Picture Credit: Netflix / Getty Images
We chat with Bambú Producciones’ longtime executive Gema R. Neira on the summertime show Oasis, where young guests and employees find themselves caught in a web of lies and mysteries as they vacation in the most exclusive and upscale resort in the country.
The Oasis is an establishment for very rich families enjoying state-of-the-art amenities and a wide choice of outdoor activities. A place of respite, but also to mingle, put on memorable parties, and, for the luckiest, collect one-night stands and affairs that will only last a few moments… But that summer is not business as usual and will become memorable for the group of characters when one employee, Celia, is reported missing… We reached out to Gema R. Neira, one of the executive producers, to ask how that summertime cocktail was made, as it hits Netflix globally this Friday.
This interview has been slightly edited and condensed for clarity.
Your production company has long been in business with Netflix through various successful shows, including Cable Girls, which featured large-scale sets. As I understand, Oasis was shot in Tenerife on location. The fictional establishment is depicted like a maze, with never-ending corridors and amenities. Did you use an actual resort on location, complemented by additional work in studios, or was it all a single location? And how challenging was it to try to fully immerse the viewer in a next-level exclusive location?
The resort and its location were two of the most important things for the identity of the series, both to represent the luxury it promises and to play off the isolation of that supposedly idyllic place for the thriller story. For that, we considered many different locations in Spain and ended up choosing Tenerife. This island features spectacular scenery, many months of good weather, and that mix of resort, beach, and sea that was needed. Later, as is usually the case, part of the hotel interiors were filmed on a set.
Were actual hotel designers and upscale hotel executives consulted during preproduction in order to enhance the look of the show and its authenticity on screen?
We have an art team with a lot of experience, both in the hotel industry and in the audiovisual sector. They also have carried out extensive documentation work [for the show].
Oasis is both a mystery thriller and a sexy teen drama/romance show; was it scratching a particular creative itch for the creators of the show and yourself? What led to the development of this particular show?
Ramón Campos, the producer and one of the creators of Oasis, wished to make a series that his teenage daughters could watch. To that idea, we added elements that define us as a production company, like the mystery stories we have been writing and producing for many years. Oasis was born from the meeting of these two elements.
Ana Garcés, one of the main actresses of the show. (Cr : Manuel Fernandez Valdes/Netflix)
The show stars Ana Garcés, who is better known for one of the lead roles of the daily show La Promesa, which Bambú also produces. Was it your pre-existing relationship that led you to consider her for the role of Helena? And what qualities does she have as an actress that were perfect for the role of Helena?
Of course, the experience with Ana in La Promesa had been incredible; we discovered in her an actress with a lot of talent and also someone who is a delight to work with. When another opportunity presented itself, we didn’t hesitate for a second, and it seemed to us that Oasis, and especially Helena, completely took her out of the character she had previously played with us, which was also very rewarding for her.
One would expect Oasis to follow the affairs and stories of the guests, and it does to a degree, but quickly the sympathies of the audience turn to the overworked younger employees, including Celia, Jaén, and Helena, who are shown to form a tight bond at the start of the show. Furthermore, some characters are surprised that Dani would try to join them as opposed to Maca, Pablo, and her friends. Was there a conscious effort from the creative team to switch the point of view to these characters? Why did you choose to put the spotlight on them?
Totally. We found the concept of being surrounded by luxury but not actually taking part in it interesting. At first, anyone would want to live a vacation like the guests, but most viewers, like us, are workers who dream of something like that. The nice thing is that throughout the series you also discover that this world of luxury is full of lies, secrets, and relationships that are much less genuine than those of Helena, Jaén, Celia, or Dani… who, in the end, is the character caught in the middle of it all, seeing the good and bad of each world.
OASIS. Manel Duarte as Pablo, Berta Castañé as Maca, Amanda Palomino as Leo in episode 01 of OASIS. Cr. Manuel Fernandez Valdes/Netflix © 2025
Paco Tous, from Money Heist, appears as one of the inspectors called on to investigate the disappearance of Celia. How did he come on the show, and was the part written with him in mind?
It’s very rare to know which actors are going to play the roles you write; at the start of the project, we didn’t have any names in mind, but obviously, having the tremendous luck of casting Paco, the character gained another dimension, and we were able to adapt the script and the story to him.
Are there more Netflix projects from your production company that you are currently excited about and would like to highlight?
We’re focused right now on the premiere of Oasis, but are also in the middle of shooting a true crime [project] about the story of Marta del Castillo [a student based in Seville whose 1999 disappearance triggered a national search and media headlines].
