Viacom International Studios, Infinity Hill Sign Exclusive First Look Deal

By Jamie Lang

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Viacom International Studios (VIS) has signed an exclusive first look development deal with Infinity Hill. The companies will co-develop and co-produce a slate of Spanish-language features, filmed globally and utilizing international talent on both sides of the camera.

is the new label from longtime Telefonica and Viacom exec Axel Kuschevatzky, one of the Spanish-speaking world’s highest-profile film executives, “Waiting for Anya” producer Phin Glynn and producer Cindy Teperman (“Animal”). With offices in London, Los Angeles and Buenos Aires, the label already has a multilingual slate of films in production, some of which were unveiled at November’s American Film Market.

The company’s first title, “The Doorman,” recently wrapped and stars Ruby Rose (“Batwoman”) and Jean Reno (“Leon”) and is directed by Ryûhei Kitamura (“Versus,” “Midnight Meat Train”). A Lionsgate U.S. pick up which has sold strongly in international, handled by DDI, off a Berlin European Film Market bow, is produced by Glynn, alongside DDI’s Jason Moring, Immediate Film’s Michael Phillips and Smash Media’s Harry Winer.

“For a rising film company like Infinity Hill setting up a deal with such a giant as is a great opportunity and a marvelous way to create new films aimed for both local and global audiences,” said Kuschevatzky in a statement.

He added: “Spanish is the second-most spoken language win the world, with 460 Million Native Speakers. So, there is a huge community there with a big demand for films in its own language.”

“This deal empowers us to increase our development of high-quality, long-form content generating more IPs for VIS,” Federico Cuervo, SVP, head of Viacom International Studios elaborated. “We know the talent of Infinity Hill’s producers and what they can bring to a studio like ours in terms of high-end content.”

Other announced Infinity Hill titles include adaptations of Graham Greene (“The Captain and the Enemy”) and Lawrence Osborne (“Hunters in the Dark”) – as well as Spanish-language pics such as “La Cúpula de las Fieras,” written and to be directed by Hatem Kraiche (“Orbit 9”), which will be produced alongside Frida Torresblanco (“Pan‘s Labyrinth,” “Disobedience”) at Braven Films, who also has a deal with Viacom International Studios, and a documentary directed by Martín Sastre following singer-actor Natalia Oreiro‘s Russian concert tour.

“We’ll work on English-language features but also local language offerings, not only in Spanish,” Kuschevtazky told Variety when announcing the label last November, underscoring the importance of producing in multiple languages and territories.  “We do admire other people’s talent, regardless of language.”