Spain’s Secuoya Studios aims to produce more English-language projects as part of its new international strategy. Holding forth to a packed audience at the 4th Iberseries & Platino Industria confab, Secuoya Studios CEO Brendan Fitzgerald, introduced the company’s three new executive producers Mónica Aguirre, Sergio Cánovas and Juan Carballo, who will be leading the company’s international expansion strategy.
According to the former Sony Pictures executive, Secuoya Studios has organized its operations through a pod system, whereby each executive producer heads a multidisciplinary team comprised of an executive producer, a head of development and a fiction coordinator. “This allows us to have multiple production fronts operating simultaneously, which speeds up timelines without compromising quality,” he said.
Cánovas, showrunner and director of Stellar Media, brings his international perspective to the team, thanks to his extensive experience in the U.S. “My work in English has come naturally, and now, with Secuoya, we can develop large-scale projects in this language. I’m working on a psychological thriller series set between London and Spain, featuring an international team that will surprise. Additionally, we can leverage the tax advantages of filming in Spain,” he noted, adding that the cast will feature mainly British talent with some French and Spanish actors.
“We can probably announce more details in six months, once we firm up the cast,” Fitzgerald later told Variety.
“We want to start becoming language-agnostic and begin with English, at the very least,” said Fitzgerald who added that they were opening another position in the U.K.
“We’re also exploring other countries in Europe, but for now, Spain, Latin America, and the U.K. are our three main pillars,” said Fitzgerald who joined Secuoya Studios in January. “We are looking for commercial content, exciting stories that connect with audiences. Once we manage to sell five or six series a year, we can start exploring other types of narratives,” he added.
Carballo, a recently appointed writer and producer at Secuoya Studios, highlighted the importance of the studio’s infrastructure: “Projects that, due to their complexity, would be difficult to develop elsewhere, find the necessary support at Secuoya to move forward. Not just in terms of production and distribution, but also in terms of time, which is crucial for creating complex projects.”
Aguirre, founder of Black Sheep Productions, aims to expand the studio’s presence in Latin America: “We are focused on identifying local projects with the potential to succeed globally. We want projects born in Mexico or Colombia to resonate in other territories. Secuoya has attracted me because it is one of the few production companies willing to take risks, combining proven big IPs with innovative and challenging narratives.”
Aguirre also expressed her enthusiasm for ongoing projects: “We are making significant progress with stories that we are passionate about. Having the backing of a production company that dares to take risks and allows us to maintain creative freedom is invaluable.”
Fitzgerald wrapped the presentation with an unambiguous vision for the future: “In a year, I would like Secuoya Studios to be recognized as the most talent-friendly studio in Spain.”