The leading Spanish-language content studio is developing two new projects with William Levy's production firm: the series 'Los 39' and 'Terra Alta', an adaptation of the Turkish hit 'Brave and Beautiful', the film 'Padres' in partnership with Álamo Producciones Audiovisuales, and the Spanish version of the international documentary/reality show format 'Who Bares Wins'.

Secuoya Studios welcomes the audience success and critical acclaim of 2023 premieres such as 'Montecristo', '13 Días', 'Vuelo JK 5022' and 'La Caza: nada es lo que parece', and starts the countdown to the eagerly awaited premiere of 'Zorro' on Prime Video and TVE.

Secuoya Studios presented the latest news from its production line-up at an event held at Florida Park, Madrid, Spain, on Thursday, 5 October, as part of the third annual Iberseries & Platino Industria event. The presentation was attended by leading players in the film and television industry. More than twenty projects for series, film and unscripted content were unveiled that fulfil the studio's clear ambition since its launch in 2021: to create and operate intellectual property of the highest quality and internationalization, both at source and in distribution, with the strong aim of becoming an international point of reference in the creation of Spanish-language content for the world at large.

"This portfolio of ambitious, innovative, unique and diverse content at varying stages of development proves that we deliver what we say we promise. For us, this adventure has been an exciting journey. After more than two years of relentless production by the studio, we've also made a firm and dedicated commitment to sustainable production. That promise to make Secuoya Studios a benchmark in the film and TV industry has enabled us to demonstrate our ability to meet our commitments. Without a doubt, we are strong co-producer partners anywhere in the world," says Raúl Berdonés, president of Secuoya Content Group.

James Costos, president of Secuoya Studios, thanked the creative teams that have made this studio a leader in premium content production. "Secuoya Studios has become a choice destination for talent who want to work in a content production house that treasures big dreams and projects that aim, right from the start, to reach every corner of the world," said Costos, who said he was proud that Spain has established itself as "the Hollywood of Europe".

Premiere of 'Zorro' and pre-production of 'Los 39' and 'Terra Alta'

Over the past two years, the Fiction Content team, under the leadership of David Martínez, has developed 'Campamento Newton' and 'Montecristo'. Both productions premiered successfully on Canal Disney/ViX and Movistar Plus+/ViX, respectively. In addition, the studio's major production, 'Zorro', starring Miguel Bernardeau and Renata Notni, will be available exclusively on Prime Video in Latin America, the United States, Spain, Andorra and Portugal in the first half of 2024, and will subsequently be broadcast free-to-air on TVE.

The studio is working on new projects to be developed over the next two years. Highlights include 'Los 39', a historical series about the Spanish settlers Christopher Columbus left behind on the island of Hispaniola, which is currently in pre-production in partnership with TVE, Spain’s public broadcasting corporation, and other partners in Spain, Latin America and Germany. Shooting is slated to start in early 2024.

The Fiction team is also working on the adaptation of 'Terra Alta', the best-selling novel by Javier Cercas, winner of the Planeta award. The project is a joint effort with a prominent streamer, which will start shooting in the middle of next year.

Following the success of 'Montecristo', and as a result of the partnership with Levy Entertainment, the studio is now working on two new projects with the Cuban-American actor and producer: a series and a feature film. The Fiction and Film teams are now developing these new properties.

In addition, the Fiction creative area is in talks with René Residente and his production company, 1868 Studios, to undertake an ambitious feature film about the U.S. presence in Latin America during the Cold War.

An agreement has also been reached with Jimena Romero, daughter of the author of 'Señora Isabel', Bernardo Romero Pereiro, to adapt the Colombian hit in English for the U.S. market. The area headed by Martínez is also working on a couple of English-language projects, which they hope to resume shortly after the suspension of the strike by the screenwriters and actors unions in Hollywood.

Secuoya Studios Stories has four major productions in the pipeline

Secuoya Studios Stories, led by executive producer Eduardo Galdo, has struck a deal to adapt the most successful formats of Ay Yapim, a Turkish production company that has earned international acclaim. The projects include 'Brave and Beautiful', a romantic and action melodrama, which already has a television network for free-to-air broadcasting. Nominated for an Emmy Award for Best Telenovela in 2018, 'Brave and Beautiful' has aired in more than 60 countries with strong ratings.

