Find more details about this panel below. This panel is part of our InFocus: Latinx & Hispanic Cinema program. Please click on the links below for more information about the other virtual panels also taking place on 9/20:
- Television Development with Loreli Alanís at Point Grey Pictures
- Feature Filmmaking with Oscar® Winning Daniel Dreifuss
To learn more about our in-person programming taking place on 9/21, please click here.
Join NewFilmmakers Los Angeles (NFMLA) for a conversation about producing and directing with creative partners Barbara and Andy Muschietti. Their work includes genre films such as Mama (2013), It (2017) and It Chapter Two (2019), and DC Universe’s The Flash (2023), all of which were directed by Andy and produced by Barbara. They also developed the upcoming television series It : Welcome to Derry.
Barbara Muschietti
Producer/Writer
About Barbara Muschietti:
BARBARA MUSCHIETTI has a track record of creating global hits, producing the record breaking box office juggernauts IT and IT: CHAPTER TWO, the adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel. IT scored the biggest opening weekend ever for a horror film in more than 30 markets with $189.7M, culminating in a box office total of $701.7M worldwide. IT: CHAPTER TWO grossed $473.1M worldwide, taking the franchise’s combined total to $1.17 billion. The sequel posted the second-best global opening ever for a horror film. Muschietti and her brother, Andy, are expanding the franchise with a recently announced IT prequel series, titled WELCOME TO DERRY, for HBO. Set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe, WELCOME TO DERRY is based on King’s IT novel and expands on the story established in IT and IT CHAPTER TWO. The Muschietti siblings have worked together for over two decades, collaborating on all their projects across film, TV, and the commercial arena.
Prior to IT, Muschietti produced the smash hit MAMA, based on the short film of the same name. Muschietti also co-wrote the feature alongside Andy and Neil Gross. Starring Jessica Chastain, and with Guillermo del Toro as executive producer, the film was one of the top earners of 2013. It was honored with the awards for Best Film and Best Director at the Fantasporto Film Festival and won Best Film and the Audience Awards at the Gérardmer Film Festival. Andy also directed the short on which the film was based, which Barbara co wrote and produced.
In 2021, Barbara and Andy formed their production company, Double Dream. Upcoming projects under the Double Dream banner include THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD with DC Films, ATTACK ON TITAN with Heyday Films and set up at Warner Bros., THE DOUBTFUL GUEST, written and exec produced by Emily Gordon and Kumail Nainjiani, and FINAL GIRLS SUPPORT GROUP based on the novel by Grady Hendrix. In 2023, Muschietti produced THE FLASH, directed by Andy Muschietti, for Warner Bros. and DC Films.
Most recently, in 2024, Barbara and Andy formed the genre label Nocturna alongside Skydance. The company will focus on high quality features in both theatrical and streaming. Their first film under the Nocturna banner will be THEY WILL KILL YOU, directed by Kirill Sokolov, which is currently in production.
Barbara has a passion for documentaries, having previously produced DHALLYWOOD STORIES, THE FIFTH CHROMOSOME AND ANTIGONE AWAKE, under her Toma 78 banner in Spain. She recently produced the documentary NORITA, directed by Jayson McNamara.
She has produced hundreds of commercials for clients like Coca Cola, Mercedes, Pepsico, Ford, and the California Lottery.
Muschietti grew up in Argentina and attended UCLA. She resides in Los Angeles with her family.
Andy Muschietti
Director/Writer
About Andy Muschietti:
ANDY MUSCHIETTI has cemented himself as one of the most visionary filmmakers, known for breaking box office records with hits IT and IT: CHAPTER TWO, the adaptation of the classic Stephen King novel. IT scored the biggest opening weekend ever for a horror film in more than 30 markets with $189.7M ultimately totaling $701.7M worldwide. IT: CHAPTER TWO grossed $473.1M worldwide taking the franchise’s combined total to $1.17 billion. Muschietti and his filmmaking partner/sister, Barbara, are currently expanding the franchise with their IT prequel series, titled WELCOME TO DERRY, for HBO. Set in the world of Stephen King’s IT universe, WELCOME TO DERRY is based on King’s IT novel and expands on the story established in IT and IT CHAPTER TWO. The siblings have worked together for over two decades, collaborating on all their projects, across film, TV, and the commercial arena.
Prior to IT, Muschietti made his feature debut with the horror hit MAMA, based on his own short film of the same name. Muschietti directed the film from a screenplay he co-wrote with Barbara and Neil Gross. The film, which starred Jessica Chastain and was executive produced by Guillermo del Toro, became one of the top earners of 2013. It was honored with the awards for Best Film and Best Director at the Fantasporto Film Festival and won Best Film and the Audience Award at the Gérardmer Film Festival. Muschietti was also named the Director to Watch at the Palm Springs International Film Festival. His short film MAMA had also played at numerous film festivals.
In 2021, Andy and Barbara formed their production company, Double Dream. Upcoming projects under the Double Dream banner include THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD with DC Films, ATTACK ON TITAN with Heyday Films and set up at Warner Bros., THE DOUBTFUL GUEST, written and exec produced by Emily Gordon and Kumail Nainjiani, and FINAL GIRLS SUPPORT GROUP based on the novel by Grady Hendrix. In 2023, Andy directed THE FLASH for Warner Bros. and DC Films.
Most recently, in 2024, Andy and Barbara formed the genre label Nocturna alongside Skydance. The company will focus on high quality features in both theatrical and streaming. Their first film under the Nocturna banner will be THEY WILL KILL YOU, directed by Kirill Sokolov, which is currently in production.
Muschietti began his career as a commercial director in Buenos Aires with the iconic production company Cuatro Cabezas. Following a move to Europe, Muschietti, alongside Barbara, founded Toma 78, a commercial and film production company operating in Barcelona and Madrid. Muschietti directed hundreds of commercials for clients including Coca Cola, Mercedes, and Ford, and has received top advertising honors, including a Cannes Gold Lion for his work on the Buenos Aires Festival of International Cinema (BAFICI).
Muschietti studied at the prestigious FUC in Buenos Aires, where he directed three acclaimed shorts, “Rosendo,” “Fierro Chifle,” and “Nostalgia en la mesa 8,” that earned awards at festivals such as La Habana, Bilbao and Biarritz. He also worked in Argentina as a storyboard artist, a task he combined with script writing.
Photographed by Manfredi Gioacchini.
Jenelle Riley
Variety
About the moderator:
Jenelle Riley is a is the winner of three Emmy Awards for producing and hosting PBS’ “Actors on Actors” series. She is an editor at Variety and the writer of the award-winning plays “A Kind of Love Story” and “Jane Austen’s Emma Frankenstein” along with the short films “Warning Labels” and “Crazy Love.
IMPORTANT DETAILS
This panel will take place virtually over ZOOM. Ticket purchasers will receive a ZOOM link to this panel 2 hours before the published start time. If you don’t already have the ZOOM app, please make sure to download on your device before the panel start time.
If you purchase an All-Access Pass for our September Festival events prior to the date of this panel, you will also receive admission to this virtual panel, included as part of your pass.
If you are a current Annual Member of NFMLA, please email info@nfmla.org to receive a complimentary ticket to this panel. If you are not an Annual Member of NFMLA and would like to join, you can become a member here.
