In significant developments emerging from Madrid’s Iberseries & Platino Industria, the Munich-based production house Beta Film has acquired sales rights to two new projects from Secuoya Studios, featuring renowned actor William Levy in thrilling lead roles: “Under a Volcano” and “Road to Arcadia.”
“Road to Arcadia” is being touted as a captivating six-part crime thriller. The series stars Levy as Pablo, the coach of a Canadian wrestling team who appears to enjoy a tranquil life with his son Bruno and partner Irene (played by Paula Echevarría). However, their peace is disrupted when his estranged wife (Michelle Renaud) unexpectedly reenters their lives, bringing with her a shared dark history that complicates their existence.
On the flip side, “Under a Volcano” is an exhilarating romantic action thriller, showcasing Levy as Captain Mario Torres, a suave rescue pilot called to Tenerife in the Canary Islands just as volcanic activity is escalating. There, he encounters Dani (Maggie Civantos), a passionate volcanologist known for her groundbreaking research. As the volcano erupts, Mario and Dani must confront nature’s fury while also navigating their growing attraction to each other.
Directed by Jorge Saavedra, known for his work on “Zorro,” “Road to Arcadia” is being produced for SkyShowtime, a joint venture between Comcast and Paramount, along with the Mexican streaming service ViX, part of TelevisaUnivision. Both “Road to Arcadia” and “Under a Volcano” are part of a larger three-title agreement that includes Secuoya, William Levy Entertainment, and ViX, first announced during the L.A. Screenings in May 2024.
Both projects present significant potential for streaming services, given Levy’s illustrious career, including notable roles in “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter” and the highly-regarded telenovela “The Scent of Passion” (“Cafe con aroma de mujer”), which became a massive success on Netflix. Additionally, Secuoya Studios’ mini-series “Montecristo” has thrived on ViX and Spain’s Movistar Plus+.
Furthermore, Beta Film is also marketing the third season of “El Inmortal – Gangs of Madrid,” a collaboration with Movistar Plus+ and Banijay’s DLO Producciones. Season 3 continues to follow the gripping narrative of one man’s dramatic ascent in the Madrid narcotics scene, where José Antonio has named his most trusted gang member, La Rubia, as his successor. However, the plot thickens when a snitch exposes a crucial shipment, resulting in a life-and-death struggle for survival and dominance.
These new deals signify the ongoing successful partnership between Beta Film and Spain, which spans over 15 years, allowing Beta to sell original versions of prominent series such as Bambú Producciones’ “Grand Hotel” and “Velvet” to Latin America without needing standard format deals or a “neutral” Spanish-language dub. This unique arrangement has cemented these titles as go-to programming in Latin America’s competitive cable market, subsequently boosting subscriptions for SVOD services like Netflix.
Beta Film has contributed to the success of early Movistar Plus+ series, including “The Pier,” which is the follow-up from the acclaimed creators of “Money Heist” and emerged as one of the fastest-selling titles at Mipcom 2018.
The fruitful collaboration ultimately led to a multi-year production and distribution agreement between Beta Film and Movistar Plus+, which was announced at MipTV in 2019. This partnership continued until Movistar Plus+ announced its independent global sales operation, Movistar Plus+ Internacional, in March 2022.
