“Aida, the Movie,” the feature film spinoff of the wildly successful Spanish TV series “Aida,” is crossing the Atlantic next year, a rare move for a broad Spanish comedy.
Wiesner Distribution, marking 25 years as a leading distributor of Ibero-American cinema, will be releasing the ensemble comedy on Feb. 6 across the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Central America’s Costa Rica, Guatemala, El Salvador and Panama. Paul Hudson’s Outsider Pictures partners with Wiesner on the U.S. release.
This follows its Spanish theatrical release on Jan. 30 by Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia.
Directed by Spain’s Paco León, whose storied career in film and television kicked off with such comedic gems as “Carmina or Blow Up,” “Kiki, Love to Love” and the “Aida” series, the comedy reunites León with his original co-stars from the sitcom, including Carmen Machi, Miren Ibarguren, Mariano Peña, Eduardo Casanova, Pepe Viyuela, Melani Olivares, Canco Rodríguez, Secun de la Rosa, David Castillo, Marisol Ayuso, Pepa Rus, Óscar Reyes and Adrián Gordillo. They are joined by 96 other actors, mostly chosen via an open casting call on the film’s Instagram account.
“Aida, the Movie” expands on the story of Aída, a divorcée struggling to make ends meet while raising her teenage children in the fictional Madrid neighborhood of Esperanza Sur. The massive ensemble series ran from 2005 to 2014 on Spanish broadcast network Telecinco where it became a cult classic and helped launch the international careers of its lead actors.
The movie is described as a “blend of fiction with meta-cinematic storytelling.” It takes place during the production of an episode of the series, wryfully blurring the boundaries between actors and characters, both on and off screen, while exploring themes like the limits of humor, the power of comedians and the complexities of fame.
Outsider Pictures and Wiesner Distribution have often teamed up on U.S. theatrical releases, most recently on Gerardo Herrero’s dramedy “Under Therapy.” Their upcoming releases include the “The Condor’s Daughter,” which premiered at TIFF and was closed at this month’s Ventana Sur.
“’Aida’ is a beloved cultural phenomenon that became a massive television hit in Spain. We’re excited to bring ‘Aida, the Movie’ to U.S. audiences and share a story whose humor connects effortlessly across cultures, grounded in heart and authenticity,” said Cynthia Wiesner, founder and president of Wiesner Distribution.
The pic is produced by Globomedia, part of The Mediapro Studio, and Telecinco Cinema, with the participation of Mediaset España and Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group.
León, whose international credits include “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” starring Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal, and Machi, whose credits include breakout hit “Furious” and Pedro Almodóvar’s “I’m So Excited,” will be attending the comedy’s Miami premiere on Feb. 5 next year.