Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, has upped Megan Espinoza and Moises Amsel to the positions of VPs of Film & TV Development in the company’s newly-launched English-language division.
Espinoza and Amsel will assume responsibility for the daily operations of the new unit, focusing on the creation of original intellectual property in English for both TV and film, sourced from Latin American IP. Additionally, they will be tasked with identifying and managing projects to be developed and produced under the Gato Grande label.
Said Gato Grande CEO Carla Vargas Gonzalez: “I’m very proud of our bi-cultural, top-notch executives who not only guard, seek and appreciate authenticity, but have unmatchable work ethics and high standards. Most of all, they are a joy to work with.”
Espinoza will center on comedy and Young Adult content for both TV and Film, starting with the recently unveiled satirical mystery series “Miami Spice,” based on the novel “Mango, Mambo and Murder” from author Raquel V. Reyes’ celebrated Caribbean Kitchen Mystery book series.
Amsel will oversee drama and thriller projects for all media, including the previously announced adventure/survival drama series “Clipperton,” based on the best-selling Colombian author Laura Restrepo’s widely-acclaimed debut novel, “The Isle of Passion.”
“At Gato Grande, I have the creative freedom to dive into the kind of innovative, character-driven stories that I have always been passionate about,” said Espinoza, adding: ”I feel incredibly lucky to be part of a team that has been so open to pursuing unique IP; the properties we’ve acquired have attracted passionate and incredibly talented creators, and I can’t wait to share our current slate of projects with the world.”
Espinoza’s decade of experience in the entertainment industry started at Warner Bros. Television before she oversaw development for Ted Melfi’s Goldenlight Films. While at Gato Grande, she handled the creative development of the company’s award-winning documentary series, “Libre de Reír.”
Said Amsel, “At Gato Grande we’re proud to be setting the stage for the future of audiovisual content with Hispanic DNA. Our state-of-the-art slate has been carefully designed to subvert expectations, featuring unique stories with global and commercial appeal that anyone, regardless of origin, can connect with and enjoy.”
Prior to taking this position, Amsel oversaw development for Latin America and executive produced the documentary series “Monstruos,” which is currently in post for Paramount+.
The new division was launched in late January in a bid to explore the wealth of stories coming from the region. To that end, Vargas Gonzalez announced a multi-million-dollar budget to draw on more Latin American IP and adapt them for mainstream audiences worldwide, a strategy that more Iberoamerican-led companies have been pursuing.
Founded by the Emmy-nominated Vargas Gonzalez, the bi-cultural company with offices in Los Angeles and Mexico is 50% owned by MGM, which was acquired by Amazon for $8.5 billion in 2022. The company has produced Latin-American hit: “Luis Miguel: The Series” (Netflix) and “Libre de reír “(Prime Video) among several others.
Gato Grande is represented by Brian Dobbins and Kimberlin Belloni at Artists First.
https://variety.com/2024/film/global/gato-grande-amazon-mgm-studios-2-1235956354/
