Caracol, TV ON Partner on Thriller ‘Past Waters’

Portugal’s Caracol Studios and Spain’s TV ON Producciones are joining forces to co-produce crime drama project “Águas Passadas” (“Past Waters”), created by Bruno Gascon and based on a bestselling novel by Portuguese writer and screenwriter João Tordo.

The project will be pitched Wednesday Oct. 1 at Iberseries & Platino Industria’s Co-Production and Financing Forum in Madrid.

The eight-part thriller centers on Lisbon detective Pilar Benamor, who investigates the murders of two teenagers while battling her own traumas. With the help of a Spanish hermit, Cícero Guzmán, she defies orders to pursue a psychopath across rain-soaked Lisbon.  

Portuguese actress Helena Caldeira (“Turn of the Tide”) leads the cast. Gascon will direct from a script co-written with Tordo and Spain’s María Mínguez (“Custodia compartida”).

Set to shoot in 2026 across Spain’s Valencia and Portugal’s Cascais and Lisbon, the project has secured support from Portuguese pubcaster RTP, Pic Portugal cash rebates and Spain’s Instituto Valenciano de Cultura. 

“Past Waters” project was first introduced at Conecta Fiction 2024 and later selected for Serielizados’ Mind the Gap, building industry momentum ahead of Iberseries.

“We’re thrilled to bring ‘Past Waters’ to the screen with RTP and TV ON, especially with talents like João Tordo, Bruno Gascon and María Mínguez on board,” said Joana Domingues, a producer at Caracol Studios.

“Based on Tordo’s bestselling novel, this gripping thriller features complex characters and a story with global appeal, uniting top talent from Portugal and Spain.”

The series’ long-term potential is underlined by Paloma Mora, CEO of TV ON:  “This first season adapts the opening novel of João Tordo’s trilogy, with the possibility of continuing with future installments. Presenting the series at Iberseries is a great opportunity to complete financing and position the project internationally.”

Gascon, known for Portuguese features such as “Carga” and “Sombra” and series “Irreversíbel,” described “Past Waters” as more than a procedural, calling it “a psychological thriller that blends crime investigation with a portrait of resilience and strength in the face of darkness.”

Tordo’s growing credits also include RTP dramas “O Segredo de Miguel Zuzarte,” “Filhos do Rock” and “País Irmão,” as well as Netflix Portugal’s breakout “Turn of the Tide,” aka “Rabo de Peixe.”