Leading Latin American production company Dynamo, the powerhouse shingle behind such hits as “Narcos” and “One Hundred Years of Solitude,” is revving up its international growth plans with seasoned industry execs Carol Trussell in Los Angeles and U.K.-based Kristin Jones.
Given their long-standing reputations and deep knowledge of the industry, both execs are well positioned to troubleshoot issues anywhere – whether remotely or on set – ensuring flow and leveraging their strong connections with former colleagues.
Trussell, who serves as an executive producer at Dynamo, is a former Apple TV+ exec who was among the first six people who helped build the platform, leading the team that oversaw and produced such hits as “The Morning Show,” “Ted Lasso” and “Pachinko.”
Prior to Apple TV+, Trussell was the head of production at Gaumont Television and was pivotal in making sure “Narcos” was shot in Colombia. Reflecting on the making of “Narcos,” she said: “Dynamo was instrumental to its success thanks to their exceptional collaboration. They weren’t just a production company — they were true partners.”
She recalls that in preparing “Narcos” she went to Colombia, not knowing anyone, and was impressed with Dynamo after meeting with its CEO Andrés Calderón and his team. “I was just completely impressed by his knowledge of production and how much the company had already accomplished, although they had never done a show of this scale,” she said, adding “They provided the infrastructure and we were there for three years. It was an amazing experience and I think it made Colombia a go-to place for other productions.” She later brought Apple TV+ action thriller series “Echo 3” to shoot on location in Colombia.
“Television has become such a sophisticated medium. Now, audiences really expect authenticity and I knew that even back when I started ‘Narcos’ that you couldn’t do this show anywhere else, it was about Colombia, it was about the country,” she mused, adding that some of the local crew that she had hired then are now department heads themselves.
As a consultant and executive producer for Dynamo, Jones, who has known Calderón for some 15 years, is hoping to guide the company as it expands its creative partnerships across the U.K. and Europe. Some English-language projects are in the works, she said.
Based in London, she advises on content strategy, packaging, financing and co-production partnerships, drawing from her past senior executive roles at The North Road Company and AMC Networks. She launched the U.K. office of North Road and at AMC, she managed over 50 scripted series across 100+ seasons, supporting such hit titles as “The Night Manager,” “Killing Eve,” and “Gangs of London.” Prior to those companies, she held senior posts at Miramax, Vuguru and Buena Vista International, and was also a founding advisor to Pluto TV, now owned by Viacom.
Jones pointed out to Dynamo’s “nimble” entrepreneurial mindset, its global perspective and its consistently robust slate of projects as great strengths, adding that their deep production service experience had them well positioned internationally.
Founded in 2006, Dynamo currently has offices in the Colombian capital of Bogotá, Mexico City, Madrid and New York. It has created, developed and produced premium content for a multiple global platforms, including Netflix, Amazon, Apple TV+, ViX, HBO Max and Paramount.
New Co-Productions
As part of its expanding global slate, Dynamo has three new co-productions set in Mexico and Spain:
● “Saldremos de esta”
Unannouced, the co-production between Sony Pictures Entertainment Iberia and Dynamo revolves around a dysfunctional family that joins up with a retired thief to rob a bank. As the logline goes: “Tunneling 50 meters is easy; surviving each other is the real challenge. The family that steals together, stays together.” The Spanish-language comedy goes into production in September.
● “Me late que sí”
The co-production between Sony Pictures Television and Dynamo for Netflix is inspired by actual events, revisiting the outlandish fraud of the Mexican lottery draw in 2012. Told with a classic heist structure and hints of tragicomedy, the story follows an ordinary government employee obsessed with winning the Melate lottery. Just as he’s about to give up, an urgent need for money sparks a simple but brilliant plan to “win” the prize in front of millions.
“’Me late que sí’ is about ordinary people – those who’ve been underestimated their whole lives- joining forces to pull off the unthinkable: stealing the national lottery during a live TV broadcast,” said Dynamo’s Calderón, executive producer-CEO.
Me late que si, Courtesy of Dynamo, SPT
Courtesy of Sony Pictures/Netflix ©2024
● “Zoomers”
Produced by Dynamo in association with Estudios RCN for Prime Video, the six-episode dramedy hones in on Gen Z and the many challenges they’ve faced in recent years: pandemics, climate change and other crises… all before even graduating. Debuting Oct. 3, exclusively on Prime Video in Spain, Andorra and Portugal.
“At Dynamo, we’re always looking for stories like ‘Zoomers’ – narratives that confront a generation’s reality head-on, with no filters,” said Miguel Menéndez, head of country, Spain at Dynamo. “Through a mix of raw honesty and dark humor, this group of students—led by Javi, who shows up armed with a self-help manual to overcome personal loss – dives into parties, relationships, identity crises, and everything in between. In the end, ‘Zoomers’ reminds us that neither friendship nor adulthood ever go according to plan.”
Zoomers, Courtesy of Dynamo, RCN, Prime Video
The company’s business model – anchored in one of Latin America’s first private equity content funds – allows it to independently finance projects while leveraging public incentives, including Colombia’s tax rebates.
To date, Dynamo has developed and produced 26 series and 49 feature films. These include “One Hundred Years of Solitude” (Netflix), “Narcos” (Netflix), “Wild District “(Netflix), “Falco” (Amazon), “Crime Diaries” (Netflix), “Green Frontier” (Netflix), “The Head of Joaquin Murrieta” (Prime Video), “Malayerba “(Starzplay), “Echo 3” (Apple TV), “Mala Fortuna” (Prime Video) and films like “The 33,” “Mile 22,” “American Made,” “Gemini Man,” “Pimpinero,” “Monos” and “The Hidden Face.”