In an exclusive interview, the new Director General of GRUP MEDIAPRO talks about plans to expand production in the United States
Laura Fdez. Espeso takes stock of her time at the helm of The Mediapro Studio and sets out her priorities as the new Director General of GRUP MEDIAPRO in an exclusive interview with Deadline, one of the most important international media publications, who defined her as “one of the most powerful executives in Europe and the audiovisual industry in Spain” after heading up and consolidating The Mediapro Studio as one of the leading film and TV production houses and steered its international expansion.
With a look back at her early days in the film industry, where she got the chance to work with iconic directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, Ken Loach and Juan José Campanella, the publication highlights her international experience having lived and worked in Brussels, London and Los Angeles, as well as her days in Globomedia, as the director of international development and its film division. The interview touched on her personal vision for a company such as The Mediapro Studio and her work there before stepping into her current roles and one of her key priorities for 2025: the consolidation of the new office in Los Angeles, headed up by JC Acosta, which in the words of Deadline, “will take GRUP MEDIAPRO to a different level”.
Regarding her new role as Director General of GRUP MEDIAPRO, Laura mentioned that “the company is in rude health, which makes it an even greater responsibility. We can do big things and we can improve others. I feel a great respect for the legacy now in my hands”.
One of the guiding principles of GRUP MEDIAPRO has been the diversification in its content production both for cinema and television. Proof of which are international hits such as Hard Truths by Mike Leigh, the series ‘The Famous Five’, in coproduction with the BBC, the multi-language psychological thriller ‘The Head’, created by Ran Tellem, or the series ‘Iosi, el espía arrepentido’ by Daniel Burman. Further successes include its channel and platforms division, which is growing at a fast pace and working together with companies such as Fox Argentina, ESPN and Movistar and its new business unit Mediapro Xperiences is creating real world experiences based on its intellectual property.
In this context, the expansion in the USA, which has been underway for some time, is part of the DNA of GRUP MEDIAPRO. “We chose L.A. as our base because we consider it to be the epicenter of all the great stories and production on a global scale. Setting up a base there, is a natural extension of the company and consolidating our position there is an important step for us. The team is in place and the infrastructure is perfectly set up for us and we feel we can offer something different not just because of the resources at our disposal but also because of our flexibility and production models”, she commented.
Proof of the commitments made are the projects which are now underway and were announced at the latest edition of MIPCOM, linked to big Hollywood names such as John Turturro (‘Is There No Place on Earth for Me?’), Melissa Leo (‘Mother Wolf’), Evan Katz (‘Witness 36’) and Juan José Campanella, who’s working on the adaptation in series format in English of his film ‘El hijo de la novia’, nominated for an Oscar for Best Film in a Foreign Language. In addition, the latest Julia McDaniel series, ‘Screaming Ball of Chaos’, the Canadian comedy created by Ran Tellem, ‘I Love the Prime Minister’, and non-fiction content such as the true-crime documentary series ‘Hollywood Homicide: Robert Blake’ and the American adaptation of ‘Atrápame si puedes’, the show that’s been a big hit across Spain on the regional networks.
The North American base for the Studio sets out to leverage the global experience of GRUP MEDIAPRO to launch projects and new programs: “We have to be brave, dynamic and create franchises, some we’ve done with success in other places”, she attested. “They need attractive characters and create spin-offs. We’ve got a lot of formats capable of crossing borders”, she added, as well as showing interest in narratives which reflect diversity, something which is part of the company’s DNA”.
To that end, it’s crucial to partner up: “We need quality talent like we’ve got in Spain and Latin America. We’re really good at reaching agreements with partners with teams of high-level talent. Sometimes we invest because we already have an existing relationship and other times because we believe that a company is doing incredible things”. And as an example, the incorporation of companies such as Cimarron and Fresco Films within the Mediapro Studio. “The success that we had bringing the filming of productions such as ‘La casa del dragón’ to Spain has helped us to raise awareness of the high quality of technical and artistic teams in Spain, as well as the national and regional tax breaks on offer”, she commented. “We’re making programs people want to watch and the clients are investing more and more money in Spain. For that reason, the tax breaks are really important for helping us expand”, she added.
Laura Fdez. Espeso also talked about the agreement between The Mediapro Studio and Penélope Cruz for the launch of the Moonlyon production company. “We need some time to develop the content and Penélope has to fit it around her acting career but she’s 100% committed to the project”, she told Deadline.
She also went onto talk about the progress made by the company in Latin America, where multiple productions have been completed in recent years with new content such as ‘Cometierra’ on Prime Video and ‘Las Maldiciones’ on Netflix, both by Oficina Burman; the series renewal of ‘Barrabrava’ and ‘Primate’, both on Prime Video, the new seasons of ‘Consuelo’, a ViX original series, or ‘Las Bravas’ on Max Latin America; the Disney+ film ‘Mesa de Regalos’ which goes on general release in cinemas across Mexico in January and ‘Cash’, the adaptation of the TelevisaUnivision format of the The Mediapro Studio ‘Crush’.
