Some discomfort must have been within Netflix according to the controversy with Tondero that went viral in social networks the last days. The negotiations to make the first film produced by the streaming giant together took several months, but it was just in the week that the announcement that criticism against the Peruvian film house broke out, following some statements by actresses such as Jely Reátegui and Vanessa Saba. The “make your movie, friend” that Saba sent to a tweeter who criticized the quality of national productions did not fall well in many viewers.
Netflix, however, and as usual, has chosen not to delve into the mess. Its president and founder, billionaire Reed Hastings, an affable guy who refuses any controversy, arrived in Lima to formalize the first production announcements in Peru. In a meeting with some press media among which he was TradeHe explained the reasons for choosing Tondero’s romantic comedy (written by Bruno Ascenzo), but also clarified that it is not an exclusive agreement.
“Tondero is a very well regarded company, but It’s not the only one we’re going to work with. Like Netflix, we usually partner with different collaborators, and surely they could also work with others. It is healthy for them to have multiple companies to work for, and it is also healthy for us to have multiple suppliers, ”says the CEO of Netflix.
For the general manager of Del Barrio Producciones, Hugo Coya, the arrival of Netflix to Peru is very important news because it opens new doors to the entire audiovisual sector of the country, which It is still an incipient market for production. On the particular case of Tondero, Coya points out that his choice would go through the blockbusters and the tangible results he has shown. “I am speculating, of course, but as a producer and director I think that partnering with the great local producer is completely understandable, because Tondero has also shown to know the Peruvian public,” he says.
Of course, a production like this, announced to be released in 2021, will demand a new quality standard like the ones required by the ‘streaming’ platform Worldwide. And that is something Tondero actually knows. “Netflix is characterized precisely by these standards – adds Coya -. It’s not just about producing and having a good script; In technical matters, it puts you a very high fence. And that forces us all – producers, filmmakers, screenwriters – to raise quality if we want these first productions to not be the only ones. Because, in addition, with the arrival of Netflix, there will surely be others like Disney, Amazon, HBO, etc. ”
INTERNATIONAL ROCE
Hastings’ brief visit to Peru was not only limited to the announcements of the first productions. It also included a meeting with officials of the Ministry of Culture; a small gastronomic tour between Maido, Astrid & Gastón and Central (where he received a cooking class); and even the recording of a spot in Barranco next to Melcochita. Less than 24 hours in our country after visits to Brazil and Argentina, monsters of audiovisual production in the region, where he announced several dozen series and movies.
In fact, Peruvian production that will come from Netflix in 2021 seems articulated in that regional landscape. Is about a bioserie about the Peruvian soccer player Paolo Guerrero, a local character but of international interest, that fits in what the firm intends to carry out onwards. “The idea is to create content in Peru and then share it around the world, as we have done in England with‘ Sex Education ’or‘ The Crown ’, or with French, German, Japanese series, etc. It’s about sharing content everywhere, ”explains Hastings.
That is why the production about Guerrero, in addition, will have the hook of being focused on the controversial doping episode that kept the striker off the field for several months. Although Hastings did not offer further details of the plot (except that it will be done with the Argentine production company Torneos, that the player will participate with some testimonies, and that it will be similar to the “Apache” series, about the football player Carlos Tévez), he does acknowledge that the Paolo’s suspension issue remains controversial. “But that’s what makes it more entertaining, isn’t it?”
Beyond the ads, Hastings does not release a garment. Do not worry about the defeat of Netflix in the Oscar (“It was like the World Cup final, everything could happen”) and he believes that the future of his company is to continue expanding internationally (“except in the field of sports and news broadcasting,” he says on that ground that he is foreign). On whether Netflix will rethink definitively of watching the cinema, it also opts for a cautious speech.
“Streaming” has been growing in the last 15 years and cinemas have remained, he says. Think about it this way: today a lot of people have Spotify, but keep going to concerts. The same goes for the practice of going to the movies, which is the fact of looking for an experience away from home. The only thing that has changed is that the experience at home is now much better. ” Let’s see how he is doing in these parts.
