Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Rights to Penelope Cruz-Starrer “Madres Paralelas” from Pedro Almodovar

Penelope Cruz’s latest film is going global…

Sony Pictures Classics has acquired all rights in North America, Australia and New Zealand to Parallel Mothers (Madres Paralelas), starring the 46-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress.

Penelope Cruz

It’s the 13th collaboration between the distributor and director/producer Pedro Almodóvar’s production company El Deseo.

Production began in Madrid last month on the film, which reunites the Spanish filmmaker with longtime collaborators Cruz, Julieta Serrano and Rossy de Palma.

Parallel Mothers is a drama that centers on three mothers, portrayed by Cruz, Aitana Sánchez Gijón and Milena Smit.

The film expands Almodóvar’s previous depictions of womanhood by turning his focus on imperfect mothers, in a departure from his prior work exploring mothers and motherhood.

Written by Almodóvar, the film also stars Israel Elejalde.

The film is produced by Agustín Almodóvar and Esther García through El Deseo.

Sony Pictures Classics recently released Almodóvar’s short film The Human Voice, starring Tilda Swinton, in theaters alongside a digitally restored re-issue of Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. It will be available to stream on HBO Max starting on April 30.

Almodóvar won two Oscars for best foreign language film for All About My Mother and original screenplay for his 2002 title Talk to Her (Hable con Ella).

Cruz has starred in several of Almodovar’s films, including All About My Mother, I’m So Excited!, Volver, Broken Embraces, and Pain and Glory.

Hulu to Feature del Castillo’s “La Reina del Sur” & Other Telemundo & Sony TV Projects

Kate del Castillo will soon be the reina of Hulu

Hulu has beefed up its Spanish-language offerings with deals that secure programming from Sony Pictures Television and co-owner Comcast’s Telemundo, including the 44-year-old Mexican actress’ popular telenovela La Reina del Sur.

Kate del Castillo

The company didn’t disclose financial terms, but says both pacts are “multi-year.”

The first time agreement with Telemundo will give Hulu five series from its library. They include past episodes of La Reina del SurCelia, and Bajo El Mismo Cielo, which are available now. On April 15 Hulu will add the complete catalogs of Tierra de Reyes and La Patrona.

Meanwhile, Sony has provided telenovelas and teleseries including LadyLa Vendendora de RosasDoña Barbara, comedy series Los Beltran, and crime dramas El MariachiMetastasis and En la Boca del Lobo.

Films in the agreement include El Mariachi and The Secret in Their Eyes. Hulu also will have nine films from director Pedro Almodóvar, including The Skin I Live InWoman on the Verge of a Nervous BreakdownAll About My MotherBad EducationBroken EmbracesTalk to Her and Law of Desire.

Hulu’s deepening its video on demand online library as it prepares to introduce a live streaming service.

Almodóvar to Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at the European Film Awards

Pedro Almodóvar is being honored for his film achievements…

The European Film Academy will honor the 63-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning filmmaker with its lifetime achievement award, the European Achievement in World Cinema prize, at the European Film Awards in Berlin this December.

Pedro Almodovar

Almodóvar has been among the most acclaimed, and successful, European directors since his 1988 melodrama Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown won the best young film honor at the inaugural European Film Awards and went on to arthouse success worldwide.

He has won five more European Film honors, as well as five BAFTAs, four French Cesar awards and two Oscars.

Almodóvar’s Oscar wins came in the best foreign language film category for All About My Mother (1999) and in the best screenplay category for Talk to Her (2002).

“I am very thankful for this award. From its creation, the European Film Academy has been very generous with me and my closest collaborators,” Almodóvar said in a statement. “I share with them the joy of this award.”

Almodóvar will be honored at the 26th European Film Awards in Berlin on December 7.