With recent success stories on television such as ‘Celeste’, which is proving a big hit on Movistar Plus+, and at the cinema with ‘El 47’, nominated for 14 Goya awards, among other productions, Laura also spoke about the positioning of the company in Spain over the course of the interview. “We’ve been very successful because we’ve never had American-size budgets but we’ve been competing with them in prime time for many years now and we’ve been audience leaders. We haven’t enjoyed the same resources as them but we’ve developed a masterful team of writers who are very good at creating characters”, she affirmed. “We’ve been able to sell our programs around the world, so when the streaming platforms arrived both the Spanish industry and the creators were well prepared for worldwide success. We’ve got a lot of talent here and I’m trying to export that talent to other countries. We’re constantly looking for crossovers and we’ll continue to do so internationally”.
Among the tasks which Laura Fdez. Espeso will be taking charge of in her new role, is the sports rights division and the creation of the recently announced 1.1 billion euro investment fund to acquire sports rights around the world she sees herself capable of managing the challenge of advancing the digital future of the company: “Our stated goal is to continue to invest in innovation and transformation at the company. The world is changing and we have to tackle the challenge of innovation with an open mind. It’s not about artificial intelligence, but that is obviously important and something we’re investing in but it’s bigger than that”, she commented to Deadline.
To conclude, Deadline highlighted the moment when Laura Fdez. Espeso and other executives at GRUP MEDIAPRO understood the opportunity that the launch of The Mediapro Studio represented in 2019, thanks to decades of experience in production and intellectual property rights. "We had the resources, the infrastructure, the distribution arm and we were investing in intellectual property rights", she said. "We had started early doors on co-productions and when a company has the international focus that we’ve always had right from the start, you become very flexible. You have to bring together a lot of diverse pieces of the puzzle and it’s good now that everyone can see that the future is in co-productions. I’m really happy to be able to say that we are the structure and we make things happen. We’re not just manufacturers. We’re there doing business and connecting people”.
Directed by Mike Leigh and produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO and Thin Man Films
'Hard Truths', produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO and Thin Man Films, in association with Film4 and Creativity Media, is enjoying a hugely successful run in the annual awards season, amassing 12 awards, one for best film and 11 for the star of the film, the actress Marianne Jean Baptiste, who is looking a shoo-in for an Oscars nomination in the best actress category. She’s also up for a further 4 awards.
The film written and directed by the British filmmaker Mike Leigh, is slated to premiere in Spain on February 25th 2025 distributed by BTeam Pictures. The film’s producer is Georgina Lowe, with Laura Fernández Espeso from THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO and Henry Woolley from Thin Man Films as executive producers.
Following its tour of a host of prestigious international film festivals, including Toronto, San Sebastian, New York and London, where it picked up excellent reviews, the Mike Leigh film, the 23rd of his career, won the National Board of Review award for best original script-where it was also included in its list of the Top Ten Independent Films- and it’s also picked up a nomination for the Film Independent Spirit Awards for best international film, with the awards ceremony taking place on February 22nd as well as a best British/Irish film nomination from the London Film Critics’ Circle.
The star of the film, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, has picked up a stream of nominations and to date has hoisted 11 awards for her work, which include the award for best actress at the British Independent Film Awards, as well as as being selected as the best actress of the year by film associations in the USA such as the Los Angeles Film Critics Association, New York Film Critics Circle, New York Film Critics Online, San Diego Film Critics Society, Chicago Film Critics Association, African American Film Critics Association, San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics, Boston Online Film Critics, in addition to the Toronto Film Critics Association and the Acting Excellence Award at the Denver Film Festival. Jean Baptiste has also received nominations for the Critics Choice Awards, Seattle Film Critics Society a double nomination at the London Critics Circle Film Awards for best actress and best British/Irish acting award of the year. In the same awards, Michele Austin is up for the best actress in a supporting role of the year award.
Back with his first film in six years, Mike Leigh returns to contemporary London with family as the central focus in a story that is not exempt from pain, but through which there are moments of humor and warmth, allowing the director to explore themes such as family relationships, grief and mental health. The film revolves around Pansy, played by the terrific Marianne Jean-Baptiste, a woman for whom life is a constant struggle and who interacts with the world through anger and confrontation: she argues with her family, with her dentist, with her doctor, with the checkout operator, etc. Her husband Curtley hasn't known how to relate to her for a long time; son Moses is immersed in his own world, and the only one who seems to understand her is her sister Chantelle.
