Picture Credit: Netflix
Following the massive global success and critical acclaim of J.A. Bayona’s Society of the Snow (La sociedad de la nieve), Netflix is heading back to the Andes.
Today, Netflix announced Beyond the Society (Más allá de la sociedad), a brand-new three-part documentary series created by J.A. Bayona and Carlos Torres. Set to release globally on Netflix in 2026, the docuseries will explore the devastating aftermath of Uruguayan Flight 571 and the 50 years that followed the tragedy. It’s not to be confused with the behind-the-scenes documentary, which was already released alongside the main movie back in 2024.
To date, Society of the Snow remains one of Netflix’s biggest Spanish-language films in its history and the third-biggest non-English film overall, behind Troll and Under Paris. It picked up 98.5M viewing hours in its first 91 days on Netflix and ultimately spent 12 weeks in the weekly global top 10s. Netflix remained in business with J.A. Boyona having recently released She Walks in Darkness, on which he served as a producer.
To date, it remains one of our highest-reviewed films on the website. In our 4.5 star review, we said, “J.A. Bayona’s script & direction, combined with incredible crafts & score, bring new life to a well-documented tragedy.”
Here is everything we know about the upcoming documentary series.
What is Beyond the Society about?
The story of Flight 571 didn’t end the day the 16 survivors were rescued from the harsh Andes mountains. As the official logline notes, for the survivors and the families of those who did not return, the hardest part was just beginning.
While a heavy silence settled among the protagonists, the rest of the world scrambled to understand what happened through books, documentaries, and feature films. Beyond the Society asks the lingering question: How do you rebuild a life after a tragedy like this?
Directed by Carlos Torres, the intense three-part series will feature unprecedented testimonies from the survivors and the relatives of the deceased. It will also bring together the creative minds who have helped adapt this harrowing story of survival over the decades, including:
- Piers Paul Read, author of the 1974 book Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors
- Pablo Vierci, author of the 2009 book Society of the Snow
- Frank Marshall, director of the 1993 feature film Alive
- J.A. Bayona, director of the 2023 feature film Society of the Snow
Returning to the Valley of Tears
Perhaps the most poignant aspect of the new docuseries is a literal return to the crash site. Bayona and a large portion of the cast from Society of the Snow traveled back to the Valley of Tears in the Andes, creating a unique encounter between reality and fiction.
In a press release provided to What’s on Netflix, creator J.A. Bayona explained the emotional origins of the project:
“The idea for Beyond the Society came about when we decided to travel to the Valley of Tears with the cast of the film. None of the actors had been there, and we felt it was the best way to close a very important chapter of our lives and to thank those who trusted us to tell their story. There, we realized the extent to which the true story and the people who lived the tragedy were already intimately interwoven with those of us who had created the fiction.”
Netflix also dropped a first look at the docuseries today, showcasing stunning behind-the-scenes images of the production. The stills reveal the crew and cast trekking across the vast, snow-covered expanse of the Andes, J.A. Bayona directing on location in the freezing elements, and a deeply emotional, quiet moment at the makeshift memorial cross dedicated to the victims of the crash.
Beyond the Society is produced by Belén Atienza, Sandra Hermida, and J.A. Bayona.
Are you looking forward to diving deeper into the true story behind Society of the Snow? Let us know in the comments below and here’s three new behind-the-scenes stills release today alongside the announcement:
Picture Courtesy of Netflix Spain
Picture Courtesy of Netflix Spain
Picture Courtesy of Netflix Spain
