Hali Anastopoulo on Get Me Out Productions’ A Recipe for Murder

Get Me Out Productions’ latest unscripted project to premiere, A Recipe for Murder, bowed on SkyShowtime on February 23, dropping weekly episodes that delve into the violent death of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta in Thailand at the hands of Daniel Sancho, a 29-year-old aspiring chef on YouTube and son of well-known Spanish actor Rodolfo Sancho. The case made headlines around the world as Daniel Sancho was tried and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2024.

The five-parter fits into Get Me Out’s mission to create premium unscripted stories that appeal to the Gen Z audience and beyond. Led by 24-year-old Hali Anastopoulo as co-founder, chief creative officer and executive producer, the company has secured the North American rights to the docuseries to premiere outside of SkyShowtime’s 20-plus territories.

Anastopoulo talks to TV Real Weekly about A Recipe for Murder, why SkyShowtime was the right partner for the series, how it fits into Get Me Out’s overall mission and what the company’s plans for growth are over the next year.

TV REAL: What drew you to the case of Edwin Arrieta? What made you want to tell the story on-screen?
ANASTOPOULO: I first became aware of the Edwin Arrieta case after the crime reenactment video with Daniel Sancho that the Thai police department conducted went viral. The video itself is so unusual and, in many ways, unnerving, which is why I think it took the international media by storm. Here is this young man from a prominent Spanish family wearing flip-flops and board shorts, ushering Thai authorities through a step-by-step demonstration of how this gruesome incident occurred in such an idyllic place.

The setting was so unique and unexpected that it immediately drew me in and, for us at Get Me Out, called into question who Edwin Arrieta was. What sequence of events led to such a tragic end? It was something we had to dig into, and in partnership with our incredible director José Gómez, we needed to turn over every possible stone, present the most balanced story and allow the audience to make their own judgments.

TV REAL: Why was SkyShowtime the right home and partner for A Recipe for Murder?
ANASTOPOULO: The team we met with at SkyShowtime was very dedicated and understood the delicate but thorough approach we wanted to take with A Recipe for Murder. Our experience was personal and collaborative, and we appreciated the trust they put in us to take risks to bring an impartial and fully realized account of a truly unbelievable story to their viewers. From territories that are already familiar with the Edwin Arrieta case, like Spain, to many others that maybe have never been exposed to it before, we’re honored to share the victim’s story with a broader audience.

TV REAL: How does this series fit in with the types of programs Get Me Out Productions wants to produce?
ANASTOPOULO: This series checked a number of essential boxes for us, both as creatives and Get Me Out as a brand. When we launched in 2019, we always had our eye on the premium doc space, but like with all of our unscripted programming, we want to make underrepresented voices heard and explore the human condition. It was also a natural fit since we want to focus on great storytelling no matter the country of origin and continually expand our international footprint from both a business and creative perspective.

Like many of our other projects in development, A Recipe for Murder was created out of a viral, cultural moment; in this case, centered on a perpetrator in his late 20s who lives in the public eye. This story spread like wildfire globally and has many elements that appeal to a younger demo.

TV REAL: Speaking of Get Me Out’s slate, how does the company plan to toe the line between premium, cinematic documentary and saucy reality?
ANASTOPOULO: When it comes down to it, we want to make content that we also would genuinely enjoy watching from the comfort of our own living rooms. Our premier series Men of West Hollywood had all the makings of a super fun, guilty pleasure reality program, like a dynamic ensemble cast and a high-energy backdrop like WeHo to explore friendships and relationships. However, underneath the glitz and drama is an ambitious group of men from a variety of backgrounds and orientations going through momentous and really relatable life experiences. It was so rewarding to see how viewers engaged with the series and how invested they became in these characters’ journeys.

Finding truly authentic and unique personalities and then exploring their unique worlds is what we want to do, whether that be via escapism or something that really makes you dig deep and think. We strive to put further content with a lot of heart and with an inherent social message because that is what inspires us as producers.

TV REAL: What are Get Me Out’s plans for growth over the next year?
ANASTOPOULO: We have some exciting things in the works, including the North American distribution rights for A Recipe for Murder, which is a high priority for us. Also, we recently announced our partnership with the amazing team at Hyde Park Entertainment Group on two documentary projects highlighting the extreme endurance sport of ultra-running. Both Ultra and Where Are the Kenyans? are currently in preproduction, and we are having great conversations with various buyers and sponsors.

In 2025, we are doubling down on our slate and focusing on big IP with global appeal across spaces like sports, lifestyle and true crime.

TV REAL: As a young female producer, how have you kept your finger on the pulse of the Gen Z audience’s interests, and how are you able to adeptly plug into the international zeitgeist?
ANASTOPOULO: Get Me Out, by design, is a young, diverse and nimble team that has the ability to see things happening in real time and react. It’s the social connectivity that gives us a portal to see what’s bubbling up in the culture. Also, when it comes to building relationships with series’ subjects, buyers and other partners alike, I take pride in and am really grateful to be boots on the ground in each scenario. When you meet with our team, you are meeting with the actual people who will be working on your project—all of whom are incredibly resourceful, invested and have an ear to the ground.

Also, with the proliferation of streaming over the last few years, international markets are much more receptive to foreign content. There are so many amazing stories happening all over the world at any given time; we don’t want to be pigeonholed to tell solely American stories. There is such greater access to and interest in never-before-seen narratives, cultures and points of view regardless of the language they are originally told in. Spotlighting communal experiences through a fresh lens is Get Me Out’s North Star, and we’re super excited to bring our projects in development to fruition this year.