'Culpables' Secret: Why Prime Video Almost Said NO!

Pokeepsie Films, the Spanish production powerhouse steered by Carolina Bang and Álex de la Iglesia, known for their bold and often genre-bending work, is betting big on the young adult (YA) market. Fresh off the massive success of the "Culpables" movies, they're diving headfirst into adapting Mercedes Ron’s "Enfrentados" ("Confronted") novels into two feature films for Prime Video. And let me tell you, this isn't just a casual dip; they're fully submerged, promising something even bigger than what we've seen before.

'Culpables' Secret: Why Prime Video Almost Said NO...

Beyond the "Enfrentados" adaptations, Pokeepsie is also teaming up again with "Culpables" director Domingo González on a romantasy project. Think romance meets fantasy, and you're probably somewhere in the ballpark. It sounds like they're looking to cement their place as a go-to for compelling YA stories, but don't think they're abandoning their genre roots either.

The two "Enfrentados" films, titled "Marfíl" ("Ivory") and "Ébano" ("Ebony"), are set to further expand Prime Video's YA offerings. These aren't just small indie flicks, either. They've got Ester Expósito ("Élite") playing Marfil, a Spanish tycoon's daughter whose life in New York City takes a dramatic turn after she's kidnapped. Hugo Diego García ("The Substance") stars as Sebastian, the bodyguard hired to protect her. Pokeepsie filmed both movies back-to-back, utilizing locations in both Spain and New York, so expect a visually rich experience.

Carolina Bang, in an interview, highlighted that "Enfrentados" is "more ambitious than 'Culpa,'" aiming to capture the same broad audience – mothers and daughters alike – while pushing the boundaries a bit. "It has more action, it is a little bit more adult, so we can work with the fans who are not 18 anymore," she explained. It’s interesting to see them acknowledging the growth of their audience and catering to it.

It's easy to look at "Culpables" massive success now – remember it was Prime Video’s biggest international launch ever, and the "Culpa Nuestra" trailer racked up an insane 163 million views! – but Bang revealed that getting the project off the ground wasn't exactly smooth sailing. "When we began to develop the script, it was hard to sell, nobody wanted it," she confessed. "It took almost two years… Suddenly, Amazon came in, they understood what they wanted and what we wanted to do, and so we did it together." This just goes to show that even the biggest hits sometimes need a leap of faith from someone willing to take a chance.

Looking ahead, Pokeepsie is aiming for even bigger and more ambitious projects, with eyes on English-language productions. The collaboration with Domingo González on the romantasy project sounds particularly intriguing. "Domingo is part of our house and our family, and we have this ambitious project that we hope to shoot next year, it’s a perfect mix of young adult, romance and a fantasy world," Bang teased. Outside of YA, Álex de la Iglesia has directed "La Cuidadora" ("The Caregiver") for Netflix, and they’re developing a thriller with Jaume Balagueró. Pokeepsie Films is clearly not slowing down anytime soon.