A look inside the Mexican traditional world of heroes and villains

Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, announced today the acquisition of worldwide rights to the professional wrestling scripted series HEROES OF LUCHA LIBRE created by Joaquin Vodanovich and Alejandro Ortiz, starring professional wrestlers Rey Mysterio Jr., Mil Mascaras, Rayo de Jalisco Jr., Dragon Lee and Blue Demon Jr.  Written by Ortiz and directed by Alfredo Widman, the series is also produced by Ortiz and Vodanovich.  Screen Media will represent foreign sales at the upcoming American Film Market.

HEROES OF LUCHA LIBRE puts a fresh, contemporary spin on the sport of Lucha Libre while honoring its rich cultural tradition. The show layers an inventive comic book storyline over the action in the ring. Imagine the biggest names in Lucha Libre competing in a Marvel-esque universe to save the world. These superhero elements appeal to audiences of all ages in a way no other wrestling show can.

“I grew up watching these heroes with my grandfather in Mexico. Now I want to share all those emotions and admiration with the world and help to inspire future generations,” said Ortiz. 

“After years of searching, we found and developed the best Lucha Libre (wrestling) show,” said Vodanovich. “HEROES OF LUCHA LIBRE is a mix of fantasy, acrobatics and sport, the perfect combination to conquer both old and new markets, leaving behind old ideas that have controlled the market for years.” 

The deal was negotiated by Seth Needle, SVP of Global Acquisitions and Co-Productions, and Brendan Murray, Manager of Digital Acquisitions, for Screen Media with Patrick Hughes, Harvey Russell and Pablito Vasquez of Foundation Media, who are also executive producers on the project.

The announcement follows on the heels of Screen Media’s recent acquisitions of  Simon West’s action disaster film Skyfire, and the Bella Thorne thriller Girl, which premiered at Fantastic Fest. Screen Media recently released Blackbird, the Roger Michell-helmed drama starring Susan Sarandon, Kate Winslet and Mia Wasikowska and Jesse Quinones’ MMA action film Cagefighter, featuring Gina Gershon, Jon Moxley, and Chuck Liddell.  Rod Lurie’s feature film The Outpost, based on Jake Tapper’s New York Times Best Seller The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor, has been one of the top films across all platforms since its launch July 4th weekend. The company is in post-production on Willy’s Wonderland with Nicolas Cage.

About Screen Media Ventures, LLC

Screen Media Ventures, LLC, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment (Nasdaq: CSSE) company, acquires the rights to high quality, independent television series and feature films. Screen Media Ventures acquires worldwide rights for distribution through theatrical, home video, pay-per-view, free, cable and pay television, video-on-demand, and new digital media platforms. The company acquires AVOD rights for third party networks and is the main supplier of content for Crackle Plus and other Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment properties. With a library of over 1,500 television series and motion pictures, Screen Media Ventures is one of the largest independent suppliers of high-quality tv series and motion pictures to U.S. and international broadcast markets, cable networks, home video outlets and new media venues. For more information, visit: www.screenmedia.net.

About Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment

Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, Inc. (Nasdaq: CSSE) operates streaming video-on-demand networks (VOD). The company owns a majority stake in Crackle Plus, a company formed with Sony Pictures Television, which owns and operates a variety of ad-supported and subscription-based VOD networks including Crackle, Popcornflix, Popcornflix Kids, Truli, Pivotshare, Españolflix and FrightPix. The company also acquires and distributes video content through its Screen Media subsidiary and produces original long and short-form content through Landmark Studio Group, its Chicken Soup for the Soul Originals division and APlus.com. Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment is a subsidiary of Chicken Soup for the Soul, LLC, which publishes the famous book series and produces super-premium pet food under the Chicken Soup for the Soul brand name.