Film Factory Acquires “Barren Land,” the Suspense Thriller from “Money Heist” Director Albert Pintó (EXCLUSIVE)
The worldwide Netflix hits “Money Heist,” “Berlin,” and “Nowhere,” as well as “Barren Land,” directed by Albert Pintó of Spain, have been acquired by Spain’s Film Factory Entertainment.
“Barren Land” (also known as “Tierra de Nadie”) is written by Fernando Navarro, a renowned screenwriter from Spain whose works include the Netflix successes “Below Zero” and “Veronica,” based on an original concept by producer Alvaro Ariza.
“Barren Land” will be on sale worldwide by Film Factory as it develops a strong lineup of high-end advertising packages. The movie will be released in Spain by Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia the following year.
Principal filming for the suspense thriller, which is now taking place in Cadiz, southern Spain, is started. It depicts the destruction of friendships, lives, and the whole province due to a drug trade gone wild, with action even extending to the Straits of Gibraltar.
“An ode to friendship, focusing on three characters whose paths diverge due to the long-standing situation in the Southern part of Spain,” “Barren Land” centers on three characters: Juan “el Antxale,” a fisherman forced into the drug trade by bad luck and unemployment; Mateo “El Gallego,” a heroic Civil Guard; and Benito “el Yeye,” an intelligent bailiff who resigned from his job because it put him in danger from both law enforcement and criminals.
“All three [are] caught between the hazardous escalation of social unrest, the violent and uncontrollably growing narco trafficking in the province, and the desertion of the institutions. The summary reads, “Three friends are trapped in a powder keg that will test their friendship.”
Starring in the movie are Jesús Carroza, the emotionally vulnerable cellmate in Alberto Rodríguez’s “Prison 77,” Karra Elejalde, who portrayed Unamuno in Alejandro Amenábar’s “While at War,” and Luis Zahera, who played the primary villain in Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beasts.”
According to Ariza, “Barren Land” is a thriller with depth thanks to its social edge. “We have dedicated four years to this project, delving into themes of camaraderie, societal concerns, and the conversion of a formerly prosperous community into a barren wasteland,” the speaker said.
One of the few well-known Spanish projects with significant commercial components, “Barren Land,” is just what the global market is looking for right now. Vicente Canales, CEO of Film Factory, expressed confidence that it would appeal to many purchasers.
The film is lead produced by Ariza’s Esto También Pasará, a rapidly expanding force in Spain’s production scene that produced the Fantastic Pavilion Gala at Cannes last year, the Ron Perlman-starring picture “The Gentleman,” the remake of the Israeli hit “Big Bad Wolves” called “Ferocious Wolf,” and more.
With assistance from ICAA, Prime Video, RTVE, Canal Sur, Mogambo, and Mexican production firm SDB Films—which is also a collaborator on “The Gentleman”—Esto También Pasará produces “Barren Land” in conjunction with Glow.
