Spain’s Cattleya Producciones adds former Paramount executive María Cervera

Maria Cervera

Paramount alum María Cervera has been appointed as as head of content at Cattleya Producciones, the Spanish firm set up by ITV Studios and Italy’s Cattleya (Gomorrah, Suburra) in 2021.

The executive departs Paramount, where she has served as VP of content development for EMEA for the last two years. Cervera is the third executive leaving Paramount’s studio in 2023, following Laura Abril, currently EVP of scripted and global business development at Buendía Estudios, and Berta Orozco, Mediacrest’s head of International sales & co-productions since last March.

“María has a terrific career and a great reputation. Even further, Cattleya in Italy and me myself have had the opportunity to work with her in the past. So, we know exactly that María is one of the best European content executives and an excellent producer. We, at Cattleya Producciones, feel very lucky to have her and to count on her leadership”, said Arturo Díaz, managing director and executive producer of Cattleya Producciones.

“It is a real pleasure to join Cattleya and to work with Arturo Díaz again. I think this is the right time to bet for stories that bring emotions, and we have a unique opportunity to do it from Cattleya Producciones”, added Cervera.

Cattleya Producciones is currently developing an adaptation of Arturo Pérez-Reverte’s novel El Italiano, written by Beto Marini (La Unidad) and inspired in true events set during World War II.

Since the beginning of her career, Cervera has worked as development executive and executive producer at independent prodco Plano a Plano, Netflix, transatlantic firm El Estudio and, most recently, Paramount. She has overseen multiple Spanish dramas such as comedy Allí Abajo, daily soap opera Servir y Proteger, Netflix’s Elite, Alta Mar, Cable Girls, or Paramount’s Better Days (Días Mejores), The Gypsy Bride (La Novia Gitana) or Fleeting Lies (Mentiras Pasajeras). Cervera has also participated in Germany’s A Thin Line, Chemistry of Death and The Sheikh, and in Italy’s Circeo from her Paramount position.