Sonoro and The Whole Spiel Announce Partnership with Mario Lopez and Eric Winter to Develop 'Zone of Silence' Franchise

LOS ANGELES, May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ --  The Whole Spiel and Sonoro have announced a joint development project in partnership with Mario Lopez and Eric Winter to create a sci-fi podcast Zone of Silence, with plans to adapt it for TV and other mediums.

The podcast will be centered around Mexico's often mythicized Zone of Silence, a patch of desert in Durango where no radio signals can be received, which, according to urban legend, is caused by supernatural forces. When a bus transporting a notorious narco from Mexico to a maximum security prison in the U.S. goes missing in the Zone of Silence, mass hysteria spreads around the local vicinity. In a town already skeptical of the U.S. government, two federal marshals must work with the locals familiar with the terrain to hunt down the bus and its missing Cargo.

The Whole Spiel and Sonoro are creating multiple audio-first ideas that can then be transformed into TV properties, films, and live experiences. 

"At a time when the business models of television and streaming are going through a reset,  audio is still experiencing explosive growth in usage and therefore can still take risks with talent and ideas," said Paul Telegdy, co-founder of The Whole Spiel."Mario and Eric have great stories to tell, and we are really delighted to be a part of that with Sonoro, where the team continues to deliver compelling  content through its ever-expanding universe."

"The Latino community's growing influence on culture and commerce is becoming abundantly clear to Hollywood, as is the growth opportunity that creating culturally rich and relevant content presents," said Camila Victoriano, co-founder and Chief Content Officer of Sonoro. "We're thrilled to be partnering with such marvels in entertainment to bring Zone of Silence to life."

About The Whole Spiel

The Whole Spiel is an entertainment startup founded by Paul Telegdy and Stefan Telegdy, focused on creative and commercial development in film, television, gaming and music. With offices in Los Angeles, London and Berlin, The Whole Spiel provides creative and strategic support for a diverse range of clients across the media and technology sector.

About Sonoro

Sonoro is a global entertainment company focused on creating premium, culturally relevant content that starts in audio and comes alive in TV, film, and beyond. Sonoro collaborates with leading and emerging Latino storytellers – writers, producers, and directors – from over a dozen countries to develop original franchises in English, Spanish, and Spanglish. The company is pioneering new podcast formats and has launched multiple #1 hits, including Toxicomanía: El Experimento Mexicano (being adapted as a film for Paramount+), Tejana starring and executive produced by Stephanie Beatriz (2022 Best Fiction Ambie Winner, being developed for television), Crónicas Obscuras (#1 horror franchise), Princess of South Beach (#1 show in iHeartRadio's MyCultura Network) and Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez (#1 in Mexico and Top 10 in US). With a diverse array of podcasts, Sonoro has established itself as a pioneer in the realm of audio storytelling.

Since its founding in 2020, Sonoro has created premium, culturally relevant content in collaboration with leading and emerging Latino storytellers. The company has 20+ television and film projects in active development with partners, including Netflix, NBC Universal, and Paramount+.  Sonoro has more than 80 million monthly downloads across its network of 150+ podcasts and reaches 1 out of every 3 US Hispanics.

SOURCE Sonoro