Antonio Banderas: 'I want to produce traditional theatre that is not as expensive as a musical'

With the final fanfare of the last performance of Gypsy at the Caixabank Soho Theatre still ringing out, its director and producer, Antonio Banderas, took stock of the musical and revealed his projects for 2025. He did this on Thursday at an event held to seal an "alliance" with the San Miguel-Mahou beer group to sponsor both his cultural and gastronomic projects in Malaga.

As Gypsy prepares to move from Malaga to Madrid, Banderas' year sees two imminent premieres of very different films - the sexual thriller Baby Girl and the comedy for all audiences Paddington in Peru, as well as a couple more film projects and further promotion of the drama school Sohrlin Andalucía, as well as "going one step further in Soho" and staging other types of productions. "I want to produce traditional theatre that is not as expensive as a musical," said the actor.

The actor spoke of the upcoming film shoots he has on the table. "I'll leave Malaga to make one or maybe two films," announced Banderas, who has not revealed the titles of the projects for this year, but he did say that he considered an offer to return to the stage in New York, which he finally said no to.

"There was a possibility that I rejected because it didn't fit in the end and you have to be very sure about Broadway," said the actor, who previously triumphed with the musical Nine on New York stages. His time there, as he has said, left its mark since, as he explained, his model of the Soho Theatre as a "private non-profit" company is precisely inspired by the 46th Street Theatre and The Public Theatre in New York.

The actor has made no secret of the fact that theatre is what occupies him most, which is why he is currently thinking about new projects. "I have bought some rights and the most immediate thing is to open Soho to traditional theatre," revealed the director, producer and performer, who wants to go for "smaller" productions as opposed to the musicals that have already become a trademark of the house, creating an authentic 'Sohoway' in Malaga's Calle Córdoba.

Antonio Banderas has even mentioned some projects he already has in mind, such as a version of Uncle Vanya or a play by Luigi Pirandello. "There are a lot of things out there that we want to get moving now and take a step further with Soho," he said.

Speaking of the final week of 'Gypsy' at the Soho Theatre, Banderas said they had enjoyed full houses and star Marta Ribera was almost without a voice due to a respiratory problem in the last performance.

"She was so broken that she recited the last verse, but the audience stood up and clapped for five minutes. It was incredible," recalled the actor and director, who hopes to repeat this success with the audience when the show opens at the Apolo theatre in Madrid on 7 February.

In addition, the actor is back in theatres this Friday 17 with the premiere of his latest film in Hollywood, Baby Girl, a thriller by Halina Reijn with a high erotic charge that won his co-star Nicole Kidman the acting award at the last Venice Film Festival.

"I am a third character in this film, careful, but I am very happy to belong to this type of modern film, strong, daring and controversial at the same time, which offers a reflection on sex, on life as a couple and on the traumas that one carries with one's life," said Banderas, who defended that the film "is going to open up many areas for debate".

On a very different tone, this time family entertainment, Paddington in Peru arrives in Spain on 21 February.

"The film has already grossed more than the previous two in England and has opened very well in Australia and New Zealand," said Banderas, who is delighted with this type of production for all audiences, in which he already has experience with the sagas Spy Kids and Puss in Boots, and the adaptation of SpongeBob SquarePants.

"I've made a lot of films for children, which gives me satisfaction because many times I walk down the street and a 30-year-old guy says to me: 'Man, I grew up with you'," said the actor, who considers himself a "specialist in children's films".

Antonio Banderas, accompanied by his partner Domingo Sánchez, announced his projects at an event held this Thursday at the San Miguel brewery in Malaga. The general manager of the brewing company, Alberto Rodríguez-Toquero, presented the "cultural and gastronomic alliance" with the projects led by the Malaga actor: Sohrlin Andalucía, Teatro del Soho CaixaBank, El Pimpi and Tercer Acto group.

The five-year agreement means that the beer brand will have a daily presence in the school and the productions at the Sohrlin centre, even giving scholarships to its students. In addition, the presence of San Miguel products in the restaurants will be reinforced.

The event was also attended by the mayor of the city, Paco de la Torre, and the minister for economy, finance and European funds at the Andalusian regional government, Carolina España, who congratulated both parties on the agreement. This also includes a collaboration deal between El Pimpi Foundation, Antonio Banderas Theatre Foundation and the Mahou San Miguel Foundation to develop a project with a positive social impact focused on youth employment.

During the visit to the brewery, Antonio Banderas also left his mark on the factory's machinery with his signature and a dedication in which he played with the brand's recent slogan: "Like you, also proud to be from Malaga".