Iberseries keynote by Paramount exec Dario Durovelsky

With the end of the writers’ strike, a new studio brand and new management internationally, Paramount Global executives attend Madrid’s Iberseries & Platino Industria, Rome’s MIA Market and Mipcom.

In a move five months after the launch of Paramount Television International Studios in May, Paramount Global’s Dario Durovelsky gave a keynote speech at IberSeries & Platino Industria on Thursday.

A rising star at Paramount with oversight of ViacomCBS’ Argentine and Chilean broadcast networks Telefe and Chilevisión since 2019, Turovelzky himself was promoted to executive VP, Broadcast & Studios, Paramount Global, Latin America in late July.

Her on-stage interview comes a day after Anna Priest, Paramount’s UK chief marketing officer, was announced as senior VP and head of Paramount+ for the UK market, pursuing its „strategic vision” and growth opportunities.

Nicole Clemens, president of Paramount Television International Studios (PTIS) and Paramount+ Original Scripted Series, will speak at Rome’s MIA Market on Tuesday. A week later, Bob Bakish, Chairman & CEO of Paramount Global, will enjoy a fireside chat at the Cannes Micom trade show after accepting the event’s Personality of the Year award.

At Iberseries’ biggest venue — the Auditorium in Madrid’s Matetero, once a slaughterhouse, now a red-brick strip of chic offices, a cinema and a theater — Durovelsky made his first public appearance since July’s promotion.

In the past few years, with the pandemic and the suspension of production projects, some Latin American studio executives have shied away from committing to original production ambitions. It wasn’t Durovelski who provided a vivid snapshot in the 30-minute stage interview, but the referee VarietyPTIS production in Latin America and Spain speaks to Paramount Global’s uniqueness in the region.

PTIS has certainly not abandoned international production in Latin America and Spain.

“By 2022-23, we have 100 contents in production and 50 in greenlight production. „Now we have 20 in different stages of pre-production or shooting or post-production,” said Durovelski.

After the launch of Paramount+ in Latin America in May 2021, PTIS’ production strategy boils down to two tracks, Turovelzky said: developing original content for Paramount+ in regions where it operates, such as Latin America; He cites the case of „Menteiras Pasajeras” bowing in Spain on Skyshowtime on October 9 with Pedro Almodovar’s El Tesio, co-producing with third parties in countries like Spain.

How will PTIS produce? One answer lies with a significant portion of the largest talent pool in Latin America and Spain.

In August 2021, Viacom International Studios signed an exclusive deal with Argentine Oscar-winning writer-director Juan José Campanella (“The Secret in Their Eyes”). Enviados”).

Turovelzky used Iberseries to meet with Spain’s Morena Films, which announced a first-look deal in June 2022, with „Los Invisibles” debuting on SkyShowtime in June.

„I believe in a golden age of content, alliances, strategic alliances,” Durovelsky said.

At Iberseries, he screened a show reel of six titles. Three are from Latin America, behind Daniela Coqui’s film “The Rescue” (“El Rapto”), Argentina’s Rey Cini, Lucrezia Martel’s “Zama” and Cannes 2023 winner “The Settlers” and “Argentina, 1985” producer Infiniti Hill. , which landed a first-look deal with Viacom International Studios in 2020.

Behind Disney’s big swing, „Santa Evita,” is a procedural series called „Medusa” in association with Nonstop. Another film, “Death’s Roulette,” was produced by the Cardona brothers’ outfit 11:11.

With PTIS covering Latin America, Turvelski also previews the trailer for „Anderson Spider Silva,” a Brazilian biopic about the MMA legend.

„The Rescue”, „Medusa” and „Death’s Roulette” were produced with high production standards – a heavily bearded Rodrigo de la Cerna („The Money Heist”) in „The Rescue” and Maribel Verdo in „Y tu Mama Tompiens”. In Death’s Roulette” Crime thrillers, in one way or another, are the most exportable of the film genres.

„For a story to be successful, it needs the three 'F’s: franchise potential, known figures and fan base,” Turovelzky said. „It’s important for great content to perform well locally, but also to have a strategic international or global vision,” he added. „’The Rescue’ is based on true events in Argentina, but it’s a thriller that any platform in any part of the world can take as a global thriller.”

Local production is certainly part of a larger mission to generate subscriptions and engagement for Paramount+. The big question is whether direct-to-consumer measurement can offset the loss of revenue from direct advertising.

More than competitors, linear networks like Paramount+ and Telefe are part of the multiplatform ecosystem,” which bowed simultaneously at Telefé and Paramount+.

From the second week onward, the next four episodes were available on Paramount+ before Telefe, although it still gained more than 40% market share on the network and won on Paramount+ across Latin America.

„Audiences don’t cannibalize each other, they complement and expand the content,” Durovelski said, citing the second case of „El Gerante,” starring Leonardo Sparaglia of „Pain and Glory,” which he co-produced with Infinity Hill and Ray Cini. It worked well in theatrical release and Paramount+.

„Paramount Global stands out for its multi-platform ecosystem, which allows for the creation of new audiences and lines of business; second content, global franchises and local content; and the highest quality of professionals working at the company who take pride in their programming,” said Turovelzky.

After Viacom acquired Telefe in 2016, Argentina ranked one year as the No. 1 source of reruns of series formats in the world, according to The Wit survey.

In Latin America and Spain, Paramount can develop shows and movies that will be released both inside and outside the Spanish-speaking world. „Death’s Roulette” did well in Latin America, particularly Mexico, but it also did well in Germany and Italy, Durovelsky noted.

A local makeover of „The First of Us” has opened to a good market share in Greece.

ViacomCBS, which bought Telefe in 2016 and hip Brazilian online digital comedy producer Porta dos Fundos a year later, bought Chilevisión from WarnerMedia in 2021.

„We are a manufacturing hub for the rest of the world,” Turovelzky said in Madrid.