New Regency is positioning itself as a global home for premium international storytelling, with this acquisition signaling their commitment to bringing Europe's most ambitious projects to worldwide audiences.
Sources close to 3Cat say the Catalan broadcaster has been fielding multiple offers for 'Genesis' but ultimately chose New Regency because of their track record with auteur-driven material and willingness to let creative teams maintain vision integrity.
The series is titled 'Genesis' (styled as 'Gènesi') in its original Catalan. It will premiere its first two episodes at the San Sebastián Film Festival's Other Activities programming on September 18, 2026. New Regency secured all international rights outside Spain.
This deal proves that prestige food content isn't just for Netflix anymore—New Regency is playing the long game with culinary royalty, and Ferran Adrià's story has more drama than most fictional narratives could ever contain.
New Regency Enterprises has acquired international distribution rights to 'Genesis' ('Gènesi'), a six-part dramatic series chronicling the life and legacy of legendary Spanish chef Ferran Adrià, the culinary genius behind the revolutionary El Bulli restaurant. The announcement comes as 3Cat, the Catalan public broadcaster backing the project, prepares to debut the first two episodes at this year's San Sebastián Film Festival. The deal marks a significant vote of confidence from one of Hollywood's most established production and distribution companies in an international project that insiders describe as far more than standard food television.
Sources familiar with the production say 'Genesis' aims to explore not just Adrià's innovations in molecular gastronomy but also the personal toll of his obsessive pursuit of perfection—a narrative arc that promises plenty of emotional turbulence for viewers who think cooking shows are all competition and no consequence. Adrià closed El Bulli in 2011 after years of transforming it into what many consider the world's most influential restaurant, pioneering techniques that redefined fine dining globally.
The chef has maintained a complicated relationship with his own celebrity since then, founding the elBulli Foundation to preserve and continue his culinary research. A drama series examining this iconoclastic figure offers fertile territory for exploring themes of artistic obsession, commercial pressure, and what happens when you achieve everything yet still feel incomplete. San Sebastián's Other Activities section has become an increasingly important launching pad for European television projects seeking international attention.
By premiering 'Genesis' there in September, 3Cat and New Regency are signaling their ambition to position the series as serious dramatic programming rather than mere lifestyle content—a strategic move that could pay dividends during awards season if critical reception supports the ambition. New Regency's involvement brings substantial distribution muscle to a project that might otherwise have remained primarily a Spanish-language affair. The company's portfolio includes high-profile theatrical releases and television productions, giving 'Genesis' reach well beyond what 3Cat could achieve independently.
For Adrià fans who have waited years for a comprehensive on-screen treatment of his story, this partnership suggests the wait may finally be worth it—assuming the execution matches the pedigree. The series arrives at an interesting moment in prestige food media, with audiences increasingly hungry (pun intended) for substantive storytelling about the people behind their favorite cuisines. Whether 'Genesis' can satisfy that appetite remains to be seen when episodes hit screens following the San Sebastián premiere, but New Regency clearly believes the chef's story transcends borders and languages.
