L to R: Ben Odell and Eugenio Derbez of 3Pas Studios.
Univision continues to beef up its development pipeline with well-known and established talent. Ahead of the much hyped 2022 launch of its new global streaming service, the media giant has signed a first-look deal with actor, comedian and producer Eugenio Derbez and 3Pas Studios, run by Derbez and producing partner Ben Odell.
Under the agreement, Univision will have the first look at all Spanish-language television and theatrical motion picture projects controlled by 3Pas Studios and Derbez, including movies and series for SVOD (subscription video-on-demand) or theatrical releases.
Derbez and 3Pas Studios will develop and produce Spanish-language content for worldwide appeal across different genres and age groups for Univision’s SVOD platform, including projects as possible Derbez starring vehicles. The popular and busy star, who has been expanding his own production footprint first and whose Apple TV+ series Acapulco debuts October 8, will serve as a subject-matter expert to develop and acquire Spanish-language, authentic, family-friendly content for the new “Derbez Channel,” which will initially launch in Latin America, on Univision’s streaming platform’s AVOD tier.
“Eugenio is a globally celebrated content creator whose vision and passion for storytelling are unmatched,” said Pierluigi Gazzolo, President and Chief Transformation Officer at Univision. “This partnership is a testament to how we are doubling down on our commitment to building the best and largest Spanish-language streaming service in the world, one that will be the home to top-level creative Spanish-Language talent.”
Univision already has rights to shows that made Derbez popular worldwide, including the sitcoms Al Derecho y al Derbez and La Familia P. Luche, one of the Spanish-language longest-running comedy series in the United States, and the blockbuster movie Instructions Not Included, which became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film of all time in the U.S.
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Derbez joins a roster of globally recognized and award-winning producers, creators and writers with deals at Univision, including Nobel Literature Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa, best-selling author Maria Dueñas, critically-acclaimed Mexican writer-director Santiago Limón.
Univision first announced the launch of a unified global streaming service, including a new premium subscription (SVOD) and an expanded free advertising-supported (AVOD) tier in January 2021. The company aims to capitalize on a growing and “underserved” audience by offering high-quality Spanish-language content and originals and plans to reveal more details for the service following the close of the Televisa-Univision merger.
