Eugenio Derbez has broken down how the platforms opened up the world to non-English-language fare and also spoken about how AI will reshape the industry.
The actor, producer and director co-founded the prodco 3Pas Studios in 2014, so knows the business as well as life in front of the DSLR. With AI front of mind across the industry, he weighed in, saying: “AI will help some of us to create amazing effects that were impossible in the past,” he said. “However, there is a dark side. Up until immediately, AI lacks emotion, lacks a soul.”
The industry has exploded into debate this week after it was suggested that talent agencies were circling AI actress Tilly Norwood.
“You might have actors that might not be real, but might perform well, but if the script does not make you feel emotion [it is a failure],” said Derbez. “They might be great, but AI does not achieve the same result as human intelligence, being able to see the set and see the actor performing.”
Derbez was speaking at the ongoing Iberseries confab in Madrid, Spain. In his keynote he talked about how the walls have come down for international programs. “In the past Hollywood was king,” he said. “From Covid on everything changed. Squid Game and Money Heist came into the picture and many series started to travel all over the world, so, language is not a problem anymore.”
If the streamers are immediately open to non-English-language fare, it marks a change from Derbez’s early meetings in the U.S. “They would always say, ‘That’s too Mexican,’” Derbez recalled of his early meetings with execs in the States.
That spurred him on to producing, he added. “I realized if I did not produce what I wanted, I would not be able to have a career.”
Derbez starred in Apple movie Coda in 2021, and he said its success and Oscar wins opened the door to being able to make 2023 comedy-drama pic Radical.
“No-one wanted to invest in Radical,” said Derbez. “We kept this product for 10 years. It was thanks to Coda winning Oscars that we were able to produce it and release it. At that point I was receiving a lot of attention, so I could do a movie like Radical, and look at the irony: It was the drama that did the best at the box office. It became the most popular drama in Mexico’s history.”
The star said the move from acting to producing served up a life and career lesson. “It was something I had to do myself because no-one would open the door to me – you have to create your own opportunities that is what I have learnt in my career,” he said.
His advice for young talent and filmmakers with a story to tell: “Don’t take no for an answer.”
About the Author
