Pedro Almodóvar, Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz have signed an open letter expressing support for departing Movistar Plus+ content chief Domingo Corral.
It was announced last week that Corral would be exiting his role as Director of Fiction & Entertainment at the Telefónica-owned streamer – news that followed a spate of other major management changes.
The surprise announcement has now led 144 Spanish entertainment industry professionals to put their name to the open letter, which was reported in several local news outlets.
“In light of Domingo Corral’s departure as director of fiction and entertainment at Movistar+, after 10 years working to bring Spanish film and series to the top of the national and international audiovisual scene, we would like to express our deepest gratitude to him and his entire team,” the letter begins.
“During a decade that has been revolutionary in the sector, thanks also to Telefónica’s commitment to the creation of original content, Domingo Corral and his entire team have championed an idea: A project based on respect for creators, close collaboration with independent producers and listening to all the partners they have worked with, without ever neglecting their focus on entertainment.
“The achievements of their series and fiction projects, endorsed by critics and audiences, are evident. They have created series and produced films that are now part of Spain‘s audiovisual legacy and have won, year after year, the most prestigious audiovisual awards in Spain and abroad.”
Corral had joined Movistar Plus+ in 2014 and oversaw its move into scripted originals. He was promoted to his current role in 2023, as his power at telecoms provider Telefónica grew. However, his exit closely followed Marc Murtra being named Telefónica’s President in January and Daniel Domenjó installed as Movistar Plus+ CEO two months later.
“In addition to greatly benefiting the industrial fabric of the sector over these 10 years and helping to provide opportunities for new voices, Domingo Corral’s team has also been an example for many of us when it comes to how to approach projects,” the latter added. “Their dedication, honesty, and transparency have made this possible. #ThankYouDomingoCorral.”
The signatories include Cannes Critics’ Week Jury President Rodrigo Sorogoyen, Javier Cámara, Paco León, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, whose Movistar Plus+ series Querer was among Spain’s most talked about and critically acclaimed of 2024, and Alejandro Amenábar, whose series La Fortuna for the streamer launched recently.
On the scripted side, Corral is being replaced by Jorge Pezzi, the former CEO of Spanish production house Boomerang TV, while ex-ITV Studios Iberia exec producer Hugo Tomás will take on non-fiction and entertainment.
El País reports that the open letter is a request to the new bosses to keep up the standards Corral and his team have set with series such as Querer and Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (the Javis)’s La Mesias. The company currently has projects in place with Sorogoyen, the Javis and Alberto Rodríguez, along with Cannes competition title Sirat, which is directed by Oliver Laxe.
Movistar Plus+ couldn’t be contacted before press time today. We’ve reached out to reps for Bardem, Cruz and Almodovar.
