Eugenio Derbez Enters First-Look Deal with Pantelion Films

VANCOUVER: Eugenio Derbez, the talent behind the hit Spanish-language film Instructions Not Included, has inked an exclusive first-look deal with Pantelion Films, a Lionsgate and Grupo Televisa joint venture.

The deal allows Mexican actor, director, writer and producer Derbez to focus on Spanish- and English-language films geared at U.S. Latino and crossover audiences. He’ll work through his newly launched production company, 3Pas Studios, which was founded in partnership with Benjamin Odell, Pantelion’s former president of production.

Premiering in 2013, Instructions Not Included went on to become the highest-grossing Spanish-language movie ever released in the U.S. Pantelion Films handled that film’s distribution.

“One of the keys to Pantelion’s continued successful evolution is the roster of cross-cultural A-list stars it is assembling,” said Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer. “Nobody is better able to deliver films reflecting the universal themes that will continue to build Pantelion’s brand and audience than Eugenio Derbez, an incredible talent who has already generated tremendous momentum for the label with the success of Instructions Not Included.”

“We are thrilled to take our longstanding relationship with Eugenio to the next level,” said Pantelion Films CEO Paul Presburger. “He is a true auteur in every sense of the word, and he has an amazing ability to tap into the shared passions of Latino and American audiences. Teaming up with such an enormous talent cements Pantelion’s status as a leader in producing world-class, quality entertainment for a booming and often underserved Latino community. We look forward to working with Eugenio and our friend and colleague Ben Odell who was instrumental in helping us launch Pantelion.”

Derbez added: “Pantelion and Televisa can reach my core fan base better than anyone and, with the distribution expertise and brand recognition of Lionsgate, I know we can build on the crossover audience that we began to reach with Instructions. I’m very happy to continue my relationship with all of them.”

“Eugenio wanted to name the company 3Pas or tripas, which means ‘guts’ in Spanish,” continued Odell. “That’s where he has made all his career decisions—from the gut—and it has brought him unparalleled success. No one has been able to crack the Hispanic market like Eugenio and, in partnership with Pantelion, I am certain we will continue to build on that success.”