The entertainment giant and the producer of Berlin competition entry 'The Intruder' will develop and produce Spanish-language films for the global market.
Viacom International Studios has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Infinity Hill, co-producer of Berlin Film Festival competition entry The Intruder, to develop and produce Spanish-language feature films.
The pact, unveiled in Berlin on Friday, will focus on Spanish-language films shot all across the globe with internationally known actors and directors.
"This deal empowers us to increase our development of high-quality, longform content generating more IP for Viacom International Studios," said Federico Cuervo, senior vp, head of Viacom International Studios. "We know the talent of Infinity Hill’s producers and what they can bring to a studio like ours in terms of high-end content."
Recently founded by producers Axel Kuschevatzky, Phin Glynn and Cindy Teperman, Infinity Hill's upcoming English-language slate includes action thriller The Doorman, starring Ruby Rose and Jean Reno, directed by Ryûhei Kitamura (Midnight Meat Train), and an adaptation of Lawrence Osborne's Hunters in the Dark, starring Alex Pettyfer (Magic Mike).
"For a rising film company like Infinity Hill, setting up a deal with such a giant as Viacom International Studios is a great opportunity and a marvelous way to create new films aimed for both local and global audiences," said Kuschevatzky, a former film executive at now ViacomCBS-owned Telefe network who won an Oscar for Argentina's The Secret in Their Eyes. "Spanish is the second-most-spoken language in the world, with 460 million native speakers. So, there is a huge community there with a big demand for films in its own language."
"In the context of an internationalization of both production and consumption of feature films", he added, "there is a growing affinity with Spanish-speaking culture among directors and actors who are not necessarily Latino or Spanish. And in the end, it's the stories what enables you to try new ideas."
