Chile’s Fabula and Spain’s Alea Media have unveiled they are allying on development of “A Long Petal of the Sea,” based on a 2019 novel by Isabel Allende.
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Alea Media founder Aitor Gabilondo will serve as showrunner on the series which is scheduled to go into production by the end of 2025.
The new title joins two of the biggest powerhouses of premium scripted drama in the Spanish-speaking world and powerful IP in a swing for broad audiences worldwide.
Founded by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larrain, Academy Award winners for “A Fantastic Woman,” Fabula’s production credits take in movies “Jackie,” “Spencer” and “Maria,” all directed by Pablo Larraín.
Headed by Aitor Gabilondo, Alea Media is behind HBO Spanish smash hit “Patria” and Mediaset España’s “Wrong Side of the Tracks,” whose latest third season topped Netflix global non-English TV series charts earlier this year.
“A Long Petal of the Sea” is the latest novel by Allende, celebrated for “The House of the Spirits,” “Of Love and Shadows” and “Inés of My Soul,” all adapted for the screen.
First published in the U.S. by Vintage Espano, “A Long Petal of the Sea” begins in the Spanish Civil War when a young doctor, Victor Dalmau, together with his friend, pianist Roser Bruguera, flee Barcelona. They end up sailing to exile in Chile on the Winnipeg, a ship chartered by larger-than-life poet Pablo Neruda which carries 2,000 Spaniards to Valparaíso. Doing so, the series synopsis says, the two embark on a journey in search of the peace and freedom they lacked in their homeland.
A novel of displacement, but all the more, the bonds formed in life which tie far stronger than any national border, The Guardian said in a review, “A Long Petal of the Sea” is still highly relevant, Gabilondo argued.
“It might seem like a cliché to say that this story of Spanish refugees in Chile, which took place over 85 years ago, resonates today, but it is also a painful truth,” he said.
“I think movies could do much more to portray the plight of displaced people. Given the immense power of the screen, that could help people understand why people become refugees and be more tolerant with immigrants,” Allende observed.
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“The story of Victor and Roser Dalmai is very similar to the story of many people who are forced from their places of origin today,” she added.
“A Long Petal of the Sea” is being developed by Gabilondo and head writer José Luis Martín, a screenwriter forged in the same free-to-air series breeding ground as “Money Heist’s” Alex Pina and “Cable Girls’” Ramon Campos whose latest work takes in two Netflix hits, “Intimacy” and “Burning Body” as well as “The Patients of Dr. García,” one of Spanish public broadcaster RTVE’s standout recent series.
Also working on development are Fabula executives and Chile’s Carla Stagno, a writer of broad range whose works include Mapuche action adventure “Sayen,” one of the most popular non-English films ever produced by Amazon Studios, as well as the admired “Allende’s 1,000 Days” and telenovela “Blood Pact.”
The series reflects Fabula’s local to global production philosophy, Fábula executive producer Álvaro Cabello explained. “As a production company, we are in constant search of stories that portray the Latin American identity and, at the same time, organically unite regions while having the ability to move audiences worldwide. ‘A Long Petal of the Sea’ is one such story.”
The partners expect to shoot 70% of the series in Chile and the rest in Spain, said Fabula CEO-producer Juan de Dios Larraín.
“We are thrilled that Isabel Allende, the most widely read living Spanish-speaking author, has entrusted us with bringing this incredible story to the screen. We are working to secure the necessary financing in order to begin production before the end of next year,” he added.
“A Long Petal of the Sea” is a phrase from Neruda who had a decisive impact on Allende, telling her when she interviewed him to give up journalism and become a novelist. She followed his advice.
Fabula’s TV production credits also include a strong line in pioneering Latin American premium scripted dramas, such as Lucía Puenzo’s “La Jauría” and Pablo Fendrik’s “The Shelter,” both made with Fremantle.
A writer-turned-producer and showrunner, Gabilondo co-created hugely popular Spanish free-to-air TV series such as “El Principe” and “Allí Abajo.”
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