Sales Boon for Mr Miyagi's David Matamoros First Solo Outing ‘Who Wants to Marry an Astronaut?' (EXCLUSIVE)

Yahoo

18-03-2025

Barcelona-based Mr. Miyagi Films has clinched a series of territory deals for David Matamoros' buoyant queer rom-com 'Who Wants to Marry an Astronaut?' ('¿Quién quiere casarse con un astronauta?').
TLA acquired rights for North America, the U.K. and Ireland, while Optimale picked up distribution for France. Additional agreements include Tongariro in Poland, OutTV Media for the Netherlands, with ProFun handling Germany, Italy, Portugal, Israel, and Scandinavia via OutTV Media.
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Adam Silver of TLA hailed the film as 'a highlight of TLA's 2025 slate,' adding: 'We are so delighted to have a hand in ensuring audiences across North America and the U.K. will have a chance to experience the life-affirming, infectious joy of David Matamoros' film.'
Matamoros' first solo sally as a director and produced alongside Ángeles Hernández under their Barcelona-based banner Mr. Miyagi Films ('The Platform,' 'Isaac'), the film is co-produced by Uruguay's Mother Superior ('Simon of the Mountain,' 'Virus:32') and Argentina's Sombracine ('Young Hunter').
Alfa Pictures will handle the Spanish theatrical release, scheduled for July 11.
David's (Raúl Tejón) romantic life is upended when his marriage proposal to Quique (Alejandro Nones), his longterm partner, is publicly rejected. This scuppers a planned Route 66 road trip culminating in a Las Vegas wedding. Determined not to give up on his dream ceremony, he has 10 days to find someone else, anyone else, willing to say 'I do.' The cast also includes Raúl Fernández de Pablo, Alejandro Nones, and Sabrina Praga.
The film intentionally shifts from LGBTQ+ cinema's typical identity-driven narratives: 'I wanted my character to be the hero of the story, without thinking about his sexual orientation. Just as a person who deserves a happy ending,' Matamoros told Variety.
Mr. Miyagi Films, renowned for its ability to corral international film finance, previously found major success with the Netflix all-time hit 'The Platform.' But it never gets easier. 'As public funding diminishes we must find ways to tell our stories and enrich them with different crews who can add so much to the storytelling,' Ángeles Hernández, co-founder of Mr. Miyagi Films explained. 'But rules and conventions can make it quite difficult most of the time. We should think about redefining the strategies of collaboration beyond the administration's needs.'
The project is an example of the latent appeal of embracing international collaboration to bring new kinds of stories with less seen characters into commercially appealing genres.
Variety caught up with David Matamoros:
The story is inspired by elements of your own life. How did you navigate making it personal while ensuring it resonated universally?
I've grown up with '80s and '90s romantic comedies. There's something about them that appeal to broader audiences. Most of us watching those films belong to an inspirational segment, hungry for vitally re-affirming stories that can make you drop a tear, but always emotional. So I changed the perspective on my own personal drama and focus on trying to be inspiring, re-affirming, funny and emotional at the same time. I have a hunger for wider audiences but I always speak from my own optimistic way of looking at life.
Unlike many LGBTQ+ films that centre on coming out or identity struggles, this story places a queer protagonist in a romcom framework. What was the significance of that choice for you?
The key was the happy ending. I wanted a happy ending so badly. I wanted to believe that I could have had a happy ending. My astronaut introduces queer ideas and images in spaces that have been traditionally moulded by the taste of heterosexual audiences. And conquers a space that was not our patrimony. I wanted my character to be the hero of the story, without thinking about his sexual orientation. Just as a person who deserves a happy ending.
You mentioned previously that your film critiques the traditional romantic comedy narrative that many of us grew up with. How do you feel your portrayal challenges conventional notions of romance, and why was it important for you to shift the focus toward the everyday realities and vulnerabilities of love?
Romantic love is quite toxic if you look at it from nowadays perspective. And we are constantly led to believe, in literature, art, music, films that if you are notloved in a certain way, you're not really loved. But I wanted to focus on embracing the daily struggles and our vulnerabilities of what it means to love and to be loved. And look at them in a positive way, and realize there is not only one way of 'perfect love' but many ways of being loved by many people in all its imperfections. And that is beautiful.
Do you think the experience of directing a solo feature will change your approach working with directors as a producer of film?
I know exactly the process a filmmaker faces when he/she is shooting. I'm more sensitive to the smell of ego. When someone has the need to tell a story, they find a way no matter how, and the more personal the story, the kinder, more adaptable, and gentler they should be with the crew. We are too used to abuse for the sake of art. I refuse it completely now. I know you can direct from love and inspiring the crew, rather than abusing them.
The film is selling well into multiple territories, what are your general views on the market generally, and for romantic comedy at the moment?
The great territory to conquer are festivals. Many programmers approached me after the screening of the film convinced that they have irrational issues with romantic comedies or comedies, and that they enjoyed the film very much, and still see the layers and the debates. Audiences on the contrary are more open to be surprised, to feel identified with and maybe make a judgement about one particular issue regardless of the age, the genre, race or sexual orientation. There is no one audience, but many. The market is very fragmented. And probably that's why 'Astronaut' selling so widely.
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