– The supernatural thriller starring Mexican actress Esmeralda Pimentel is produced by Eterno Island Pictures, Rock & Ruz and A Bigger Boat, with sales handled by Architect
Actress Lola Casamayor, director Tony Morales and actress Esmeralda Pimentel on the set of Hada (© Rubén Chavero)
Currently shooting between Madrid and Gran Canaria, Hada, the first feature by Tony Morales, sees him make his feature debut after directing shorts such as Black Eyed Child, Abracitos, Alicia and La visitante, among others, selected and awarded at fantastic-film festivals around the world. Filming began on 2 July and will run for eight weeks at various locations in Madrid and Gran Canaria, wrapping on 21 August.
Its screenplay, inspired by the eponymous short he directed in 2015 and written by Morales himself together with his regular collaborator Fer Zaragoza, follows Abril, a social worker scarred by a major loss (played by Mexican actress Esmeralda Pimentel, seen in Un funeral de locos and En otro lugar), who is forced to confront the dark legend of the tooth fairy in order to save the life of the boy in her care (played by the very young Liam Segu).
Rounding out the cast are Lola Casamayor (Camino, the series Luis Miguel), Alberto Tierrez (The Photographer), Luifer Rodríguez, Olga Redondo and Chema Tena. And Tony Morales admits: “I want audiences to enjoy a true rollercoaster of terror, for the film to be an intense experience, full of tension and scares, like a ghost train: something that makes you grip your seat, cover your eyes and scream.”
He continues, “When I write or direct, I’m not thinking about setting myself apart from the rest. I’m thinking about the audience and how to hook them from the very first minute. My aim is to make the film as immersive as possible, so they feel as though they’re living the story in first person, trapped in the nightmare our characters are suffering.” And he concludes: “There’s no better school than watching people get scared, hold their breath or scream. That’s where I really learned what works when it comes to provoking fear. I’m applying all of that to Hada to craft horror set pieces and jump scares that are as ingenious and unpredictable as possible.”
The producer Patricia González notes: “This film perfectly represents the kind of cinema we want to champion at Eterno Island Pictures: genre films with international ambitions, capable of connecting with wide audiences without losing a distinctive identity. From the very beginning, we knew that Esmeralda Pimentel was the actress who should lead this story. Bringing her on board was a priority and, after seeing her work during these first weeks of shooting, we couldn’t be more convinced that she is the perfect choice to bring Abril to life.”
Hada is produced by Patricia González for Eterno Island Pictures, Jordi Roca and Miguel Ruz for Rock & Ruz and Peter Block and Cory Neal for US outfit A Bigger Boat. Executive production comes from Patricia González and Hugo Romera. International sales are handled by the UK-based agency Architect.
(Translated from Spanish)
