Dominican actor, filmmaker and producer Amilcar Franco has announced the launch of Peanuts Entertainment in London, a new audiovisual production company created to develop Latin American and Caribbean stories with cultural identity for international audiences.
The launch was highlighted by Variety, one of the most established and influential publications in the global entertainment industry, which introduced the company and its initial slate of projects from the British capital.
Franco said Peanuts Entertainment was born out of his desire to tell stories that stem from regional identity while maintaining the strength to connect far beyond local borders. He explained that operating from London allows the company to build a creative bridge between the Dominican Republic, the Caribbean and Latin America and the broader international audiovisual industry, helping regional narratives find new audiences and spaces on the global stage.
London has long served as a major global center for film, television and theatre, offering access to international co-production networks, post-production facilities and diverse talent. By establishing his company in the British capital, Franco aims to connect Caribbean storytelling directly with global media markets.
Period drama on the Mirabal sisters
The company's flagship project is Alive in Their Garden, known in Spanish as Vivas en su jardin, a period drama inspired by the lives, resistance and legacy of the Mirabal sisters, Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa.
The production was developed with the direct support of the Mirabal family, including Minou Tavarez Mirabal and Jaqueline Guzman Mirabal, as well as the Hermanas Mirabal House Museum. Supported by an extensive historical research process, the project carries particular significance as it is being produced during the centenary year of Minerva Mirabal's birth.
Patria, Minerva and Maria Teresa Mirabal, known in the Dominican Republic as Las Mariposas or The Butterflies, were three sisters who actively opposed the dictatorial regime of Rafael Trujillo. Their assassination on November 25, 1960, turned them into enduring symbols of popular resistance and feminist struggle across Latin America. The anniversary of their deaths was later designated by the United Nations as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
The Hermanas Mirabal House Museum, located in Ojo de Agua near Salcedo in the Dominican Republic, is preserved in the family home where the sisters spent their final months. It holds their personal artifacts and historical documents. Minou Tavarez Mirabal, the daughter of Minerva Mirabal and fellow political leader Manolo Tavarez Justo, is a prominent Dominican academic and politician who works to preserve her family's national legacy.
International casting and technical partners
Casting for Alive in Their Garden was managed by Emmy Award winning casting director Olissa Rogers, whose credits include major television series such as Wednesday and Ted Lasso.
The project features an international ensemble cast led by Karl Queensborough, who played the title role in the West End production of the musical Hamilton, alongside performers from Spain, Argentina and the Dominican Republic.
The Emmy Awards recognize excellence in international television, with series such as Netflix's supernatural mystery Wednesday and Apple TV's sports comedy Ted Lasso achieving global audience reach. London's West End represents one of the premier commercial theatre districts in the world alongside New York's Broadway, where Hamilton became a landmark theatrical production.
Shot entirely on 16 millimetre film, the production secured support from leading film industry technical companies including Kodak and Harbor. The production brought together creative talent and crew members from the Dominican Republic and several other countries.
Cinematic shooting on 16mm film provides a distinct visual texture traditionally associated with classic independent filmmaking. Eastman Kodak remains one of the world's most historic manufacturers of motion picture film stock, while Harbor Picture Company provides specialized post-production, color grading and sound services for major feature films in London, New York and Los Angeles.
Musical heritage project completed
In addition to Alive in Their Garden, Peanuts Entertainment has completed its first full production, titled The Peanut Vendors, which revisits the legacy of the iconic Cuban song El Manisero.
The completed project features narration by three-time Olivier Award winner Alex Jennings, vocals by Grammy-nominated artist Christine Allado, and a new musical arrangement by Marcin Mazurek, composer of the BAFTA-winning short film Rock, Paper, Scissors.
El Manisero, translated in English as The Peanut Vendor, was composed by Cuban musician Moises Simons in the late 1920s. It became one of the most famous Cuban songs in music history, selling millions of recordings worldwide and launching a global boom in Latin rhythms and rumba during the 1930s.
The Laurence Olivier Awards, organized by the Society of London Theatre, represent the highest honor in British theatre, where veteran stage actor Alex Jennings has won three individual awards. The Grammy Awards honor international recording achievements, while BAFTA awards celebrate excellence in British and international screen arts.
From its London base, the new production company begins an ambitious phase for Franco, placing his Dominican roots and the cultural richness of the Caribbean at the center of an enterprise designed for global audiences.