'Hard Truths' has brought together the British filmmaker and Marianne Jean-Baptiste again, after her starring role in ‘Secrets and Lies’, one of the most successful Leigh films and which is now 30 years old and which saw Marianne Jean Baptiste receive an Oscar nomination.
The film also sees the return of the actress Michele Austin to a Mike Leigh film, in the role of Chantelle, after a small part in ‘Secrets and lies’. 'Hard Truths' also features the actors David Webber, Tuwaine Barret, Elliot Edusah, Tiwa Lade, Jonathan Livingstone, Bryony Miller, Llewella Gideon and Hiral Varsani.
The film also includes the participation of most of the usual Mike Leigh behind-the-cameras team: the director of photography Dick Pope, the composer Gary Yershon, the casting director Nina Gold, costume designer Jacqueline Durran and the production designer Suzie Davis, along with new editions to the team the editor Tania Reddin (‘This England’) and the make-up designer and hair stylist Nora Robertson (‘Scrapper’).
«This profoundly sombre and moving drama, not without its touches of humour» according to The Guardian makes the return of a filmmaker considered a master of the art, a winner of a Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for ‘Secrets and lies’ and a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival for ‘Vera Drake’. Mike Leigh has also been nominated for an Oscar on seven occasions and has won two BAFTA awards.
‘Hard Truths’ is produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO and Thin Man Films in association with Film4 and Creativity Media and is slated for release in Spain on February 28th with BTeam Pictures.
The official VALORANT league in Spain jumps from 8 teams to 10 and welcomes KOI Academy, Ibai Llanos’ team and the Italians HGE Esports, NOVO Esports and DNSTY
The Rising MediaMarkt, the official VALORANT competition in Spain, organised by LVP (GRUP MEDIAPRO), is back on January 12th 2025 with new teams, a surprising competition format and increased support from MediaMarkt.
After several seasons with an 8- team league, the Rising MediaMarkt has taken the decision to expand to 10 teams all chasing the title. The line-up for the new season is set to feature the three biggest Italian teams: HGE Esports, NOVO Esports and DNSTY. Alongside them there will be six Spanish teams: UCAM Esports, KPI Gaming, Ramboot Club, FALKE ESPORTS –substituting SAW-, ZETA and Barça eSports, the current Rising MediaMarkt champion. The last team making up the roster is a chiselled VALORANT veteran on the Spanish scene and one of the strongest teams in Europe: KOI Academy. Ibai Llanos’ team is back in the league looking for that elusive crown.
The new Rising MediaMarkt is also set to modify its competition format. The biggest change, in addition to the 10-team league, will see it move from two splits to three in 2025. The first two will feature a regular phase, with matches played over the best of two maps, with draws counting and a play-off phase which will crown the champion. The finalists from each split will go into the Cross-Conference, the tournament which brings together the best teams from the most important regional VALORANT leagues around Europe, the equivalent of the EMEA Masters League of Legends. In addition, between each split, there will be a promotion phase which gives the chance to an amateur team to mix it with the big boys and play in the Rising MediaMarkt.
The format change will also see a change in the broadcast times on the LVP Twitch channel. Each match day will kick off at 5pm with two simultaneous matches instead of one following another, with a further round of matches at 7pm and the big game of the match day set to be played at 9pm.
The third split is set to be special with the ten teams being divided into two groups of five with each team playing each other once over the best of three maps. The top two teams from each group will go into the semi-finals which will be played over the best of five maps as will the grand final. At the end of the third split the accumulative points tally from across the season will be toted up and the four best teams will qualify for the final four, with the teams duking it out to be crowned the Rising MediaMarkt 2025 champion.
MediaMarkt, supporting the Rising again
For the fifth consecutive year, the Rising will see MediaMarkt as the lead sponsor following the deal signed with LVP. The electronics retail chain partnered with LVP at the start of 2021 with the launch of the Rising Series, and has been accompanying the competition ever since and has been one of the many drivers of the Spanish VALORANT scene.
The Rising MediaMarkt, which will also partner with Domino’s and Intel, returns on January 12th.
The film won 2 awards at the Forqué awards
2024 was a great year for GRUP MEDIAPRO, in addition to the celebration of its 30th anniversary, the extraordinary run both at the box office and at prestigious awards galas of the film ‘El 47’. Without doubt ‘El 47’ has been one of the bigs hits in the premiere season and starts as one of the clear favourites as we move into awards season. The film has picked up 14 Goya nominations, making it the movie with most nominations this year, along with its 18 nominations for the Gaudí awards. In addition, it’s also up for three Feroz awards as well as receiving a nomination for a Carmen award for Best Non-Andalusian Film.
