Mariano César WBD
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is working on three major original production projects: the serial version of Como Agua para Chocolate, based on the book; the series Ciudad de Dios, a sequel of the film with the same actors 20 years later, and the bioseries by Roberto Gómez Bolaños “Chespirito.” Mariano César, Head of General Entertainment Content at Warner Bros. Discovery in Latin America and US Hispanic, told PRODU that what these three productions have in common is they are very well-known IPs and have a high emotional connection with the audience.
“In addition, they are all large, high-quality projects in terms of production values and well-known talents both in front of and behind the camera. Our ambition is for these contents to be successful way beyond its market of origin,” César told PRODU.
César also referred to Belleza Fatal, his first telenovela, and mentioned the company’s intention to venture into this genre, which has a relevant place on HBO Max with a high performance. The idea in the future is to have a mix of self-produced and acquired telenovelas.
They started in Brazil because it is one of the most important markets, but in the future, they have plans to produce telenovelas in Spanish.
“We just started production, and the first images we have seen are impressive. We are very excited,” he said.
Regarding pay TV, he noted that in the case of WBD, the linear and the direct-to-consumer businesses complement each other. For example, he mentioned TNT Novelas, in which the content released in streaming works spectacularly in both.
“Our most successful novels are those also on streaming, which can be available for a competitor on open TV. That is the case of Dr. Milagro or Traicionada, and although it is not common to launch a new genre at this time in the industry, we did it with a genre we know is deeply rooted in Latin America. We have a solid business with linear brands that remain profitable, with new brands recently launched and a streaming service that works very well and allows us to reach all audiences,” he noted.
He added that these ways of consuming content do not cannibalize but rather complement each other and often cause them to grow exponentially. Breaking down preconceptions of a genre that works more on traditional TV than platforms is key.
Since César assumed his new position in May, his focus has been producing locally. One of his great goals is to complement the content that comes from the US from Latin America with brands that are “irreplaceable.”
“It has to do with how, from Latin America, we add value to a global company with spectacular assets such as Friends, Harry Potter, and the contents of DC World. That raises the bar a lot for us. I want to provide Latin American content that lives up to the demand and perception of quality expected by the company and can become a global success. But to get there, first, it has to perform well locally,” he said.
