Nowhere Star Anna Castillo, Elite Icon Ester Expsito Set for Death to Love

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Two Spanish female stars who have broken out to huge global audiences in Netflix hits – “Nowhere” and “A Perfect Story” lead Anna Castillo and Ester Expósito, highly prominent in “Elite” in early seasons – are set to star in dramedic vampire thriller “Death to Love,” (“Que muera el amor”), the first series created by “Piggy” director Carlota Pereda, who will also serve as its showrunner.

“If there are two actresses you can believe are immortals, with their out-of-this-world allure and talent, it’s Anna and Ester. I can’t wait to explore this world of darkness, joy and Eternal Love with them,” Pereda told Variety.

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With that talent package, and the backing of two Spanish powerhouse producers, Morena Films and Buendía Estudios, “Death to Love” is shaping up as one of the hottest packages to come to market from Spain after it emerged from February’s Berlinale Series Market as one of the biggest buzz titles at its Co-Pro Series pitching showcase. 

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Pereda dazzled Sundance in 2022 with her feature debut “Piggy,” using “standard genre shocks almost as MacGuffins,” it’s the all-too-recognizable horror of brutalized adolescence that really makes us wince,” Variety wrote in an upbeat review.

Equally, “Death to Love,” described by Pereda as a “a visceral and romantic proposition,” weighs in as a vampire vengeance tale.

“Sese can’t get over her ex. Even after she kept her buried alive for 90 years. To survive Eternal Love she must navigate our narcissist modern world, face the vampire establishment and kill her ex. But in order to fight love you must first understand it,” the series’ synopsis runs.

So “Death to Love’s” heart lies in a woman struggle to end a toxic relationship, here  with her equally vampire female lover, narrated down the centuries to a modern-day climax.

“Vampires are my favorite monsters, for their wild instincts, forbidden desire, and romanticism, Pereda said. “These characteristics collide with a modern world in which love and desire are no longer viewed as mysterious forces capable of destroying us, but as something to be explained and accounted for, the means to an end. We are thrilled that the Berlinale has embraced a series that is as visceral as it is romantic.”

Winning a best new actress Spanish Academy Goya Award in 2016 for her breakout performance in “The Olive Tree,” directed by Icíar Bollaín and written by Ken Loach scribe Paul Laverty, Castillo starred in two of Netflix’s biggest Spanish hits of 2023: “A Perfect Story” which topped Netflix’s global non-English Top 10 series charts for two weeks; and “Nowhere,” Netflix’s third most popular non-English-language film ever.    

Arguably the biggest draw of early “Elite” seasons, Expósito has sought to broaden her repertoire in Manolo Caro’s “Somebody Has to Die,” Jaume Valguero’s “Venus,” for which she won a best actress Fotogramas de Plata Award, and Amat Escalante’s Cannes mystery thriller “Lost in the Night.”

“Death to Love” is set up at Morena Films, one of Spain’s top independent production houses, which makes a broad range of films and series – from comedy blockbusters such as “Champions” and “Championext,” to more mixed genre pieces like “Cell 211,” doc features (“Sons of the Clouds”) and upscale open art films, including “The Olive Tree.” 

Morena produces with Buendía Estudios, a joint venture of Movistar Plus+, Spain’s biggest pay TV operator, and Atresmedia, its biggest commercial broadcaster, which has backed not only “Veneno” and “Cardo,” from Los Javis, but also big Movistar Plus+ plays such as “Offworld,” “Galgos” and “Marbella.”  

Morena and Buendía’s joint backing suggests “Death to Love” will be of considerable scale.

“It’s a privilege to join the fantastic and talented Carlota Pereda in this genuine toxic relationship shaped as a ‘dark-medy,’” said Merry Colomer, the series producer at Morena Films.

“At Buendía Estudios we are convinced that ‘Death to Love’ is a differential series that has great international potential, both at a narrative and production level,” added Laura Abril, executive VP, scripted and global business development at Buendía Estudios. “The involvement of Ester and Anna from the very development phase, along with the talent of Carlota, is proof of this ambition and further strengthens the projection of the project.”   

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