Spain’s Secuoya Studios Taps David Martínez as Head of Fiction
By Emiliano De Pablos
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Spain’s Secuoya Group has tapped David Martínez, one of country’s most reputed TV executives, as head of fiction of the Secuoya Studios, its film and TV content production arm.
Considered as one of the architects behind the quality leap in Spanish TV drama production sector, Martínez’s appointment marks a new strengthening of Secuoya Studios’ content production structure, after the naming in April as president of Secuoya Studios of James Costos, former HBO VP of global licensing and retail, who also served as a U.S. ambassador to Spain over 2013-17.
As part of its international expansion plans, Secuoya Studios is also opening a H.Q. In Los Angeles.
Martínez’s appointment allow Sequoia to ring multiple options, bringing U.S shoots to Spain where Secuoya can offer services and its studios; co-production of international series; creation of Spanish series brought onto the market for international co-production or sales, to broadcasters or global platforms.
Martínez is bringing to Secuoya Studios a portfolio of 20 projects in development, four of them in partnership with both free-to-air broadcasters and digital platforms, several adaptations of big publishing titles, plus a major co-production project with Hollywood, the company said Monday.
In the coming days, Secuoya will announce the remaining appointments that will complete Secuoya Studios’ staff.
Secuoya, owner of the Madrid studios used by Netflix for its first European production hub, has become one of the drivers of the Spanish-language fiction production revolution, already striking deals and alliances from 2014 onwards with companies in Perú, México, Colombia, Chile and the U.S.
“It is a huge asset for us to have a profile like that of David Martínez in our staff. I think that his instinct for talent, his passion for work and his commitment to take Spanish fiction to the highest level fit perfectly with the pillars that support our commitment to the sector development,” said Raúl Berdonés, president of Secuoya Group.
“It is a honor and a challenge to assume this responsibility alongside names such as Raúl Berdonés and James Costos,” Martínez said.
“The challenge is to consolidate the production of quality series in Spain and aspire to the global market and without doubt contribute to the success that Secuoya Group has already achieved in all areas of the sector,” he added.
Despite the fact that began his professional career as a lawyer, Martínez has built up in the last 15 years a exceptional curriculum in Spain’s audiovisual sector, serving as director of TV fiction at pubcaster RTVE over the period 2007-09 and then director of fiction at Mediaset España (2009-11).
He’s also worked as a producer for Voz Audiovisual and Filmanova, with his most recent position coming as CEO of Spain’s Morena TV, a joint venture between Morena and Martínez.
Martínez’s earliest commission at RTVE was “Desaparecida,” showrun by writer-producer Ramón Campos and directed by Carlos Sedes – both, like Martínez from Galicia – and a milestone in Spanish TV production, bringing the pace and character complexity of contemporary international scripted series to Spain.
At RTVE, Martínez’s scripted series also included Campos’ “Gran Reserva,” the show-runner’s first hit at his new production house, Bambú Producciones, as well as the multi-prized mini-series “23-F: El día más difícil del Rey,” and mega-hit “Águila Roja.”
“Our bet on Spanish language contents, talent promotion and development of an industry that will soon recover after the effects of COVID-19 is a reality and for this reason we are assembling a team with the top executives in each area,” Berdonés said.
Secuoya Group is constructing new soundstages around its Madrid studios to create Madrid Content City, an ambitious business park of 140,000 square meters (1.5 million square feet) that will house a large production hub, services for filming, a university campus and sports and leisure areas.
