The director’s new feature film has completed filming in Extremadura, with a cast led by Antonio de la Torre, Mariló Márquez Villa, and Julián Villagrán.
The shoot for “Caza Mayor,” which began on January 23, concluded on March 15 after seven weeks of filming in the towns of Fregenal de la Sierra, Bodonal del Sierra, Zafra, and Higuera la Real.
Directed by Daniel Sánchez Arévalo, it is the new Movistar Plus+ original film, following the success in 2025 of titles such as “Los Domingos” and “Sirat,” in line with the platform’s continued commitment to supporting Spanish cinema and strengthening the national film industry.
Starring Antonio de la Torre, Mariló Márquez Villa, and Julián Villagrán, the Movistar Plus+ original film—written by María Ballesteros and José Antonio de Pascual—is produced by Movistar Plus+, La película del Tigre A.I.E., Estela Films, Tenampa Films, Cut One (Boomerang TV – Mediawan Group), Pólvora Films, and Tinnitus, with the participation of Atresmedia and collaboration from Atresmedia Cine. It also receives funding from the Government of Spain, the ICAA, and support from the Regional Government of Extremadura and the Community of Madrid.The film is scheduled for theatrical reléase in 2027, handled by Warner Bros. Pictures Spain, with international sales distributed by Film Factory.
This new Movistar Plus+ original is a rural thriller with touches of black comedy that explores the reasons why we choose to believe in what we cannot see. In the middle of the night, José Luis, an Extremaduran pig farmer, arrives home covered in blood, claiming to have seen a tiger. Is he telling the truth, or is it a bizarre excuse to hide the fact that he was stealing three Iberian pigs? This is how a story begins that rides on the back of a tiger, shaking the quiet life of Fregenal de la Sierra, a small town in the province of Badajoz. Is it an escape forward, or an agonizing journey to prove the truth?
“Caza Mayor” is an adaptation of the podcast “El Tigre,” winner of the 2025 Ondas Award for Best Fiction Podcast, written by María Ballesteros and José Antonio de Pascual and available on the Podium Podcast platform.
In the words of Daniel Sánchez Arévalo: “A rural thriller. A drama. A black comedy. A western, which is what I have always wanted to shoot. Caza Mayor aims to be all of that. For me, it is difficult to find references, and that inability to categorize it is what most attracted me to the idea and what I pursue the most. In any case, I believe it is something very much our own, something that defines us as a society and as human beings. One of the things that most captivated me about the podcast was the choice of cast, using local people from Fregenal de la Sierra, which gave it great authenticity and realism. That is why, in the film, I decided to do the same and surround Antonio de la Torre with non-professional actors: Mariló, her children, her coworkers… all local people, to maintain that realistic tone. For that purpose, an extensive local casting process was carried out, full of real gems, and then, with our main actors, a full immersion into that peculiar and unique Extremaduran accent, which is very rarely represented in our cinema and is, for me, one of the project’s great attractions.”
In the words of Guillermo Farré, Director of Original Film and Spanish Cinema at Movistar Plus+: “At Movistar Plus+ we are great admirers of Daniel Sánchez Arévalo and have long wanted to work with him. From the moment the first script drafts of ‘Caza Mayor’ came into our hands, we were captivated by the strength of the project: a very personal mix of thriller and black comedy, with emotional moments and a host of memorable characters. It offers a look at contemporary rural life that we believe will attract great attention and fits perfectly with Movistar Plus+’s commitment to supporting projects with a unique vision that surprise audiences and have the ambition to reach the general public.”
In the words of the producers Félix Tusell (Estela Films), Carmela Martínez Oliart (Tenampa Films), Rafa Taboada (Cut One – Boomerang TV), Arturo Valls (Pólvora Films), and Daniel Sánchez Arévalo (Tinnitus): “For us, ‘Caza Mayor’ is a unique film: a rural thriller with the soul of a western, sprinkled with touches of black comedy and Extremaduran flavor. In the script by Ballesteros and Pascual, pure genre and costumbrist naturalism are expertly balanced.From this foundation, Sánchez Arévalo directs Antonio de la Torre in the creation of a memorable protagonist who will force the viewer to decide whether he is a cowardly liar or a martyr willing to defend the truth to the very end.”