Álex De la Iglesia and Carolina Bang’s Pokeepsie Films Turns 10

This story was created in paid partnership with Pokeepsie Films

Pokeepsie Films has cause for celebration. The Madrid-based production outfit has three new premieres on three different streaming platforms this month, an enviable release schedule to be sure. Adding to the mix, the company – launched by real-life partners Álex De la Iglesia, the genre writer-director, and actress-producer Carolina Bang – is also celebrating its 10-year anniversary. 

Over the course of the last decade, Pokeepsie has stealthily set itself apart as a unique home for Spanish talent, so much so that they drew backing from multinational Banijay in 2022 to support their ambitious slate of films and series. 

“We are immensely proud to conclude our 10th anniversary year with the release of these three premieres,” says Bang, the company’s CEO. “While this was not initially planned, 2024 has provided us with a remarkable close to the year, showcasing our ongoing commitment to innovation and reinforcing our dedication to creating productions that appeal to audiences of all kinds.”

Taken together, the three new December releases encapsulate the production house’s profile as a place for both veteran and up-and-coming talents to make personal projects that also please audiences. The company provides an outlet for new and established writers and directors working across genres, from thrillers to horror to comedy. 

“Our greatest hallmark is passion,” suggests De la Iglesia. “We have an unwavering love for cinema, and at Pokeepsie, we live and breathe cinema in every corner of our work.”

Pokeepsie is also behind The Fear Collection of internationally distributed horror series, backed by Sony Pictures and Amazon Prime Video, and involving talents like REC director Jaume Balagueró (Venus) and regular De la Iglesia writing partner Jorge Guerricaechevaría (Venicefrenia), among others.

“When it comes to our productions, we pride ourselves on our versatility,” De la Iglesia adds. “Our three upcoming premieres exemplify this diversity.”

First up on the December streaming trinity was the release on Netflix Dec. 13 of the latest murder mystery thriller series from De la Iglesia himself, 1992. The action revolves around a series of mysterious murders, each of which ends with the burning of the victim’s body and a doll left by their side. It’s not just any doll, but Curro, the iconic mascot of the 1992 Expo held in Seville.

Fans of Bilbao-born De la Iglesia’s inimitable style, which typically blends black humor with suspense and fantasy, will appreciate the callback to the 1990s, when the director first rose to fame with films like Day of the Beast (1995) and Perdita Durango (1997). In recent years, his name has become even more familiar to international viewers thanks to streaming titles like HBO Max series 30 Coins (30 Monedas).

Next up on Pokeepsie’s December slate is sci fi series Sanctuary (Santuario), premiering Dec. 22 on Spanish platform atresplayer. Reminiscent of hit series The Handmaid’s Tale, Sanctuary is set in an apocalyptic future where women must spend their pregnancies isolated together in a climate-controlled dome. Though they have always been told the dome is for their own best interest, they discover this might not be true.

“One of our core objectives has always been to open the doors of cinema to new talent and to champion bold and innovative projects,” says De la Iglesia. “Santuario serves as a prime example of this commitment.”

The series is an adaptation of a locally acclaimed podcast of the same name. The 8 episodes of 50 minutes each are directed by Rodrigo Ruiz-Gallardón and Zoe Berriatúa, two creatives who have been mentored in-house – Berriatúa as a writer and director on previous Pokeepsie products (The Heroes of Evil, En las Estrellas), and Ruiz-Gallardón as director of HBO’s Headless Chickens (Pollos Sin Cabeza). Aura Garrido and Lucía Guerrero star.

And last but certainly not least, on Dec. 27 Amazon Prime will release YA rom-drama Your Fault (Culpa Tuya), the much-anticipated sequel from director Domingo González based on Mercedes Ron’s best-selling Culpable trilogy. Its prequel, My Fault (Culpa Mía) was the biggest non-English language launch in Prime Video’s history and ranked in the top 10 most watched titles in 190 countries, including the US, UK, Australia, India, Argentina and France. The third chapter, Our Fault (Culpa Nuestra), has already shot as well.

For 2025, Bang and De la Iglesia say they have “a number of exciting projects in the pipeline” they’re not yet revealing. Next releases include feature film The Muertimer (Los Muértimer), a co-production with Telecinco Cinema directed by Álvaro Fernández Armero (1000 Miles from Christmas) billed as a tale of mystery, horror and funereal humor based on the successful trilogy of comics “The Muértimer,” by the young French illustrator Léa Mazé. 

Meanwhile, comedy series Entrepreneurs, created, written and starring popular sketch comedy duo “Pantomima Full” (Rober Bodegas and Alberto Casado), will premiere in 2025 on Disney+, looking to continue the outfit’s streaming success.