is set high from an acting perspective, and the trailer suggests these kids won't let the saccharine level get too high. At least the series has a model from which to draw material. "Polseres Vermelles" is the Catalan television show on which "Red Band Society" is based, and it was inspired by real life...
- 5/23/2014
- by Liane Bonin Starr
- Hitfix
It’s been a fortnight since Fox unveiled its 2014 schedule and trailers for its new series at its upfront presentation New York. Notably absent from the trailer list was Red Band Society, the hospital-set coming-of-age drama that stars Oscar winner Octavia Spencer and is based on the Spanish series Polseres Vermelles. We understand it took this long to get clearances, so the network is releasing the first-look just now. The series, from Amblin TV and ABC Studios, was written by Margaret Nagle and was a favorite staffing choice for writers this season. Check it out: Related: Fox’s New Series Trailers...
- 5/23/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Less animation, plenty of reality, and another two-hour comedy block reduced — those are some of the quick take-aways from Fox’s 2014 fall schedule announcement.
First up: On Mondays, the network will launch perhaps fall’s most-anticipated new drama, the Batman prequel series Gotham at 8 p.m. followed by the sophomore return of Sleepy Hollow at 9 p.m. Fox has ordered 16 episodes of Gotham and 18 episodes of Sleepy Hollow. On Tuesdays, ambitious new reality show Utopia, in which contestants try to build a perfect society over the course of a year, will open for New Girl and The Mindy Project (which...
First up: On Mondays, the network will launch perhaps fall’s most-anticipated new drama, the Batman prequel series Gotham at 8 p.m. followed by the sophomore return of Sleepy Hollow at 9 p.m. Fox has ordered 16 episodes of Gotham and 18 episodes of Sleepy Hollow. On Tuesdays, ambitious new reality show Utopia, in which contestants try to build a perfect society over the course of a year, will open for New Girl and The Mindy Project (which...
- 5/12/2014
- by James Hibberd
- EW - Inside TV
A pass on a project at the broadcast networks used to equal a “damaged goods” stamp. That couldn’t be further from the truth this season, especially for passed-over projects based on a format. Russian spy drama Allegiance, based on Keshet’s Israeli series The Gordin Cell, is probably the hottest new NBC hourlong series for next season. Fox’s hospital coming-of-age drama Red Band Society, based on the Spanish series Polseres Vermelles, has been garnering rave early reviews. The two landed series pickups yesterday, followed by multi-camera comedy Your Family Or Mine, ordered today by TBS. All had been previously developed but didn’t even make it to pilot. Related: Showrunners Wanted: Networks Grapple With Lack Of Experienced Writing Producers All three have undergone changes. In the case of Allegiance, originally set up at NBC last season, and Red Band Society, first developed at ABC two seasons ago, new...
- 5/8/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Update: Fox has made it 3-for-3, picking up all three of its drama pilots with a series order to Red Band Society, starring Octavia Spencer, from Amblin TV and ABC Studios. The adaptation of the acclaimed Spanish hospital series Polseres Vermelles was written by Margaret Nagle. Red Band Society, which has been a favorite staffing choice for writers this season, is a coming-of-age drama with humor set at a big-city hospital. It explores with dark humor the daily life of a group of teenage kids living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. Nagle is exec producing with Amblin’s Justin Falvey, Darryl Frank as well as Sergio Aguero; Carlos and Julio Fernandez of Filmax co-executive produce. The newly picked-up Fox drama series Red Band Society, Empire and Gotham join previously ordered Backstrom and Hieroglyph. On the comedy side, Sober Companion and Cabot College have been garnering buzz — I hear Sober Companion possibly for fall,...
- 5/6/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Charlie Rowe, Rebecca Rittenhouse (The Affair) and Zoe Levin are set to co-star opposite Octavia Spencer in Fox’s drama project Red Band Society, from Amblin Television and ABC Studios. Written by Margaret Nagle based on the Spanish series Polseres Vermelles, Red Band Society is a coming-of-age drama that explores with dark humor the daily lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. Rowe, repped by UTA and Arg Talent in UK, will play Leo, the leader of sorts of the group of teens who has osteosarcoma. Levin, repped by CAA, Principato-Young, and Patti Felker, plays another teen, the beautiful and smart but mean Kara, a head cheerleader who finds herself in the hospital pediatrics ward after she passes out during a practice. Gersh-repped Rittenhouse plays Nurse Brittany, a new hire on the pediatric ward.
- 2/18/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Oscar winner Octavia Spencer is set as a lead in Fox’s drama project Red Band Society, from Amblin Television and ABC Studios. Based on the acclaimed Spanish series Polseres Vermelles by Albert Espinosa, Red Band Society is a coming-of-age drama that explores with dark humor the daily lives of a group of teenagers living in a hospital who become unlikely friends. Spencer will play Nurse Jackson, who works in the pediatrics ward. She’s an excellent, intuitive nurse and a tough customer who doesn’t put up with any crap from anyone. Red Band Society, written by Margaret Nagle, has a “series prototype” order under Fox’s new development model, which involves a pilot and backup scripts. his marks the first series regular role for Spencer, who won an Oscar for The Help. Earlier this season, she was attached to a Murder, She Wrote reboot at NBC and received...
- 2/14/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
Katja Herbers (De storm) has been cast in Wgn America‘s 13-episode scripted series Manhattan, from writer Sam Shaw and director Thomas Schlamme, Skydance TV, Tribune Studios and Lionsgate TV. Set during the clandestine mission to build the world’s first atomic bomb in Los Alamos, Nm, Manhattan follows the brilliant but flawed scientists and their families. Herbers, repped by All Star Agency and Lasher Group, will play Helen Price, a member of Frank Winter’s team and one of the few female physicists assigned to the Manhattan Project.She joins previously cast John Benjamin Hickey, Daniel Stern, Rachel Brosnahan, Ashley Zukerman, and Harry Lloyd. Herbers is. Griffin Gluck (Back In The Game) has signed as a series regular in Fox’s drama Red Band Society from Amblin Television and ABC Studios. Based on the acclaimed Spanish series Polseres Vermelles by Albert Espinosa, Red Band Society is a coming-of-age drama,...
- 2/12/2014
- by THE DEADLINE TEAM
- Deadline TV
Exclusive: Fox chairman Kevin Reilly quickly is putting his money where his mouth is, making his first move since announcing Monday that the network is abandoning the traditional pilot season for a new development approach that focuses on series. That involves making fewer pilots at different times during the year, all geared towards series, or going straight to series on some concepts that had been fully developed with multiple scripts and a bible. Related: Fox’s Abolishment Of Pilot Season: Practical Guide To How Will It Work Drama Red Band Society, From Amblin Television and ABC Studios, is getting a firm go on a “series prototype”, a pilot-type production order, plus additional backup scripts. Another drama, Runner (working title), from Sander/Moses Prods., Peter Horton and 20th TV, has received what Fox calls “an off-cycle commitment for further investment towards series production” this summer. That means backup scripts, hiring writers...
- 1/17/2014
- by NELLIE ANDREEVA
- Deadline TV
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