Variety US Edition: Disney, Somos Boost Latin-American Sales to Juan Gabriel Biopic Series

  Courtesy of Somos Distribution April 3, 2016 | 04:10AM PT Chile's Chilevision and Colombia's RCN will also air 'Hasta que te conoci,' which TNT premieres in the region on April 18 Underscoring Latin America’s appetite for real life-inspired TV fictions, Disney Media Distribution Latin America (DMDLA) and Somos Distribution have added significant sales across the region on “Hasta que te conoci” (“Until I Met You”), the upcoming biographicall TV drama on Mexican music icon Juan Gabriel. Bogota-based Vista Producciones secured series TV rights in Colombia, to air on RCN Television, one of the country’s two leading broadcast nets. In Chile, the musical TV skein will launch via terrestial broadcast network Chilevision. Further Latin American deals on “Hasta que te conoci” include Canal 12 in Uruguay, Cerro Cora in Paraguay, TVN in Panama and Unitel in Bolivia. The 14-episode TV drama premieres April 18 on TNT Latin America and will segue to Telemundo in the U.S. and Mexico’s TV Azteca, as fruits of already-known deals. “Today we can say that almost all of the territories of the Americas have signed broadcasting deals on the series,” said Francisco Villanueva, v.p. and COO at Somos Distribution, skein co-distributor alongside DMDLA. The remainder of Latin American rights-including those from key markets such as Brazil or Argentina- are under negotiation, Villanueva added. A DMDLA, Somos Productions and Juan Gabriel production, filmed in Mexico by BTF Media, “Hasta que te conoci” recreates the life of the famous Mexican singer and composer Alberto Aguilera Valadez -Juan Gabriel’s real name-, from birth until he becomes the “divo of Juarez.” For Francisco Villanueva, Latin American market acceptance marks “a sign of confidence in the product quality, the producers’ experience, the personal involvement of Juan Gabriel and his fascinating history.” Sales results to date represent “a prelude to what we expect outside the region. Apart from Juan Gabriel’s recognition as an artist, this is a story of overcoming many obstacles, which is always possible when perseverance combines with talent,” said Villanueva, who considers the series “a product of global impact.” “Hasta que te conoci” marks the first biopic drama series launched by Disney Media Distribution Latin America and forms part of a bevy of same-profile projects the company is developing. The bioseries is one of the highlights of Somos Distribution’s catalogue at MipTV, where the Miami-based company is also offering telenovelas from India (“Strange Love”), Turkey (“Mercy”) and Spain (“Merlin”). http://variety.com/2016/tv/global/disney-somos-latin-american-juan-gabriel-biopic-series-1201744324/