The Andes Called Them Back: Netflix’s Emotional Sequel To A True Survival Story

Some stories don’t end when the credits roll — they just wait for someone brave enough to revisit them.

Netflix has announced “Beyond the Society” (“Más allá de la sociedad”), a brand-new three-part documentary series revisiting the true story behind director J.A. Bayona’s acclaimed film “Society of the Snow.” Created by Bayona and Carlos Torres, the series will explore the 50 years following the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, set to release globally on Netflix sometime in 2026.

Picking Up Where Netflix Film Left Off

The 2023 film told the story of the 16 survivors rescued from the Andes mountains after their plane crashed in 1972. But as the official logline for the new docuseries puts it, the hardest part for survivors and grieving families began only after the rescue. “Beyond the Society” asks a harder question than the original film did: how do you rebuild a life after surviving something the world can’t stop retelling?

Directed by Carlos Torres, the series will feature previously unheard testimonies from survivors and relatives of those who didn’t make it home. It also brings together the key storytellers who’ve shaped this story across decades — author Piers Paul Read, who wrote the original 1974 book “Alive”; Pablo Vierci, author of “Society of the Snow”; Frank Marshall, director of the 1993 film “Alive”; and Bayona himself.

Why This Project Hits Differently?

What sets “Beyond the Society” apart is a literal act of return. Bayona and much of the film’s cast traveled back to the Valley of Tears in the Andes — a trip none of the actors had taken before filming. Bayona described the origin of the project as an attempt to close an important chapter and thank the real survivors who trusted the team with their story, adding that the journey revealed how deeply intertwined the true story had become with the fictional retelling.

Newly released stills show the crew trekking across snow-covered terrain, Bayona directing in freezing conditions, and a quiet moment at the memorial cross honoring the victims.

“Society of the Snow” remains one of Netflix’s biggest non-English-language successes, racking up 98.5 million viewing hours in its first 91 days and spending 12 weeks in the platform’s global weekly top 10.

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