Netflix Unveils Global Content Lineup for 2025
If there were any doubts that “One Hundred Years of Solitude” is Netflix’s flagship for this season, they were dispelled at the international content presentation the streaming giant held on Monday morning at its Hollywood offices in Los Angeles. Along with coffee and chicken waffles (a typically American crazy breakfast), guests were gifted a book: yes, “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” in English. The series based on the masterpiece of magical realism, written in Spanish by Colombian author Gabriel García Márquez, will be available starting December 11 and is the platform’s major international content bet for 2024. But after six years with the project in the works, the trailer already released, and the series on the horizon, what are the international and, especially, Spanish bets for the platform for 2025?
Netflix’s Previous Successes and Future Plans
Last year, at the same location, Netflix gave the first hints of three huge projects: the aforementioned Colombian novel; the adaptation of the Argentine comic “El Eternauta,” by Ricardo Darín; and the series “Senna,” about the life of the late Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna. A year later, they can showcase full trailers for all of them and take a step forward to announce what’s next. After a year of powerful adaptations of Latin American lives and works, the platform now looks towards a future where they claim to be working on other adaptations – such as “Mi querida señorita,” produced by Javier Ambrossi and Javier Calvo based on Jaime de Armiñán’s film – and where they are betting on sequels or recent stories.
The Importance of Local Content
While there were no major novelties at the Tudum Theater presentation (owned by Netflix), the platform’s emphasis on local content was evident. As Bela Bajaria, vice president and content chief, put it, “even the biggest TV series have always been, in part, local.” The platform understands that hyperlocal content succeeds worldwide: for example, as they revealed, 80% of their audience – 282 million subscribers in 190 countries – watches Korean content. “What’s good for the audience is good for creators because it means their stories can have a greater impact worldwide,” said the executive, highlighting that in less than a decade, they have opened over 20 local offices worldwide.
This year, part of that Latin American content will be released on the platform (“Senna” on November 29; “One Hundred Years…” on December 11; “El Eternauta” in 2025), so they need fresh meat next year. In this case, the main Spanish bets come from Spain. The most prominent in terms of films is “A Ghost in the Battle,” a movie directed by Agustín Díaz Yanes and produced by J.A. Bayona and the team of “The Snowman Society” coming next year, telling the same story as the successful “The Infiltrator”: that of Arantxa Berradre, undercover in an ETA command. Here, instead of Carolina Yuste, the protagonist is Susana Abaitua, accompanied by Ariadna Gil, Raúl Arévalo, or Andrés Gertrudix, among others. When presenting the novelties, the vice president of content in Spain and Portugal, Diego Ávalos, hinted at why this works worldwide: “We never try to bring Hollywood to Spain. On the contrary: we always wanted the Spanish idiosyncrasy to be reflected in our stories.”
As for series, the highlight is the new fiction by Álex Pina, one of the minds behind “Money Heist.” From his hands comes “The Atomic Shelter”: a millionaire buys an idyllic plot to survive the end of the world, an escape route he will have to share with some of the people he hates the most. Also, notable are the third season of “Alpha Males,” with a large audience success; the second season of the Mexican “Nothing To See Here” (“Ojitos de huevo” in Latin America), about two friends, one blind and the other with cerebral palsy; as well as a new Spanish series, “Olympo,” about athletes who push their bodies and lives to the limit at a high-performance center in the Pyrenees, starring young actors like Clara Galle and Andy Duato. In non-fiction, the most outstanding also comes from Spain, a docuseries about Carlos Alcaraz following the tennis player throughout the 2024 season, both on and off the court.
As for new content from Latin America, two Mexican series stand out. The first is an adaptation of “Cell 211” – the successful film directed by Daniel Monzón starring Luis Tosar in 2009 – in the form of a series. The second will be called “The Gringo Hunters,” based on an article from The Washington Post, following a group of detectives hunting American criminals crossing the border to escape. And, although not in Spanish, the serialized adaptation of the novel “The Leopard” stands out, an Italian superproduction with period costumes and Sicily as the most sumptuous of sets.
Conclusion
Netflix’s commitment to diverse, local, and global content shines through in its 2025 lineup, with a mix of adaptations, sequels, and original stories from around the world. The streaming giant continues to push the boundaries of storytelling and cultural representation, setting the stage for an exciting year ahead.
FAQ
What is Netflix’s major international content bet for 2024?
The flagship for Netflix in 2024 is the series “One Hundred Years of Solitude” based on the novel by Gabriel García Márquez.
Which Spanish films and series are highlights for Netflix in 2025?
Spanish films like “A Ghost in the Battle” and series like “The Atomic Shelter” and “Olympo” are some of the highlights for Netflix in 2025.