Cannes – Venevision International, a global entertainment company of the Cisneros Group of Companies, has signed a deal with Ben Silverman’s multimedia entertainment studio Electus, an operating business of IAC, for the national and international commercialisation of the English-language formats of the dramatic series The Black Widow, Millionaire Maid and Country of Women.

Electus’ founder Ben Silverman, who has Executive Produced successful adaptations of Ugly Betty from the Colombian telenovela Betty La Fea, amongst a host of other noteworthy international formats, will adapt and Executive Produce “The Black Widow,” “Millionaire Maid” and “Country of Women” for English-language consumption in the U.S. and around the world. 

Venevision International will maintain distribution rights for Latin America, while Electus will handle all other markets, with the exception of Millionaire Maid in China where the format has already been sold.  The deal was brokered by Eli Shibley, Vice President of International Media and Formats for Electus and Miguel Somoza, Sales Director, Venevision International.

The Black Widow, written by Martin Hahn, is a thrilling story of a beautiful young woman who is disgraced and humiliated when she is banished from a beauty pageant after it’s discovered that she had mothered a child.  She then marries a very rich, famous, older man, who mysteriously passes away, as do her next two millionaire husbands.  

Millionaire Maid, written by Doris Segui is the story of a good-hearted, passionately loyal maid who spends her adult life at the beck and call of a wealthy family, until the day her employers die in an accident and she is declared the sole beneficiary of their estate. 

Country of Women, written by Leonardo Padron, is the story of Arcadia Gomez and her five nieces Mariana, Miranda, Pamela, Julia and Chiqui – modern, independent young women – who have all been betrayed by men, and subsequently declare war on the shameless, men who broke their hearts.