Beta Film has come on board to handle world sales on romantic dramedy series “La Vida Barcelona.”
The female-driven story is directed by Katina Medina Mora, whose credits include “Emily in Paris,” “The Summer I Turned Pretty” and “XO, Kitty,” alongside Charlotte Scott-Wilson, who helmed Tribeca winner “Hold On,” and Ayla Spaans, whose titles include “Rakhi & Peppe” and “When We Were Strangers.”
The series just wrapped shooting in Barcelona and moves on to Amsterdam. Dutch actress Holly Mae Brood stars as Julia, next to Priscilla Delgado (“Euphoria”), and Greta Fernández (“The Walking Dead”).
“La Vida Barcelona” follows young Dutch designer Julia, who is sent to Barcelona by her powerful mother to secretly undermine a rival agency. But soon, Julia is swept off her feet by the vibrant city, the new job, and two men.
The series, comprising eight half-hour episodes, is the third project in the collaboration between Millstreet Films, Videoland and Beta Film, following the success of “Maxima” and the upcoming spin-off “The Other Royals – A Maxima Story.”
Also starring are Martiño Rivas (“El Internado”) and Agustín Della Corte (“Society of the Snow”). The scripts are written by Emily Reekers, Jikkie Schelling and Alix van der Goes. The series is produced by Rachel van Bommel of Millstreet Films for Videoland in the Netherlands. Nestor Hernandez is executive producer for Beta Film.
The series is supported by the Netherlands Film Fund Production Incentive, the Spanish Tax Rebate and the Creative Europe MEDIA program.
Justus Riesenkampff, exec VP Nordics and Benelux at Beta Film, said: “With ‘La Vida Barcelona,’ we are taking our collaboration with Millstreet to the next level of internationalization. With top talents attached such as ‘Emily in Paris’’ director Katina Medina Mora and ‘Euphoria’s’ Priscilla Delgado, the show is set to compete with premium English-language productions in the genre. Barcelona provides the perfect backdrop to attract younger audiences from around the world. Who could resist following Julia as she plunges into an adventure filled with ambition, romance, intrigue and friendship?”
Van Bommel said: “ ‘La Vida Barcelona’ is a feel-good series, emotionally grounded in a modern mother-daughter relationship. It’s a story about ambition, identity, and the courage to find your own voice. At the same time, it is a truly female-driven project, in front of as well as behind the camera, which is important for us at Millstreet Films.”
Medina Mora said: “ ‘La Vida Barcelona’ is, at its core, a story about identity. It explores what it feels like to move to another country and having to prove yourself, only to realize that what begins as mission, slowly becomes a journey of self-discovery.
“Barcelona becomes much more than a backdrop; its energy, culture, and sense of possibility transform Julia’s journey and allows her to discover parts of herself she didn’t know were there. It gives her the freedom to explore who she is outside of the expectations she grew up with. All of this while navigating insecurity, ambition and the unfamiliar, making the story both deeply personal and universally relatable.”