Netflix Taps Carolina Leconte as Senior Director of Content, Mexico

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Netflix Original “The Society of the Snow” won best picture and director for J.A. Bayona at Saturday night’s 38th Spanish Academy Goya Awards. Those plaudits were two of a total 12 prizes, the third-highest kudos count for any title in the Goyas’ near 40-year history.

Robert M. Young, whose 70-year career included independent and studio documentaries, narrative features, and episodes of Battlestar: Galactica, died Tuesday in Los Angeles at 99. His death was confirmed in a Facebook post by his son.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Netflix Mexico has unveiled a rousing new slate in production this year that includes the series debut of Luis Estrada (“¡Que viva México!”), a new pic from Rodrigo Garcia (“Familia”), another series from hit-maker José Ignacio “Chascas” Valenzuela (“Who Killed Sara?”) and “La Reina del Sur”’s Kate del Castillo unusually toplining a comedy. Also leading the pack is series “Gringo Hunters,” produced by Woo Films and Redrum in co-production with Brian Grazer’s Imagine Entertainment in association with The Washington Post.

EXCLUSIVE: Goodfellas has acquired world sales rights for Emilio Estevez’s The Way: Chapter 2, reuniting the actor-director with the cast members of his original 2010 hit, father Martin Sheen, Yorick Van Wageningen and James Nesbitt.

Sofia Vergara fans have all made the same demand after watching her new Netflix series, Griselda. The six-parter sees the Colombian actress transform into fearsome drug boss Griselda Blanco.

Holly Jones Far-out cineaste Santiago Mohar Volkow (“Los Muertos”) will deliver his fourth feature “A History of Love & War” (“Una Historia de Amor y de Guerra”) to audiences at the 53rd edition of the International Film Festival Rotterdam. A viscally ludicrous examination of Mexico’s colonial history and the duplicitous nature of high-wealth, the film screens as part of the Harbor strand, dedicated to a wide range of contemporary narratives.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Netflix has picked up worldwide rights to “The Imaginary,” a currently-on-release Japanese animation film from producer Studio Ponoc. “Studio Ponoc is thrilled to bring our storytelling and innovative hand-drawn, hand-painted animated films to all audiences, and in particular to children and their families to enjoy together, around the world on Netflix,” said Nishimura Yoshiaki, Ponoc founder and former Studio Ghibli producer. The film is directed by Momose Yoshiyuki, who has credits on Ponoc’s 2017 title “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and others on Ghibli’s “Spirited Away,” “Princess Mononoke” and “Porco Rosso.” Adapted from a novel by A.F. Harold, with a screenplay by Nishimura, the film “portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger.

Adam B. Vary Senior Entertainment Writer Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are teaming up once again for “Animals,” a new crime thriller that Netflix has just acquired.

Single’s Inferno for a fourth season.Today (January 24), the streaming service announced in a press release that Single’s Inferno would be returning for a fourth season, making it the first unscripted series from Netflix Korea to do so.Per Netflix, the third season of Single’s Inferno, which premiered in December 2023 and wrapped up earlier this month, surpassed the popularity of the previous season with over 65million cumulative viewing hours on the streaming platform.“We will continue to do our best and make sure season four is even more entertaining for you by paying closer attention to the fans’ feedback on season four, both positive and negative,” said Single’s Inferno co-producer Kim Jae-won.

Anna Marie de la Fuente In an exclusive interview with Variety, Ronald Day, Telemundo’s president of entertainment & content strategy, drilled down on what has made action-packed series “Lord of the Skies” (“El Señor de los cielos”), the company’s longest-running Super Series franchise and a bonafide hit. With Season 9 set to premiere Feb.

Sheynnis Palacios is in Mexico celebrating the organization’s plans for 2024 and 2025, which include spas, cosmetics, perfume, and global expansion of the current products. The Miss Universe Organization (MUO) and its owner, the Thailand-based JKN Global Group, signed a new partnership with Mexican business conglomerate Legacy Holding to build the brand’s international profile and allow for new product and marketing opportunities.Based on the immense popularity of the beauty pageant in 2023, the Miss Universe Organization (MUO) decided to expand its business by launching skincare, swimsuit, and beverage product lines.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent MIAMI — Buoyed by a near celebratory inaugural edition last year – the first time many execs attending had seen one another post-Pandemic – the 2nd Content Americas neared its final bend to lift-off on Tuesday, with a bullish attendance and a market still reacting to the Netflix Corrective of 2022 when it began to measure the cost of its dramatic expansion worldwide. Delegates, as of Monday, were approaching 2,000, nearly 25% up on 2023’s 1,600. That includes 150 exhibition companies and a significant increase on buyers – 950, doubled from last year.

Anna Marie de la Fuente A bio-series about iconic ranchera singer Chavela Vargas starring “La Reina del Sur” lead Kate del Castillo is in the works. Colombia’s Caracol Televisión and indie Miracol Media are co-producing “Chavela,” which will trace the tumultuous life and career of the legendary singer.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Ben Lobato, co-showrunner of Alice Braga-starrer “Queen of the South,” a top-three Nielsen ratings performer for USA Network, has boarded “Hot Sur,” a fast-moving thriller set up at Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín’s Fabula and at Fremantle Mexico, the burgeoning Mexican production hub of the global production-distribution giant. Lobato will showrun the TV series, which will be helmed by Gabriel Ripstein, writer-director of acclaimed Mexican Amazon Original “An Unknown Enemy.” Shaping up as one of the biggest new projects being brought on the market at Content Americas, “Hot Sur” will be presented at Content Americas Copro Pitch on Tuesday, one of the TV market and forum’s industry centerpieces. In it, Maria Paz, an undocumented Mexican immigrant looking after her bipolar sister, becomes a fugitive after being falsely accused of murder.

EXCLUSIVE: Diego Boneta (Luis Miguel: The Series) and Martha Higareda (Queens on the Run) are set to star and executive produce the new erotic thriller film Follow for Amazon Studios from award-winning collaborators Fred Berger (La La Land) and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (The Bikeriders). This is the first project from Boneta’s production banner Three Amigos’s overall deal with Amazon Prime.

Netflix has promoted Carolina Leconte to replace Roberto Stopello.

Luis Miguel has a unique ability to surprise his fans, and he did just that on Thursday night after his concert at the Olympic Stadium in the Dominican Republic. About to board his helicopter, the singer noticed a crowd waiting to see him from a distance and take at least one photo of him.

Addie Morfoot Contributor Carla Gutierrez is known in the documentary community for her work as a film editor. She was behind Oscar nominated docs “RBG” and “La Corona” as well as Emmy winner “Julia.” But in 2022, after two decades of editing, Gutierrez decided to direct “Frida,” a docu about iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, which has its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival this week. “A few months before we started working on ‘Frida,’ I would say, ‘I’m really content with editing.’ I had no thoughts of directing, but her story really pulled me in and I realized I have to direct this (film).

We’re learning more about what Christine Brown’s new husband has gone through in life before they met and got married last year. And the details that have come out are tragic, Perezcious readers!

Love Is Blind is returning for it’s sixth season!