Netflix Renews Drama Series “Elite,” Starring Manu Ríos, for Eighth Season

Manu Ríos is heading back to private school…

Netflix’s longest-running Spanish scripted series Elite, starring the 24-year-old Spanish actor, singer and model, has been renewed for an eighth season.

Manu Rios

Rios, who portrays Patrick, joined the series, in Season 4.

Elite‘s latest run will feature new faces including Ane Rot and Nuno Gallego, while Mina el Hammani, who recurred in the first three seasons, reprises the role of Nadia.

Created by Carlos Montero and Jaime VacaElite has been airing since 2018 and is set in a fictional high school. The teen drama revolves around the relationships among three working-class students enrolled at the elite school through a scholarship program and their wealthy classmates.

In addition to Rios, other cast include Ander Puig, Carmen Arrufat, Álvaro de Juana, Ana Bokesa, Álex Pastrana, André Lamoglia, Valentina Zenere, Carla Díaz, Martina Cariddi and Adam Nourou.

Mirela Balic, Fernando Líndez, Gleb Abrosimov, Ivan Mendes, Alejandro Albarracin and Maribel Verdu also joined the cast for the previous season.

Zeta Studios is producer.

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.”

HBO Max Developing Original Spanish Series Based on Santiago Garcia & Luis Bustos’ Graphic Novel “Garcia”

Santiago Garcia & Luis Bustos’ graphic novel will be getting the television treatment.

HBO Max has given the green light to the Spanish-language original series García based on the graphic novel of the same name by the Spanish authors.

Garcia

Sara Antuña and Carlos de Pando are co-creators and writers for the series and Eugenio Mira will direct all six episodes.

“When I read the first episode of “García!” I really enjoyed identifying with elements I’ve always loved, but what won me over was the way the script combined those references with something totally new. Being able to experiment with such great original material, a rich universe and ever-evolving characters, not to mention keeping track of the constant cliff-hangers and revelations, is a great technical and artistic challenge for me, and a huge privilege,” explained director Mira.

The story is set in present-day Spain, which is on the brink of political chaos and follows young investigative reporter Antonia (Veki Velilla) who stumbles on a decades-old conspiracy: the existence of a cryogenically-frozen super-agent García (Francisco Ortiz), created in a laboratory in the 1950s by General Franco’s fascist secret services.

The cast includes Emilio Gutiérrez Caba, Francisco Reyes, Nico Romero, Helio Pedregal, Mario Pardo, Miki Molina, Marina Gatell, Pepe Ocio and Silvia Abascal.

 

The novel, published by Astiberri Ediciones, plays on cultural and social uncertainty in a country still struggling with the ghosts of its dictatorial past, where old sentiments are reemerging, and political divides are deepening.

The series is produced by Zeta Studios for WarnerMedia in Spain and will bow on HBO Max in 2022.