Dynamo: The Colombian Production Giant Behind Global Streaming Hits

Bogotá: Over the past decade, Latin American stories have gained global recognition, with streaming platforms investing heavily in regional content. One company at the heart of this success is Dynamo, a Bogotá-based production house responsible for some of the biggest hits on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video.

From the crime saga "Narcos" to the ambitious adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez’s "One Hundred Years of Solitude", Dynamo has positioned itself as a leader in high-quality storytelling. According to Parrot Analytics, Dynamo’s productions have generated more than $600 million for Netflix and over $20 million for Amazon Prime Video in the last four years.

A Legacy of Blockbuster Productions

Dynamo was founded in 2006 by Andrés Calderón and Diego Ramírez Schrempp, who approached film production with a unique business mindset. Instead of securing funding on a project-by-project basis, the company established a private-equity fund, attracting investments from pension funds and private financiers. This strategy allowed Dynamo to consistently produce high-quality content while benefiting from Colombia’s 2003 film subsidy law.

To date, Dynamo has produced 49 feature films and 26 television series, with projects filmed in Colombia, Mexico, and Spain. Some of its most notable Spanish-language titles include:

• "Narcos" (2015-2017) – A gripping drama chronicling the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, shot on location in Colombia.
• "One Hundred Years of Solitude" (2024) – Netflix’s most expensive Latin American production to date, bringing Márquez’s legendary novel to life.
• "Distrito Salvaje" ("Wild District", 2018-2019) – A political thriller about corruption in Bogotá.
• "Frontera Verde" ("Green Frontier", 2019) – A crime mystery set deep in the Amazon rainforest.
• "El Robo del Siglo" ("The Great Heist", 2020) – A true-crime series about Colombia’s infamous 1994 central bank robbery.

A Growing Demand for Latin American Content

With streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+ expanding their global footprint, there has been a surge in demand for regional content. Latin American production houses like Dynamo have benefited from this trend, with Spanish-language programming doubling in popularity over the past four years.

Streaming services now prioritize diverse, authentic storytelling that resonates with international audiences. Francisco Ramos, Netflix’s Vice President for Latin America, credits the success of "Narcos" with proving that high-quality television can come from outside the United States and Europe.

What’s Next for Dynamo?

While 2025 marks a shift in the streaming industry—with platforms focusing on cost-cutting and established franchises—Dynamo remains committed to large-scale productions. Its budget peaked at $80 million in 2022, and despite industry-wide cost reductions, the company continues to thrive due to lower production costs in Colombia compared to Hollywood.

With the second season of "One Hundred Years of Solitude" in development and several unannounced projects in the pipeline, Dynamo aims to create television on the scale of major Hollywood franchises. According to Andrés Calderón, the company is “ready to do a ‘Game of Thrones’-level production.”

As streaming giants look for fresh, high-quality content, Dynamo is set to remain at the forefront of Latin American storytelling, bringing powerful narratives from the region to a global audience.