Penélope Cruz Partnering with Mediapro Studio to Launch “Moonlyon” Production Label

Penélope Cruz is over the Moon(lyn)

The 47-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress and producer has teamed up with The Mediapro Studio to launch production label Moonlyon.

Penelope Cruz

The company will produce premium non-fiction and dramatic content, the two parties said in a release, and will allow Cruz to increase her output behind the camera.

One of the most recognizable names in Spanish cinema, while also being a star in Hollywood, Cruz has teamed with Mediapro on multiple occasions before, including more recently starring in Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn’s Official Competition opposite Antonio Banderas. Further recent credits including Pedro Almodovar’s Parallel Mothers, which scored her an Oscar nomination.

The wider Mediapro group has 24 offices producing a wide variety of content for cinema and television.

“I have always been enthusiastic about telling new stories and contributing to the filmmaking process, so I decided to form Moonlyon with The Mediapro Studio,” said Penélope Cruz. “With more demand than ever for stories from diverse backgrounds and new parts of the world, I am very happy to be able to continue my work as a producer with a company that I know intimately and that has valuable international positioning experience. Our goal is for Moonlyon to become a quality benchmark with a personality of its own.”

“We are really happy. It is a privilege to be Penélope Cruz’s partner in this new adventure,” commented Laura Fernández Espeso, CEO of The Mediapro Studio. “We have been working with her for years and our relationship has grown very naturally. We will bring to MOONLYON our knowledge of the industry, our creativity, and our vision for a project that will form part of the international expansion strategy of the Studio.”

Penelope Cruz’s “Official Competition” Acquired for UK Distribution by Protagonist Pictures

Penelope Cruz’s latest project is headed to theaters in United Kingdom…

The 47-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress’ Spanish-language comedy Official Competition, co-starring Antonio Banderas and Oscar Martínez, has been acquired for UK distribution by Protagonist Pictures.

Penelope Cruz, Antonio Banderas, Official Competition

The announcement came ahead of the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival.

In Official Competition, Oscar winner Cruz plays renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas, who is recruited by a billionaire entrepreneur who impulsively decides to create an iconic movie. Banderas stars as Hollywood heartthrob Félix Rivero, and joining them is Argentinian actor Oscar Martínez (The Distinguished Citizen), who plays radical theatre actor Iván Torres.

The Spanish-language comedy, directed by Mariano Cohn and Gastón Duprat from a script they wrote with Andrés Duprat, will also screen in the Special Presentations section of the Toronto International Film Festival and will open this year’s Perlak Section at the San Sebastian Film Festival.

Produced by The Mediapro Studio, the film has already sold to a string of international indie buyers.

“We are incredibly excited to work with such a talented cast and such lauded directors. We’re thrilled to bring this hilarious and witty film to UK audiences at a time when it is much needed,” said Curzon officials.

Protagonist CCO George Hamilton added: “Our friends at Curzon have a prodigious record in delivering high-quality films to discerning UK audiences, making them the perfect partners to distribute this whip-smart comedy, led by A-list talent at the top of their game, and helmed by some of Spain’s most fiercely talented filmmakers. We know Official Competition is in the best hands possible.”