Trans-Atlantic Spanish-language production powerhouse El Estudio and Mexico’s Morbido Group have joined forces in the largest genre, horror and fantasy production initiative in the Spanish-speaking world.
Feature films, series, remakes and reboots of classic IP and even unscripted programming are all part of the plan going forward for El Estudio and Morbido. Already, the companies have one series, three films and a talk show in development which they will announce in the coming months.
Production is hardly the endgame for the two companies, however, as they will look to change the genre industry on a fundamental level. Other initiatives include consolidating theatrical distribution circuits across South and Central America, supporting industry acceleration hubs, producing local events in major Latin American countries, talent management, a comic book/graphic novel division and expanding the Morbido brand into Spain and the U.S.
Pablo Guisa’s Morbido Group, based in Mexico City, is already the largest horror conglomerate in Latin America and operates the Morbio Film Fest, a radio program, a pay TV channel available in markets across Latin America, and participates in the production, promotion and distribution of films. Morbido Group also has partnerships in place with Ventana Sur’s Blood Window in Argentina and the Santiago Intl. Film Festival in Chile.
“For me, after 14 years of hard work building the Morbido Brand, this alliance is the next logical and necessary step to keep a steady growth, consolidate the genre industry in Latam and assure the brand becomes global.” said Guisa.
El Estudio, launched at Berlin by Canana producer-partner Pablo Cruz, “The Impossible” producer Enrique López Lavigne and former Sony Pictures Intl. Prods. head Diego Suárez Chialvo, is based out of Mexico, Los Angeles and Madrid and already has 63 projects in development or production. Other partners on early titles include Sony Pictures Intl. Prods., Netflix, HBO, Lionsgate, Viacom Intl. Pictures, Movistar Plus and Beta Film.
López Lavigne has a long history of genre production from Juan Carlos Fresnadillo’s “28 Weeks Later” and “Intruders,” with Clive Owen, Jorge Torregrossa’s “Fin,” Nacho Vigalondo’s “Extraterrestial” and “Open Windows” J.A. Bayona’s “The Impossible” and “A Monster Calls,” with Liam Neeson, and Paco Plaza’s “Veronica.”
“For me, as a producer, filmmaker and spectator of the fantastic genre, the possibility of developing. in the years to come along with Pablo Guisa and his Grupo Morbido, of which we are now part of, all the genre cinema that is made in Spain and Latin America is a very exciting and ambitious project which I don’t intend to evade, It’s a life project,” said Lopez in a statement.
Cruz added: “The world of genre needs a push in Latin America and for it to be connected with Spain and the U.S. Hispanics in something that is seen in both continents, united by their culture and language. Pablo Guisa is a titan in the genre space, and it is great news that we can work together and explore this market that has a great future.”
Pictured: (left to right) Pablo Guisa, Diego Suárez Chialvo, Enrique López Lavigne, Pablo Cruz.
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