ZDF Enterprises assumes distribution rights of the Reboot of ‘Stories To Stay Awake’

ZDF Enterprises - October 2021

ZDF Enterprises has assumed distribution rights of the iconic Spanish horror series ‘Stories To Stay Awake’ (OT ‘Historias Para No Dormir’) for all territories outside Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Latin America, which will be handled by ViacomCBS International Studios.

Produced by VIS, ViacomCBS’ international studio division, ‘Stories To Stay Awake’ has already been acquired by Amazon Prime Video and RTVE in Spain and will also debut on Paramount+ in several territories to be announced soon. The series, which is in partnership with production companies Isla Audiovisual and Prointel, and in collaboration with ZDF Enterprises, reboots the horror format by Chicho Ibáñez Serrador that revolutionized the Spanish television landscape in the 60s. The show will be premiere on Amazon Prime Video in Spain next November, 5th.

50 years after its premiere, Stories to Stay Awake returns to offer audiences the best of the thriller genre combined with the great potential and talent of modern cinema. With its four 50 min stand-alone episodes (The Joke, Freddy, The Doppelganger and Asphalt), the episodes of the four-part anthology miniseries are directed by Spanish Academy Goya-winner Rodrigo Cortés (‘Buried’), Oscar-nominated filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen (‘Mother’), director and writer-director Paco Plaza (‘REC’) and director Paula Ortiz (‘The Bride’), audiences will enjoy the contemporary takes on Chicho Ibáñez Serrador’s (creator of the iconic franchise) best stories. The superb cast of the miniseries includes, among others, Goya award-winning actors Eduard Fernandez (‘30 Coins’), Nathalie Poza (‘Julieta’) or Raúl Arévalo (‘Marshland’).

Chicho Ibáñez Serrador became a household name for Spanish horror thanks to his creation, ‘Historias Para No Dormir’, a Spanish series which first aired from 1966 to 1968. He was honored with a Spanish Academy Goya Award for his lifetime achievement a few months before his death in 2019.

“We are proud to be able to offer our clients this outstanding tribute to Chicho Ibáñez Serrador,” said Fred Burcksen, President and CEO, ZDF Enterprises. “This excellent miniseries is the joint success of a great team, which we are honored to be a part of. We are convinced that this is only the beginning of a long-standing partnership for all of us.”