The brand-new, four-part high-end documentary series Juan Carlos was presented February 20 as part of the EFM’s Up Next: Germany, a showcase of the country’s most interesting upcoming series projects. Produced by Emmy-nominated producer Christian Beetz (Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion, controlled by Munich-based conglomerate Leonine Studios), the series promises to explore the rise and fall of former Spanish King Juan Carlos I.
The Sky Original series was presented on stage by director Anne von Petersdorff (director, DoP and co-producer of women travellers-focused feature doc Wanderlust, Female Bodies in Transit), VP of entertainment at Sky Germany Christian Asanger and producer Beetz.
For many years, the king was considered a Spanish hero, celebrated around the world for reforming his country with modern, progressive and democratic values until scandal and allegations surrounding his financial arrangements led to his abdication in 2014.
In detail, the series will take viewers across the globe from Madrid to London, Monaco, Geneva, Abu Dhabi and New York. The story is told from the perspective of his close friends and confidantes, palace insiders, former intelligence officials and critics.
Created by Beetz, Petersdorff, Georg Tschurtschenthaler and Pedro Barbadillo, it promises to shed a new light on Juan Carlos’ personal life including affairs, allegations of corruption, and alleged abuse of power – leading up to the end of his reign. The series’ executive producers were Asanger and Felix Kempter for Sky Germany, and Barnaby Shingleton for Sky Studios.
During the presentation, Beetz revealed how challenging it has been to embark on this project. Specifically, he said that during his first trip to Madrid to meet journalists and speak about the series, he received threatening phone calls from lawyers who warned against producing the project. Later on, Gebrüder Beetz Filmproduktion’s official website was hacked and therefore the production team began using a more secure email system for internal communications.
In addition to this, von Petersdorff argued that the Spanish royal family may no longer hold “explicit power,” but still has “implicit power” which, of course, made the whole production process much more challenging than expected. Asanger agreed with von Petersdorff, and explained how the making of this documentary series was certainly very risky but the role of the legal team has been fundamental to ensure its completion.
The presentation of the project saw also the screening of an exclusive first-look teaser.
Juan Carlos will be distributed in all Sky markets including the UK, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Austria and Switzerland via Sky Documentaries and NOW later in 2023. NBC Universal Global Distribution is in charge of its international sales on behalf of Sky Studios.
