ZDF Studios to Distribute Second Season Reboot of Legendary Spanish Horror Series ‘Stories to Stay Awake’ (EXCLUSIVE)
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ZDF Studios has signed a deal to distribute the second season of the remake of the iconic Spanish horror series “Stories to Stay Awake” (“Historias Para No Dormir”).
The series is a reboot of the classic series created by Spain’s Chicho Ibáñez Serrador in the 1960s which proved a milestone in Spanish horror, introducing Spain to classic tales from Ray Bradbury, Edgar Allen Poe,
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The deal sees ZDF Studios taking distribution rights to “Stories” in all territories outside Spain, Portugal, Italy and Latin America, which will be handled by Paramount Global Content Distribution. ZDF operated in the same capacity for the first season.
The second season is produced by Paramount in association with ZDF Studios, along with Prointel and Isla Audiovisual. The first season of the series premiered on Prime Video and public broadcaster RTVE in Spain.
In Season 2, directors Salvador Calvo (“Adu), Nacho Vigalondo (“Colossal”), Alice Waddington (“Scarlet”) and Jaume Balagueró (“Days Without Light”) have overseen the remake of four new stand-alone episodes.
Talent playing in the miniseries includes Alvaro Morte (“Money Heist”), Javier Gutiérrez (“Below Zero”), Petra Martínez (“Sleep Tight”), and Roberto Álamo (“May God Save Us”).
Susanne Frank, director of drama for ZDF Studios, said: “Great storytelling will always stand the test of time and by producing a contemporary version of Serrador’s work it gives a whole new generation the opportunity to discover these superb thrillers.”
Over 55 years ago, Ibáñez became a household name in Spain thanks to the series, which aired from 1966 to 1968 and again in 1982.
In 2005, “Historias para no dormer” was reformatted as a group of shorts in “Películas Para No Dormir” (‘Movies to Stay Awake’), with Ibáñez’s episode “La Culpa” being the filmmaker’s final directorial work.
Several other Spanish genre masters took part including Álex de la Iglesia (“30 Coins”), Jaume Balagueró (“[REC]”), Mateo Gil (“Blackthorn”) and Enrique Urbizu (“The Ninth Gate”).
Season 1 of the reboot, also a four-part anthology miniseries, “Historias Para No Dormir” had episodes directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen (“Mother”), Spanish Academy Goya-winner Rodrigo Cortés (“Buried”), “[Rec]” co-writer-director Paco Plaza, and Paula Ortiz, scribe-helmer of “The Bride.”
The Spanish horror maestro died in 2019, and was as well regarded for his TV as his film work.
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