In addition, the Granada showrunner's team will remake 'Love Storm', a romantic melodrama with a touch of suspense, signed by the creators of the famous 'Secretos de familia', and 'Veinte Minutos', an emotional story of self-improvement aimed at co-production with Latam, to be shot in Spain. Moreover, the studio is developing its own projects and co-productions, such as 'Manuela', a historical drama about Manuela Sáenz, a woman who broke the rules in the 19th century, as a result of the agreement signed last April with CMO, the Colombian production company responsible for hits such as 'Pálpito' and 'Pasión de Gavilanes 2'.

Three theatrical releases and the filming of 'Padres'

The studio continues to support co-production of motion pictures with Álamo Producciones Audiovisuales, an independent production house with which Secuoya has developed the last three films pending release: 'Cuanto me queda', the debut feature by Carolina Bassecourt, starring Kira Miró, Salva Reina, Eva Ugarte and Antonio Pagudo; 'Invasión', directed by David Martín-Porras ('La piel en llamas') and starring María Adánez, Fran Berenguer, Sofía Oria, Claudia Salas, Álvaro Rico and Nourdin Batán, among others; and 'La Bandera', the third project by Hugo Martín Cuervo and Eduardo Campoy ('Todos lo hacen', 'Con quién viajas'), a dramatic comedy starring Imanol Arias, Aitor Luna, Miquel Fernández and Ana Fernández.

In mid-October, the production team will start shooting 'Padres', a story of intrigue and suspense starring Fernando Cayo ('La casa de papel') and Natalia Verbeke ('Todos mienten'), written and directed by José Ángel Bohollo ('Mátame mucho').

Campoy will executive produce the film starring William Levy and also 'Duda razonable', a thriller based on the play by Borja Ortiz de Gondra, both of which are scheduled to shoot throughout 2024.

Two more projects are also planned in the Film segment: 'El Director', a co-production with Beta Fiction Spain, Fremantle and Play Time, directed by Dani de la Orden and based on the book by journalist David Jiménez; and 'Solos', based on the literary success by Paloma Bravo and directed by María Pulido ('Bosé renacido').

'Desnudos por la vida' (‘Who Bares Wins’) and 'La Caza: nada es lo que parece' (‘The Hunt: nothing is what it seems’)

The Unscripted Content team, led by Alfredo Pérez de Albéniz, welcomes the warm reception of its latest documentary premieres: '13 Días' and 'JK Vuelo 5022. La tragedia de Spanair’, which have been among the most watched documentaries on Netflix and Movistar Plus+. These three programs have captivated users and expert reviewers, thanks to their unique approach, as well as their refined and innovative narrative style.

September was also the kick-off of the new season of the studio's daily live programs, 'Mesa de Análisis' and 'Hoy en día', both on Canal Sur, and the weekly 'Zoom', À Punt's leading prime time investigative reporting program for the last five seasons. DMAX will soon be screening the new installment of '091: Alerta Policía' (091: Police Alert), a program that has carved out a niche for itself on the free-to-air channel operated by Warner Bros. Discovery.

The department headed by Alfredo Pérez de Albéniz has just successfully premiered the adventure reality show 'La Caza: nada es lo que parece' on ETB2 and is now preparing 'Desnudos por la vida', a documentary/reality show based on the international format 'Who Bares Wins', successfully broadcasted in France, the UK, Italy, Germany and Australia. The new property will soon reach Mediaset's screens.

In addition, the studio will soon premiere the documentary series 'La Dolce Vita' on AMC's premium channel, elGourmet, and is already in post-production on 'Team Heretics: Una historia de talentos', a docuseries about an entrepreneurial venture launched by four young people under the age of 20, which has become a veritable million-dollar phenomenon.

Anna Cassina, a professional with extensive experience in successful international shoots such as 'The Bourne Ultimatum', 'Blade Runner 2049' and 'Black Mirror', among many other productions, has recently joined the studio. Anna is in charge of International Production, a key division in the international expansion of the studio. The area is being reinforced to expand its production services for international feature films and film series, with a special focus on the U.S. and Latin American markets.

Secuoya Studios is the keystone of the value strategy of Secuoya Content Group, a leading company in the content industry with more than 500 clients worldwide. Headed by James Costos, the studio is the group’s global premium content production source. The firm is based on an integrated operating structure, which includes creation, production, post-production, distribution, agents and co-financing mechanisms, technical solutions and partnerships with third parties.