Beta Fiction, Spain’s No. 1 Independent Distributor in 2024, Sets New Films by ‘El 47’s’ Marcel Barrena and ‘House on Fire’s’ Dani de la Orden (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Beta Fiction Spain, the No. 1 independent distributor in the country this year thanks to a barn-storming €8.0 million ($8.3 million) box office gross from Arantxa Echevarría’s “Undercover,” is set to produce new films from Marcel Barrena and Dani de la Orden, directors of two other big 2024 Spanish breakouts: “El 47” and “A House in Flames.” With Echevarría attached to direct biopic “Dolores,” Beta Fiction Spain now has in development movies by three of the five directors behind films nominated for Best Picture at Feb.

8’s Spanish Academy Goya Awards. In all, Beta Fiction Spain releases look set to gross a total €15.2 million ($15.8 million) at Spanish theaters, a considerable achievement given it only launched in May 2022 and released just seven films in 2024, compared to the dozen or so titles it plans to open in Spain from 2025, its first full year of business.

Fresh off “El 47,” a Mediapro Studio production which punched €3.2 million ($3.3 million) for distributor A Contracorriente Films, Barrena is now writing with “El 47” co-scribe Alberto Marini (“La Unidad”) the screenplay for a feature film entitled “La Roja.” Much further upstream in development, De la Orden’s project follows up “A House on Fire,” a dramedic take on a dysfunctional Catalan family which scored €3.1 million ($3.2 million) this year in Spain.

The new title is a “big, big project, based on a true story and best-selling book that has gone through 14 editions, which will have a big name Spanish cast,” said Beta Fiction Spain Managing Director Pablo Nogueroles.