Enrique Urbizu to Direct Max’s Thriller “When Nobody Sees Us,” The Streamer’s First Series Order in Spain

Enrique Urbizu will be living to the Max 

Max has made its first series order in Spain, with the 60-year-old Spanish film director and screenwriter attached to direct the project.

Enrique UrbizuLast year, Max owner Warner Bros Discovery pulled out of production for Max predecessor HBO Max in much of Europe and underwent a period of painful cuts, but Spain was one of the few countries in Europe to avoid the cull.

Max has now greenlit the start of production on When Nobody Sees Us, an eight-part thriller from Zeta Studios and based on the Sergio Sarria novel of the same name.

This also marks the first Spanish production since HBO Max was combined with Discovery+ to create Max.

Daniel Corpas leads the writing team, with the collaboration of Arturo Ruiz and Isa Sanchez.

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the Spanish Holy Week celebrations, the series is a thriller led by two policewomen trying to solve a series of crimes in the Andalusian town of Morón de la Frontera, in the political and cultural region of Seville’s so-called ‘deep Spain,’ which is home to one of the biggest international U.S. military bases.

Lucía Gutiérrez is a sergeant of the Spanish Civil Guard investigating the bizarre suicide of a neighbor and strange events that have taken place during the first Holy Week float processions. Magaly Castillo is a Special Agent of the Military Police of the United States Army sent to find out the whereabouts of a missing American soldier who seems to be linked to the shady business of Colonel Douglas Hoopen, head of the Air Force Base, and an underhanded marine, Lieutenant Andrew Taylor. They soon discover that the two investigations are connected.

“Throughout my professional career I have made several thrillers with different intensity and themes. When Nobody Sees Us is for me a first and exciting incursion into the television serial of detectives and pure investigation,” said director Urbizu, “With two women as our protagonists, Lucia and Magaly, one from the Spanish Civil Guard and the other from the American Military Police, together they share mysteries, dangers and confidences. Both in tone and rhythm, this is a new adventure for me.”

When Nobody Sees Us is a bet for the purest thriller, in which the limits of different frontiers in themes and narrative are explored,” added Executive Producer Miguel Salvat for WBD. “Of course, there is the border between good and evil, but also the clashes between two ways of life, between countries and cultures, and the weight of tradition. We believe that Enrique Urbizu has all the tools to tell this story that will surprise and engage us all, no matter which side of the border we find ourselves on.”

Discovery+ to Begin Streaming Evgeny Afineevsky’s Pope Francis Documentary “Francesco” in March

Pope Francis is making a new Discovery.

Discovery+ has acquired Evgeny Afineevsky’s documentary Francesco, an exploration of the 84-year-old leader of the Catholic Church’s ministry and moral leadership in a time of surging right-wing populist movements, a worldwide refugee crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis

Discovery+ will begin streaming Francesco globally on Sunday, March 28, the start of Holy Week, which leads up to Easter on April 4.

“It is an honor to host the global premiere of Francesco on Discovery+, spotlighting an intimate look at one of the world’s most beloved and influential leaders, Pope Francis,” said Lisa Holme, group SVP of content and commercial strategy at Discovery, in a statement. “We are thrilled to work with a powerful storyteller like Evgeny on this important project, which is emblematic of our ability to expand our documentary programming aperture on Discovery+ to serve subscribers around the world with a diverse and growing slate of originals.”

Afineevsky earned an Oscar nomination for his 2015 documentary Winter on Fire: Ukraine’s Fight for Freedom.

For Francesco, he spent three years traveling the world to highlight some of the issues Pope Francis has made it his mission to address, including the Rohingya genocide in Myanmar, the Syrian civil war, global warming and interfaith dialogue. The director spent one-on-one time not only with the pontiff but with his predecessor, retired Pope Benedict XVI.

“I am tremendously honored that Pope Francis allowed me to witness and create this inspirational monument dedicated to the most pressing issues facing humanity today,” Afineevsky said. “His commitment to people around the world will lead us out of this difficult historical moment and into a brighter future. He is a beacon of light in this world for many and strives every day to enlighten people on how to build a bridge to a better tomorrow. It is extremely exciting to partner with discovery+ to bring his story to people around the world on the same day.”

Francesco premiered at the Rome Film Festival last October, where it made worldwide headlines for a moment in the film in which the pontiff appeared to endorse civil unions for gay people, a break from Vatican policy. The documentary also delves into the pope’s handling of the sexual abuse scandal that has damaged the Catholic Church’s moral authority.

“I wanted to give a voice to the victims of sexual abuse,” Afineevsky told Deadline last fall, noting that Pope Francis’s response to the scandal evolved over time, from defender of some prelates accused of misconduct to becoming a supporter of victims. “I wanted to show how the [pope] can [make] mistakes. How the person can investigate them, admit the mistakes. And take not only responsibility, but immediately take actions.”

Francesco was produced by Afineevsky-Tolmor Production with the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.