Deal sees Viacom driving into content in South America, striking synergies between two of its units, Paramount and Argentine broadcaster Telefe


In a historic move, Paramount Pictures has acquired all Latin American distribution rights to Argentine women’s empowerment comedy “Re Loca,” marking the Hollywood studio’s first local movie in Argentina.


“Re Loca” also represents the first project partnering Paramount and Argentina’s Telefe, both units of Viacom since Viacom bought broadcast network Telefe in November 2016, adding it to Viacom International Media Networks Americas.


Like VIMN America’s acquisition of a controlling stake in Brazil’s Porta Dos Fundos, one of the country’s hippest comedy creators with a huge online following, Viacom’s purchase of Telefe was designed to drive up its Spanish-language content ownership. “Re Loca” is one movie example of how that strategy can now play out, leveraging and twinning Viacom assets.


Produced by Telefe, along with Sebastián Aloi’s Buenos Aires production house Aeroplano, “Re Loca” stars Natalia Oreiro (“Gilda,” “The German Doctor”) as Pilar, a downtrodden copywriter at an ad agency who seethes with frustration at daily social pressures until an unexpected force allows her to speak her own mind. That has extreme results and unanticipated, though hilarious, collateral damage, according to a film synopsis.


If the film is near to Nicolás López’s Chilean smash hit, “Sin Filtro,” which inspires “Re Loca,” Pilar’s outspokenness also forms part of a belated coming of age which allows her not only to say what she thinks but recognize her true emotions.


“Re Loca” marks the feature film debut of Martino Zaidelis, winner of a Martin Fierro Award for best director for the acclaimed TV series “The Man Of Your Dreams.” It is scheduled for release on July 5.


Key cast takes in actor, singer and Latin Grammy winner Diego Torres (“Legends”), Gimena Accardi (“Dad For A Day”), Fernán Miras (“Wild Tango”), Hugo Arana (“The Official Story”), and Pilar Gamboa (“The Days Without Mom”).


Written by Andres Aloi and Zaidelis from López’s original script “Re Loca” is produced by Sebastián Aloi and Telefe head of film development and production Axel Kuschevatzky.


Producing, Telefe can share risk with Aeroplano, bring crucial marketing muscle to the table for “Re Loca’s” Argentina’s release, and provide an expertise built up over a decade of co-producing some of Argentina’s emblematic crossover hits. These include Juan José Campanella’s Academy Award winning “The Secret in Their Eyes” and Damián Szifron’s Cannes competition contender “Wild Tales.”


Released by Sony Pictures Classics, “The Secret in Their Eyes” earned $3.1million in the U.S. and was the biggest release of any film of any nationality in Argentina in 2009, earning $9.25 million. Produced by Argentina’s K & S and the Pedro and Almodovar’s El Deseo in Spain, “Wild Tales” proved Argentina’s No. 1 box office hit in 2014, its $11.8 million box office take off a Warner Bros. release just besting Disney’s “Frozen.” Such high, chart topping grosses are naturally attractive to Hollywood studios.


“Wild Tales” also went on to become one of the world’s biggest international foreign-language earners over 2014-15, grossing $23.9 million outside Argentina.


Founded in 1999, Aeroplano produced Szifron’s acclaimed debut, 2003’s “The Bottom of the Sea,” and Nicolas Goldbart’s 2011 “Phase 7,” a pioneering auteur genre movie for Argentina. Opening offices in 2009 in Hollywood with Roy Lee (“The Departed,” “It”), Aeroplano went on to produce independently The Duffer brothers’ first feature “Hidden” for Warner Bros., before they went on to create “Stranger Things.”