Capitan Trueno to thunder onto screens with Disney
At the European Film Market (EFM) in Berlin, Maltés Producciones and the Spanish division of Walt Disney signed an agreement for the Spanish distribution of the eagerly awaited adaptation of the comic strip El Capitan Trueno (“Captain Thunder”), which is expected to be released in 2009. Disney also secured first option rights for possible US distribution.
This investment by US giant Disney stands as confirmation that El Capitán Trueno –which will be filmed in English on a budget of around €15m – is among the most ambitious forthcoming Spanish productions.
The project has been doing the rounds of the international film markets over the past few months, including Cannes, the EFM, Business Street in Rome and the AFM in Los Angeles.
The title has already sold to 53 territories, including Russia, Korea, India and Turkey, as well as several countries in Latin America and the Middle East. All this even before they have announced distribution, which will be revealed at the upcoming edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
This enthusiasm is nonetheless understandable given that this is the adaptation of the adventures of perhaps the most popular Spanish comic hero of all time. Created in 1956 by Victor Mora, the comic strip – which follows the exploits of Capitán Trueno and his companions Goliath and Crispín during the Third Crusade –immediately became a classic of Spanish pop culture.
For many years, rumours circulated that an adaptation was underway and that it was set to be directed by Juanma Bajo Ulloa for Filmax, but this project did not succeed. Then director and producer Pau Vergara arrived on the scene; he bought the rights and struck an agreement with Mora to make a faithful adaptation of the comic strip.
(Translated from Spanish)
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