Producer Juan de Dios Larraín and director Pablo Larraín have expanded their production platform Pijama into film acquisitions, signaling a strategic shift for the company behind acclaimed projects like "A Fantastic Woman" and "The Eternal Memory." Speaking at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival's industry forum, de Dios Larraín revealed the company now pursues acquisition deals, stating they have "three big films with great talent" in development through this new division.
The pivot reflects a broader industry trend where production companies diversify beyond making films to acquiring finished works for distribution. Pijama, founded by the Chilean creative team, has built prestige credentials through collaborations with celebrated international filmmakers. De Dios Larraín emphasized that the acquisition strategy responds to a fundamental truth in contemporary cinema: distribution gaps do not indicate audience absence.
"Every movie has an audience," he told the Karlovy Vary panel. "Maybe it's 10 people, maybe it's your family." This philosophy addresses a persistent problem in global film markets where quality films struggle to secure theatrical or streaming placement despite merit or commercial potential. Independent and international films frequently face distribution bottlenecks that prevent them from reaching viewers willing to watch them.
The Larraín brothers' expansion into acquisitions positions Pijama to function as both producer and distributor, consolidating control over a film's journey from production through release. This model allows the company to champion projects that might otherwise languish without proper platforms. Given Pijama's track record navigating international co-productions and festival circuits, their acquisition strategy likely targets festival darlings and prestige international cinema.
The move occurs within a competitive landscape where production companies increasingly adopt acquisition-based models. Streamers and established distributors have saturated acquisition markets, but specialized houses like Pijama can identify underserved audiences and niche programming opportunities.