As a passionate fan of captivating storytelling and intriguing characters, I can hardly contain my excitement as Mediapro unveils its stunning lineup of English-language content! The rich tapestry of talent on display here is truly awe-inspiring, with the likes of John Turturro, Melissa Leo, and Juan-José Campanella leading the charge.
At MIPCOM Cannes on Wednesday, Spanish production studio Mediapro showcased their lineup of English-speaking programming in both the U.S. and Canada. Among the offerings is a fresh movie scripted, directed, and acted by John Turturro himself.
J.C. Acosta, who heads up the Mediapro Studio in both the United States and Canada, engaged in a conversation with Evan Katz, the producer of 24 and Mediapro’s unscripted division head; Pam Healey, the CEO of Mediapro; TV producer Ran Tellem; and Academy Award-winning writer-director Juan-José Campanella.
Espeso kicked off the discussion: “Our strategy in the U.S. harmonizes seamlessly with our strategies in other crucial regions, highlighting the ingenuity of our workforce, while ensuring relevance, impact, and, crucially, diversity – a core value in our organization.” It was then Acosta’s turn to speak, expressing his enthusiasm and fervor for “penning a fresh chapter in the U.S. and Canada, significantly boosting English content” since Mediapro North America was launched six months prior.
The English content strategy of theirs is gradually taking form, as John Turturro unveils a video announcement about his forthcoming adaptation of Susan Sheehan’s Pulitzer-winning book titled “Is There No Place on Earth for Me?“. In this project, Turturro will both write and direct the story while also starring in it.
Turturro explained: “The story is about an exceptionally intelligent woman dealing with schizophrenia, and her family’s journey navigating the mental health system. I’ve avoided making films like this due to my personal background with a brother who had schizophrenia. After reading the book, however, I was thrilled to find that it accurately portrayed all its intricacies, humor, passion, manipulations, aspirations, and dreams.” He added on.
Award-winning actress Melissa Leo (“The Fighter”) will headline “Mother Wolf,” a story about a grandmother, nearing an extraordinary journey, who unexpectedly finds herself caring for her grandchildren. Suzi Yoonessi (“Unloveable,” “Daphne & Velma”) is the director. Matt Walsh (“Veep”) and Arian Moyaed (“Succession”) are also part of the cast. The production company, Mediapro, appreciates its heritage in filmmaking, particularly its admiration for an iconic female protagonist.
Daniel Burman presents Witness 36, a series that follows a woman who assists in crafting new identities for individuals in witness protection. However, she finds herself developing romantic feelings for one of the very people she helped. Emmy-winning producer Evan Katz, taking on the role as showrunner and famous for his successful series 24, stated: “The concept is extraordinary. It’s not often that it doesn’t seem like a rehash of something already seen – a woman falling in love with her own creation resonates with themes similar to Freud and Frankenstein. The show carries high-stakes drama, but the narrative itself is deeply personal, which is what I seek and believe contributes to its success.
A fresh, half-hour long episodic series titled “I Love the Prime Minister” by Ran Tellem (known for “Homeland” and “The Head”) revolves around a 33-year-old woman navigating the complexities of contemporary dating, but with a twist – she is actually the Prime Minister. Matt Hastings, who co-produced “The Handmaid’s Tale”, is also involved in this project.
Tellam expressed: “Our current TV programming caters to young adults. I propose creating content that targets an untapped audience – adults who are still youthful in spirit, similar to our character. She’s 33 and has the qualifications to be a prime minister, she’s powerful, intelligent, determined, focused, and successful. Yet, she’s not fully accomplished because being young means there’s always a desire for something more – perhaps a relationship, companionship, love.
Campanella, who won the Academy Award for best foreign film for The Secret in Their Eyes spoke about the series adaptation of his Argentine film Son of the Bride also nominated for an Oscar. Campanella will write and direct the project: “I’ve been seeing lately that movies and television have veered to the exotic, to the outlandish, to the dystopian in a way,” Campanella siad. “And some great comedies that are very genre-bending and or transgressive, the kind of human comedy that I like to do, and I’d like to watch, is very scarce.”
In a spontaneous announcement, Chief Healey revealed projects falling under her jurisdiction. The popular Spanish game show “Catch Me If You Can” is set to be pitched to American distributors. With over 10,000 episodes in Spain, the format of this show will be adapted by Anthony Carbone from “The Floor,” who will serve as executive producer and showrunner for the U.S. version.
A true-crime documentary titled “Hollywood Homicide: Robert Blake” delves into the life of the actor, well-known for his performances in “In Cold Blood” and “Baretta.” However, his life took a tragic turn when he was accused of murdering his wife Bonny Lee Bakley in 2001. The narrative is presented from the perspective of his son, Noah, who has been questioning the truth behind the events as stated by Healey.
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2024-10-23 14:54