Mip Junior: Nickelodeon Latin America Kicks Off Co-Production ‘Club 57’ with Italy’s Rainbow Group (EXCLUSIVE)

By Anna Marie de la Fuente

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In what could only be seen as further evidence of the increasing globalization of content, plus Viacom’s drive to produce for and with third-party companies, Nickelodeon Latin America, a Viacom International Studios (VIS) unit, has kicked off production on its Latino fictional music series 60-episode “Club 57” in Italy.

Latin America’s first co-production with Iginio Straffi’s Rainbow Group, “Club 57” boasts a pan-regional cast and began taping mid-September on location in Puglia, Italy to later continue production at the Viacom studios in Miami, Florida.

“Club 57” revolves around teens Eva and her brother Ruben who accidentally travel to 1957.  Not unlike the 1985 hit “Back to the Future,” Eva falls in love and decides to stay, but her decision triggers a butterfly effect that would change their lives for the worse, not improve them.

Combining music, dance and time-traveling adventures, Eva must now find a way to return to the present day without giving up her first love.

“Club 57” is created by Catharina Ledoboer who has penned multiple tween/teen hits for the network, including “Every Witch Way” (four seasons), “WITS Academy” and “Talia in the Kitchen” for Nickelodeon US; and three successful seasons of “Grachi” for Nickelodeon Latin America.

Venezuelan actress Eva Luna Montaner, in the role of Eva, plays opposite Italian actor Riccardo Frasari as her first love, JJ.

The rest of the cast includes Colombia’s Sebastian Silva who plays Eva’s brother, Rubén, Mexico’s Martin Barba playing Aurek, Venezuelan actress Angela Rincon as Sofia and from Chile, Carolina Mestrovic in the role of Vero, among others.

Other cast members include Cuban-American actress Isabella Castillo and Colombian actor Andres Mercado who return to the Nickelodeon screen after their participation in Nickelodeon Latin America’s “Yo Soy Franky,” “Vikki RPM,” and “Grachi.”

Multi-nommed Grammy artist Ricardo Montaner leads the team that will produce and compose the music for the series.