Erik Barmack, Jimena Rodríguez Set ‘Pequeñas Indiscreciones,’ ‘El Susurro del Angel’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Erik Barmack, the former senior Netflix exec, and Mexico-based producer Jimena Rodríguez have added two new Spanish crime novels – “El Susurro del Angel” and “Pequeñas Infamias” – to their burgeoning line in star-studded, character-driven crime thrillers begun by Netflix Mexico original “Invitation to Murder.”
Shot this Summer in Mexico, “Invitation to Murder,” adapting a Carmen Posadas novel and the first title in the crime thriller movie series, starred Peru’s Stephanie Cayo (“Club of Crows”), Spain’s Maribel Verdú (“Pan’s Labyrinth”), Colombia’s Manolo Cardona (“Who Killed Sara?”), and Mexico’s Regina Blandón (“Yo No Creo en Los Hombres”) and Aaron Díaz (“Toda la Sangre”) in a murder mystery reminiscent of “Knives Out,” Barmack said.
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Marking out the most original facet of these new movies, “Murder,” “Susurro” and “Pequeñas Indiscreciones” – as the movie makeover is known – will, like “Invitation,” be made for global audiences by adapting high-profile Spanish literary IPs to Mexican settings.
Both Posadas novels were optioned via deals sealed with Spain’s Scenic Rights.
Set up at Barmack’s L.A.-based Wild Sheep Content, which has a production alliance with The Mediapro Studio, and Rodriguez’s Windsor Films, “El susurro del angel,” published in 2022, marks the second novel from Spain’s David Olivas. It debuted to great reviews – “a lovely book, which gives such depth to its characters,” says Mickey F. – and high sales numbers.
A suspense thriller set in a small coastal town, it turns on the Serra family, who go to a local festival with Biel, 2, to watch the fireworks.
Suddenly, the power in the square goes out and Biel disappears without trace. Years later, a place detective, who has suffered her own loss, travels to the village to reopen the case and develops an especial bond with the missing boy’s mother, who has never given up hope that Briel could still be alive.
A crime story at its core, “El susurro del angel” is “in the vein of ‘Mare of Easttown,’ a mystery that fits into a thriller with a time element involved,” and also about “women supporting women and the emotional stakes behind the crime story,” said Wild Sheep Content’s Jocelyn Wexler, who brought the literary property to Wild Sheep and Windsor.
In a second move, the partners are advancing on development of “Pequeñas Indiscreciones,” based on “Pequeñas Infamias,” the most famous crime novel from Spain’s Carmen Posadas, a huge author in the Spanish-speaking world whose books have sold over 2 million copies.
Winner of the Planeta Prize, the country’s biggest literary award, “Pequeñas Indiscreciones,” a murder mystery and social satire, turns on a celebrated catering chef Nestor Chaffino who is found frozen to death inside a wealthy client’s walk-in freezer. That client, Ernesto Teldi, his unfaithful wife, Adela, and their friend magistrate Serafin Tous are all conscious that Nestor knows their darkest secrets. Kitchen hand Chloe determines to discover who killed him.
“This novel has it all: an elegant setting, a tense time frame, a cast of intriguing characters, and beautifully crafted writing that lends glamour and insight to the story,” The Washington Post announced in its review.
In “Invitation to Murder,” a dramedy, the glamorous Olivia Uriate, having lost everything invites eight mortal enemies to a luxury boat in the middle of the ocean, to provoke her own murder, while leaving clues for his sister Agata, to solve the puzzle and start a new life.
“We continue to see enormous growth in taking big crime novels from Europe, especially Spain, and adapting them to global audiences. As one of the fastest growing production companies in the world, we think this trend is fascinating and on point with what we want to do,” Barmack told Variety in the run-up to MipCancun.
The upcoming movies will feature star casts, “Pequeñas Indiscreciones” most likely an all-star cast, Barmack added.
For Rodríguez, the new films could have limited theatrical release. But they can target broader audiences, both younger and older. through streaming platforms, “which are proving to be really good partners in giving you financial and creative freedom to explore where you want to take a story and allow you to reach a larger and much more global audience,” she added.
The three movies mark a meeting of two high-profile producers.
Barmack oversaw international originals at Netflix when it made some of its biggest swings in history outside the U.S.., taking over the production of “Money Heist,” or producing “The Dark,” “Elite” and “Sacred Games.” At Wild Sheep Content, Barmack has now sold 14 titles – 11 series and three movies – to global partners over its first two years of operations, a remarkable record.
Rodríguez produced “3 Idiots,” the second highest-grossing Mexican movie of the year. Before establishing Windsor Films, she created the distribution arm of exhibition giant Cinepolis.
Variety talked to Barmack and Rodríguez in the run-up to MipCancun.
What do the three novels have in common?
Erik Barmack: They’re all Spanish bestsellers and crime thrillers that are female-led or ensembles with unconventional lead female roles which will be largely set and shot in Latin America.
Why crime novels?
Wexler: The books travel extremely well. “Pequeñas infamias” has sold over 700,000 copies. Carmen Posadas has been translated into more than 30 languages. If you look at the The New York Times best sellers list, many of the top titles are crime novels.
Barmack: Every major crime book in this genre that we’ve acquired from Europe, we’ve been able to sell in a meaningful way. Crime and thrillers makes up half of our greenlit slate right now. That’s not by design.It’s just what age market is reacting to.
And why novels from Spain?
Barmack: There’s extraordinary crime’ writing in Spain and a tradition of crime novels in Spain that may not be present in other markets. Spanish Noir now tends to be a little faster-paced, with a little more melodrama to it and can be funnier at time; Carmen’s books are really funny.
Rodríguez: Carmen Posadas explores characters and she comments on their social values. That just struck a chord with what we were looking for and Spain and Mexico, in the end, are very relatable. They have the same kind of value sets as societies.
And “Susurro”?
Rodríguez: It is set in a small town in Spain that is basically the same as any small town in Mexico: A very close knit family, the priest who plays an important part in the community which is quite traditional and these complex female characters, a detective and a grieving mother. And in “Invitation to Murder,” you have two very unconventional female leads played by Maribel Verdú and Regina Blandón.
“Susurro” has been praised for its depth of character which of course can attract major talent…
Rodríguez: It has characters that you can explore in many different ways, that seem to be something but end up being another. They have so many layers. The detective, for example, appears to be a cold hard woman confronting her inner demons but is far more complex, caring, and highly compassionate behind this facade. In “Pequeñas Infamias,” which is set among the ultra-rich glossy society, everybody has a dark and secret motive to murder the chef. Something Carmen does incredibly well is that she gets the essence of these characters and explores their motivations as to why they are as they are.
Barmack: We see huge opportunities for, say, Mexican actors to take on big roles that are differentiated from what they’re being offered typically, an elevated crime story where somebody’s playing a decisive cop or solving a murder mystery. These are pretty juicy roles where you can draw major talent.
Rodríguez: The novels are character driven, smart and quirky, and we try to bring in big actors, well known stars, to grow the stories and expand their reach. With great underlying IP to develop we can attract top international talent, from Mexico, Colombia, Spain and from all over the Spanish speaking world and bring them together in these unique projects.
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