Santiago Zapata, newly appointed VP of Scripted at A Fábrica México & US Hispanic, reveals the company’s expansion into film production and shares details about its upcoming
projects, including collaborations under Leonardo Padrón’s new label. Earlier this year, Endemol Shine Boomdog and A Fábrica made headlines with the joint launch of A Fábrica México & US Hispanic, a new production company specializing in Spanish-language scripted content. Now, the company has announced to Cveintiuno its plans to move into feature film production for both theatrical release and streaming platforms.
The initiative follows the appointment of Santiago Zapata as VP of Scripted in August, overseeing the development and production efforts of Banijay Americas’ new label. With prior experience at Contento Films and Ntertain Studios/Neon16, Zapata’s career has been deeply rooted in independent cinema, with credits as a writer and producer on titles such as The Boy (2015), City of Dead Men (2016), and Monos (2019) — the most awarded film in Colombia’s history.
Zapata now aims to bring that expertise into A Fábrica México & US Hispanic’s new film slate, with several projects already in development and one expected to enter production later this year. “We’re beginning to develop and produce films, both fiction and documentaries. We already have several projects well underway, and before the end of the year, we’ll be sharing some very
exciting news about one of them,” Zapata told Cveintiuno. Staying true to the company’s creative DNA, A Fábrica México & US Hispanic aims to produce films “across all genres, under all business models, and designed to reach broad audiences” — particularly in Mexico and the U.S. Hispanic market. “We’re completely genre-agnostic, but we’re focusing more on comedy, romantic comedy, drama, and adventure. We’re looking for stories that resonate deeply with our audiences and deliver international-level production quality,” he explained.
“More than satisfying our personal creative desires, we’re focused on what can truly impact our viewers,” he added. Drawing on over a decade of experience in Latin American independent cinema, Zapata plans to apply his know-how to A Fábrica’s operations — particularly in seeking co-production partners, tapping regional incentives, and “maximizing resources to make the best film possible.”
While acknowledging that film production currently offers certain advantages over series within the industry, Zapata emphasized that the move into movies is driven by a desire to expand
storytelling formats rather than market strategy: “Films have shorter development windows, less buyer risk, and shorter life cycles. But this isn’t about avoiding challenges — it’s about broadening the range of ways we can tell stories,” he summarized. Beyond this new venture into film, A Fábrica México & US Hispanic continues to develop its slate of scripted television projects.
The company was established to lead the scripted division, allowing Endemol Shine Boomdog to focus on its core unscripted expertise. As such, all fiction projects previously under Boomdog’s banner were transferred to A Fábrica México & US Hispanic — including the second season of Como Agua para Chocolate and the adaptation of the vampire novel Vlad. The company’s scope also includes producing documentary content such as docuseries and docufollows, and leading collaborations with Leonardo Padrón Productions, the new label launched by Banijay Americas in partnership with the acclaimed Venezuelan writer and creator Leonardo Padrón. Padrón is known for creating some of the most-watched Spanish-language series of recent years,
including the thriller Pálpito and the drama Accidente, as well as telenovelas like La Mujer del Diablo, Si Nos Dejan, Amar a Muerte, and the adaptation of the Mexican classic Rubí. His film
credits include Manuela Sáenz, la libertadora del Libertador, La Primera Vez, and Miranda.
Zapata explained that the partnership with Padrón currently spans three areas: remakes of his classic telenovelas, development of new original ideas, and incubation of concepts from
emerging regional writers. “It’s a privilege to brainstorm and create alongside a legend like Leo. We have projects that we’re truly excited about,” Zapata said. While he did not specify which of Padrón’s classics are being revisited, Zapata noted that the Venezuelan creator retains rights to some of his works, and the team has secured others. This line of melodramas aims to serve both free-to-air broadcasters and streaming platforms — which, according to Zapata, “have lost their fear” of long-form storytelling.
“We’ve seen that streamers are no longer afraid of longer melodramas. They’ve realized these stories are narratively powerful and can hold audiences’ attention for extended periods. The more
content we can offer them, the better,” he noted. A Fábrica itself has strong credentials in the genre, having produced Pedaço de Mim, Netflix’s first original telenovela in Brazil, which became one of the platform’s biggest hits from the region last year.
“We’re building on that experience and learning from the incredible A Fábrica team led by Luiz Noronha. They’ve welcomed us with open arms and are sharing their knowledge to help us apply
it to our markets,” Zapata concluded.
Link: https://cveintiuno.com/a-fabrica-mexico-us-hispanic-se-expande-a-la-produccion-de-peliculas/
