Lina Hope
By Staff Reporters
At the prestigious Iberseries & Platino Industria conference in Madrid, a seismic shift in the global streaming landscape was articulated by two of Amazon MGM’s most influential architects. Javiera Balmaceda, Head of International Originals for Latin America, Canada, and Australia, and Nicole Morganti, Head of International Originals for Italy and Southern Europe, provided a rare, behind-the-scenes look at the rigorous, often high-stakes process of identifying, nurturing, and greenlighting non-English language projects that are poised to capture the global imagination.
The discussion served as a manifesto for the "Global-Local" strategy currently employed by Amazon Prime Video—a methodology that prioritizes authentic regional identity while demanding the technical scale and narrative ambition once reserved exclusively for Hollywood blockbusters.
The Strategic Shift: Betting on Genre at Scale
For decades, the conventional wisdom in streaming suggested that international content—specifically content produced outside the U.S. and UK—was best suited for niche, arthouse, or hyper-local audiences. Amazon MGM is systematically dismantling that narrative. By pointing to projects like the Spanish espionage thriller Zeta and the Mexican action powerhouse Venganza, Balmaceda and Morganti illustrated a pivot toward "genre at scale."
The ambition behind these projects is not merely to satisfy local markets, but to prove that international teams possess the creative and technical capacity to deliver world-class action, horror, and suspense.
"We believed a Mexican production could tell a story that would resonate globally and demonstrate that great action could come from somewhere other than Hollywood," Balmaceda noted during the panel. The sentiment was echoed by Morganti, who highlighted Zeta—produced by Pablo Isla’s Fonte Films and starring Mario Casas—as a definitive proof-of-concept for the Spanish film industry. The film’s subsequent performance, ranking among Prime Video’s Global Top Ten hits earlier this year, validated the streamer’s hypothesis: audiences are hungry for high-octane storytelling, provided the production values match the narrative intensity.
Chronology of an Internal Greenlight: The Advocacy Process
The journey from a pitch deck to a global streaming release is rarely linear. According to the executives, the process of securing a greenlight at a multinational corporation requires more than just a strong script; it requires internal advocacy.
Phase 1: Creative Cross-Pollination
The foundation of Amazon’s international strategy is communication. The company’s international teams operate in a constant loop of creative exchange. Scripts, casting ideas, and talent rosters are shared across borders. "We share talent globally—actors, creators, writers, and authors," Morganti explained. This fluidity allows Amazon to identify potential crossover stars and creative synergies before a project even enters pre-production.
Phase 2: The Internal Sell
Once a project is identified, the real work begins. Executives must "sell" the concept to internal stakeholders who may be accustomed to domestic, U.S.-centric models. This involves presenting a cohesive vision that balances risk with the promise of high-volume viewership. For both Zeta and Venganza, the hurdles were significant. Success was not pre-ordained; it had to be argued through the lens of talent pedigree, production infrastructure, and, crucially, the ability to maintain a distinct cultural identity while hitting global genre beats.
Phase 3: Capability Building
A recurring challenge identified by Balmaceda is the gap between creative ambition and technical experience. In regions like Latin America, the issue is rarely a lack of talent or passion, but rather a shortage of opportunities to execute at a massive scale. On the production of Venganza, Amazon MGM took a hands-on approach, integrating Bulgarian action specialists into the Mexican crew. This "knowledge transfer" model allowed local filmmakers to sharpen their craft in high-stakes environments, effectively building a blueprint for future large-scale productions in the region.
Data-Driven Strategy: Why Passion Beats Formulas
One of the most striking takeaways from the Iberseries discussion was the executives’ rejection of "engineered" franchises. While sequels and expanded universes are the lifeblood of modern studio economics, Balmaceda cautioned against premature expansion.
"When you have a success, you naturally look at the audience and the fans around it," Balmaceda said. "The important thing is not necessarily to manufacture a franchise, but to recognize when an audience wants more." This philosophy suggests that Amazon is pivoting toward organic growth—waiting for the data to confirm genuine audience demand before committing to multi-film arcs.
Furthermore, the executives emphasized that mass popularity and high artistic quality are not mutually exclusive. Balmaceda pushed back against the industry trope that "global" means "watered down." She argued that "a hugely popular global title can still involve excellent production, substantial budgets, and exceptional talent."
This stance is backed by the company’s aggressive financial commitment to the region. With the recent announcement of a $2 billion-plus investment in Latin America through 2030, Amazon is signaling that its interest in local content is not a temporary trend, but a cornerstone of its long-term financial architecture.
Official Responses and Creator Advice
For those looking to pitch to Amazon, the executives offered clear, actionable advice that prioritizes conviction over quantity. In an industry where creators often present "menus" of interchangeable concepts, Morganti and Balmaceda insisted that the best pitches come from a place of singular, unshakeable belief.
- Conviction: "You need an original idea and, above all, to really believe in it. Know what you want to tell and why it matters," Morganti stated.
- Point of View: Balmaceda underscored that passion is the differentiating factor. A creator should arrive with a burning desire to tell a specific story, rather than a collection of market-tested ideas.
- The "Renaissance" Mindset: Morganti described the current climate for Spanish-language media as a "renaissance." This suggests that the barrier to entry for diverse voices is lowering, provided the quality of the work is undeniable.
Implications: The Future of Global Streaming
The implications of this shift are profound for the global entertainment industry. As Amazon MGM looks toward 2028, 2029, and 2030, the pipeline for non-English language content is set to explode.
1. The Death of the "Foreign" Label
By investing in local genre-film production, Amazon is effectively erasing the distinction between "Hollywood" content and "International" content. If a Mexican action movie has the same production value and narrative velocity as a film from Los Angeles, the consumer base will eventually cease to distinguish between the two based on geography.
2. The Professionalization of Global Hubs
The deliberate strategy of pairing local crews with international experts—as seen in the Venganza production—is creating a new class of global filmmakers. These professionals are gaining the experience necessary to helm high-budget projects, effectively decentralized the film industry away from its traditional hubs in California and London.
3. Genre as a Universal Language
Horror, action, and suspense are increasingly being used as the "Trojan Horse" for local stories. By using established genre tropes, filmmakers can introduce audiences to unique cultural settings, family dynamics, and political contexts that they might otherwise overlook.
As Morganti noted, horror—once considered a niche, low-budget genre—has become a massive, scalable market. By treating horror and action with the same financial and creative seriousness as high-end drama, Amazon is tapping into a deeper, more primal layer of viewer engagement.
Conclusion: A Long-Term Vision
The discourse at Iberseries & Platino Industria was more than a PR exercise; it was a roadmap for the next decade of Amazon’s content strategy. With the promise that "significantly more" content is coming from 2028 onward, the streamer is signaling a transition from experimentation to total saturation.
For the international creative community, the message is clear: Amazon MGM is looking for filmmakers who can bridge the gap between their unique cultural identity and the universal requirements of genre storytelling. The era of the "global-local" project has arrived, and if the early successes of Zeta and Venganza are any indication, the rules of the game have been permanently rewritten. The future of television and film is not just being made in Hollywood—it is being made everywhere, with the backing, budget, and belief to prove it.
With reporting by John Hopewell.
Pevita Pearce
Asep Darmawan
