Movistar Plus orders new slate from León de Aranoa, Bayona and Paco León
Movistar Plus has ordered new work from Fernando León de Aranoa, J.A. Bayona and Paco León as part of a big push into Spanish film and series.
The Spanish pay-TV platform laid out the slate at the San Sebastián Film Festival, in its first major content presentation under new chief executive Alfonso Gómez Palacio, according to Variety. Juan Andrés García Ropero, known as 'Bropi', took over as director of contents in May.
The plan is high volume. Movistar Plus said it will premiere a new Spanish film every week of the year. In July it also committed to doubling its annual Spanish originals, meaning shows made exclusively for the platform, from eight to 16 series a year.
León de Aranoa will create, write and direct an exclusive series called 'La Náufraga', starring Belén Cuesta. No episode count or release date has been announced. It is one of the headline scripted commissions, meaning drama made from a script rather than documentary or reality.
Bayona will executive produce two new non-fiction projects, meaning he will oversee them creatively without directing day to day. Details of subjects and directors have not yet been disclosed. Paco León also has a project in development, with no format or cast confirmed.
Other directors were named for fiction and film. Los Moriarti will direct a fiction project developed with Carles Porta and starring Anna Castillo, Pol López and Eduard Fernández. Daniel Monzón will direct the original film '250 Metros', starring Luis Tosar and written by Jorge Guerricaechevarría.
Sandra Romero will direct the original movie 'Una visita familiar', produced by Mammut, Icónica Producciones and Bteam Prods. Cristóbal Garrido and Adolfo Valor are preparing a comedy starring David Verdaguer and Paula Malia.
Movistar Plus also dated further titles for 2027 in its official strategy announcement, including the films '5 minutos más', 'Caza Mayor' and 'Domani' and the series 'Ardora', 'Veredicto' and 'Todo lo necesario', according to Movistar Plus. '5 minutos más' screened as a Movistar Plus Original in Official Selection at San Sebastián.
The festival link goes beyond one year. Movistar Plus and the San Sebastián Festival renewed their strategic partnership on Sept. 19 for the next three years, covering 2027 to 2029. Movistar Plus had three titles in major sections at this year's festival.
What makes this stand out is the jobs behind the titles. A jump from eight to 16 original series a year plus a weekly film slot means more writers' rooms, more shoots and more crews sustained across Spain. For fans, this means a steady flow of local stories alongside the platform's international acquisitions.
