Netflix-Backed Spanish Feature 'Blanco' Begins Pre-Production With Director Félix Viscarret, Filming Set for October 2026

One of the most politically charged and emotionally significant events in modern Spanish history is heading to the screen. Blanco, a Spanish-language feature film reconstructing the 1997 kidnapping and murder of Basque councillor Miguel Ángel Blanco by separatist group ETA, has entered pre-production with director Félix Viscarret at the helm and Netflix backing the project alongside a theatrical release through Universal Pictures International Spain. Principal photography is scheduled to begin October 5, 2026, giving the production a long pre-production window and a clear staffing runway for crew looking to get involved early. The film carries an eight-million-euro budget, a firm theatrical release date of July 9, 2027 timed to the 30th anniversary of Blanco's death, and the kind of institutional support that signals this is a serious, prestige-level production.

Félix Viscarret is the right director for this material, and his attachment alone signals the ambition behind the project. Viscarret is perhaps best known internationally for his work on HBO and Movistar+'s Patria, the acclaimed 2020 limited series based on Fernando Aramburu's celebrated novel about the human cost of ETA terrorism in the Basque Country. That series drew widespread critical praise for its nuanced, emotionally precise handling of deeply painful historical trauma, and Blanco represents a direct thematic return to that territory. His earlier feature work, including Bajo las estrellas and Casual Day, established him as a filmmaker with a strong command of character-driven drama. The project was developed in close collaboration with journalists Jon Sistiaga and Jimmy Guerra, both of whom bring firsthand journalistic knowledge of the period. Sistiaga in particular is one of Spain's most respected war correspondents and documentary filmmakers, and his involvement suggests the production will pursue a rigorous, reportage-grounded approach to the material rather than a purely dramatized retelling.

The production is being shepherded by producer Kiko Martínez at Nadie es Perfecto, a Madrid-based production company with a strong track record in quality Spanish-language drama and documentary. Euskadi Movie, a Basque Country production company, is co-producing, which is a meaningful signal about the film's regional grounding and likely its approach to casting and crew sourcing. Netflix is participating in the project, though Universal Pictures International Spain holds theatrical distribution rights, suggesting a hybrid release model that prioritizes a theatrical event window before a streaming rollout. At eight million euros, this is a solidly mid-to-upper-tier European feature budget, comfortably resourced for a period-inflected drama of this scope and ambition. The Netflix relationship also suggests international distribution muscle and, depending on the terms of their participation, potential influence on production standards and delivery requirements.

Specific filming locations have not yet been announced, and casting is expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. Given the story's roots in the Basque Country and specifically in the town of Ermua, along with the involvement of Euskadi Movie as a co-producer, it would be reasonable to expect significant location shooting in the Basque region of northern Spain. Productions based there often work out of the broader Bilbao area, which has a growing screen industry infrastructure supported by Basque Country film incentives. Madrid is also a natural base for a production of this profile, and the city's well-established crew ecosystem, stage facilities, and proximity to period-appropriate locations would make it a strong secondary hub. Crew in both markets should be paying attention. The October 2026 start date gives the production roughly a year and a half of pre-production, which means department head conversations are likely in their earliest stages right now but will accelerate meaningfully in the months ahead.

The format here is a standalone theatrical feature, not a series, which carries specific implications for crew. A single-picture shoot structured around a compressed 48-hour dramatic timeline suggests a production design challenge centered on precise period recreation of 1997 Spain, from newsroom environments and broadcast equipment to street-level protest scenes that will require significant logistical coordination. The journalistic framing of the story also implies a strong locations component, as the film will likely lean on real or recreated Basque settings to ground the narrative in authentic geography. Given the story's scope and the scale of the nationwide protests it depicts, the production may require a substantial extras casting operation and crowd coordination. The production's prestige positioning and Netflix participation make a union shoot under Spanish industry agreements highly likely.

For working professionals in Spain and the broader European production community, Blanco is a project worth tracking closely. ProductionList.com carries the full listing for this production, including production contacts, company details, and scheduling updates as they are confirmed. With cameras not rolling until October 2026, there is time to make the right introductions, but the production's ambition and institutional backing mean the best department head slots will fill early. Bookmark the listing, check back as casting and location announcements fill in the picture, and get your materials in front of the right people before the conversation moves past you.

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