Produced by THE MEDIAPRO STUDIO and directed by Marcel Barrena, ‘El 47’ opened its awards account at the latest edition of the Forqué Awards, where it picked up the two awards it was nominated for: Best Feature-length film and the Film and Educational Values Awards. Picking up the awards, at the 30th edition of the event, Laura Fdez. Espeso, the Director General of GRUP MEDIAPRO, highlighted the importance of the moment in which the awards arrived: “the accolade coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Mediapro is very special for us”. “We share the award with all the staff at the group because it’s obvious that it belongs to everyone and in particular all our colleagues at The Mediapro Studio, to whom we’re eternally grateful for everything they do to move things forward. And obviously, thanks to the entire production team, the marvelous cast that we had, the director, not just for his enormous talent but also for how he treats us all, which is key to its success and to Mediapro because it’s prepared to take risks and give us the freedom to make the films that we want to make.
Laura Fdez. Espeso highlighted the need to talk about values which help to reinforce the qualities reflected in the film. “It’s good and important to talk about values which help to strengthen the ties which bind society together, friendship, solidarity, trust, dignity and without doubt ‘El 47’ talks about dignity”.
The Overon Aerial drones division provided unique footage for a host of different TV networks
Overon provided comprehensive broadcast services for the coverage of the December 31st regional network specials around Spain celebrating seeing in the new year, as well as the San Silvestre Vallecana in Madrid and San Silvestre running races in La Laguna in Tenerife. More than 45 staff, including satellite operators, drone pilots and support staff, camera operators, technicians, editors, and producers were in situ across Spain to cover the end of year events. Sites included the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Plaça de Espanya - Montjuïc in Barcelona, Plaza del Obradoiro in Santiago, Jaen City Council and other venues around Palma, Bilbao, Valencia, Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Lanzarote. Overon provided services for nearly all the state and regional networks including: Antena 3, laSexta, Mediaset, TVE, TV3, TVG, Canal Sur, TV Canaria, IB3, ETB, À Punt and Telemadrid.
Across New Year’s Eve, Overon Aerial provided 18 drone services for both the sports events and the end-of-year celebrations including the traditional ringing in of the New Year with a team of 19 staff, made up of coordination staff, drone pilots and technical support staff. The project featured 18 DSNGs - fly aways with aerial capabilities which supported the signal broadcast as well as backpack broadcast systems and RF and ENG cameras.
18 Overon Aerial drones were a key part of the broadcast productions, providing live links of the celebrations from across the country and offering the networks unique footage for their shows. Thanks to the cutting-edge camera technology, the drones captured spectacular aerial footage which were a key feature of the broadcasts. Highlights included the Real Madrid TV - Special Open Training session, the special program for Telemadrid - Salida de Carrera San Silvestre Vallecana 2025, the special program for Telemadrid - Puerta de Alcalá de Madrid, for the emblematic Carrera San Silvestre Vallecana 202 race, the Telemadrid special from the Fuente de Cibeles in Madrid, a key spot on the race route for the San Silvestre Vallecana; the special Telemadrid show Meta de Carrera de San Silvestre Vallecana from the Vallecas football stadium; the special New Year’s Eve show for Canal Sur Televisión from the la Plaza de Santa María in Jaén; the New Year’s Eve show for ETB, from the Plaza de España in Vitoria/Gasteiz; the New Year’s Eve special for A Punt TV, from the Plaza del Ayuntamiento in Valencia.
PHOTO 1: San Silvestre, Puerta de Alcalá (Madrid) / PHOTO 2: San Silvestre, Plaza de Cibeles (Madrid) / PHOTOS 3 and 4: Campanadas, Plaza Santa María (Jaén) / PHOTO 5: Campanadas, Plaza de España (Vitoria) / PHOTO 6: Campanadas, Plaza del Ayuntamiento (Valencia)
Filming takes place in a set installed in the Barcelona restaurant of the Michelin-star chefs
Mediapro Brands, a GRUP MEDIAPRO company which specializes in sponsorship management and the production of branded content, is responsible for the audiovisual production and graphics design for the cooking show “Hermanos Torres en casa”.
Filming takes place inside the Cocina Hermanos Torres restaurant in Barcelona allowing them to move seamlessly from the production of the show to being behind the stove cooking for their clients. The show will be offering new cooking content with innovative recipes, cooking challenges and lots of fun with anecdotes from their lives and a peak behind the curtain at their day-to-day routine.
Sergio and Javier Torres, both Michelin 3-star chefs for their Cocina Hermanos Torres de Barcelona restaurant, will be showcasing innovative recipes with their own particular presentation style. The program launched on December 14th and airs every Saturday and Sunday on TEN TV.
Every week Mediapro Brands manages the filming and production of the two shows and the corresponding adaptations for YouTube and social media.
