Burbank's Rising Tide Productions Scores Netflix Series Order for 'Valley Dreams'

Rising Tide Productions, the scrappy Burbank-based company that’s been making waves with independent films and digital content, just scored its biggest win yet. Netflix has greenlit “Valley Dreams,” a ten-episode coming-of-age drama series that will bring an estimated $45 million in production spending to the local economy over the next 18 months.

The series, set in the San Fernando Valley during the grunge-soaked mid-1990s, follows a group of teenagers navigating friendship, family dysfunction, and first love against the backdrop of strip malls, record stores, and the lingering aftermath of the Northridge earthquake.

“We’re absolutely over the moon,” said Rising Tide founder and showrunner Maya Gonzalez, speaking from the company’s offices on West Olive Avenue in the Media District. “This story has been gestating for years, and to have Netflix believe in our vision enough to give us this platform—it’s surreal.”

Gonzalez, a Burbank High School graduate who worked her way up from production assistant to executive producer at several major studios before launching Rising Tide in 2019, said the local connection runs deeper than just geography.

“The Valley in the ’90s was this unique cultural moment,” she explained. “You had all these kids whose parents worked at the studios, living in this weird intersection between Hollywood glamour and suburban normalcy. That tension, that weird energy—it’s something I lived through, and it’s something that deserves to be told authentically.”

The Netflix deal represents a major milestone not just for Rising Tide, but for Burbank’s growing reputation as a home for independent production companies looking to break into prestige television. The series will employ approximately 200 local crew members, from gaffers and sound engineers to costume designers and location scouts.

“Burbank has always been the workhorse of the entertainment industry,” said City Councilmember Sharon Springer, who chairs the Economic Development Committee. “But now we’re seeing companies like Rising Tide prove that you don’t need to be on a studio lot in Hollywood to create world-class content. They’re doing it right here in our backyard.”

The timing couldn’t be better for Burbank’s entertainment ecosystem. Recent expansions at Warner Bros. and Disney, combined with the growth of streaming platforms hungry for content, have created unprecedented demand for production services. Local vendors from equipment rental houses to catering companies are already feeling the impact.

“Maya reached out to us months ago about potentially handling craft services for the production,” said Roberto Silva, owner of Magnolia Park Catering. “We’ve worked on plenty of commercials and smaller projects, but this is our first series order. It’s going to be a game-changer for our business.”

Casting for “Valley Dreams” begins next month, with Gonzalez and her team looking for both established actors and fresh faces to populate the ensemble. The series has already attracted attention from several high-profile guest stars, though Netflix and Rising Tide are keeping those details under wraps for now.

“We want to find actors who understand the specific cultural moment we’re depicting,” said casting director Jennifer Park, who previously worked on HBO’s “Euphoria” and FX’s “Dave.” “The ’90s weren’t that long ago, but they were a very different time. We need performers who can tap into that without making it feel like a costume party.”

Production is scheduled to begin in March, with most filming taking place in Burbank and surrounding Valley communities. Several Burbank High School locations are being scouted, along with vintage storefronts in Magnolia Park and industrial locations near the airport.

The series marks Rising Tide’s evolution from a boutique company focused on branded content and short films to a full-fledged television production house. Previous projects include the award-winning documentary “Waiting Tables, Building Dreams” about restaurant workers in the entertainment industry, and the digital series “Studio Adjacent,” which followed young professionals working at Burbank post-production facilities.

“Maya and her team have this incredible ability to find the human stories inside the entertainment industry machine,” said entertainment attorney David Kim, who represented Rising Tide in the Netflix negotiations. “They’re not just making content about Hollywood—they’re making content about the people who make Hollywood work.”

The Netflix deal also includes options for additional seasons and a first-look agreement for future Rising Tide projects. Industry insiders suggest the streaming giant sees potential for “Valley Dreams” to capture the same nostalgic zeitgeist that made shows like “Stranger Things” and “The Goldbergs” breakout hits.

For Gonzalez, the success represents validation of her decision to build her company in Burbank rather than relocate to Los Angeles proper or New York.

“There’s something about being here in the thick of it, but not quite in the center of the circus,” she reflected. “You can walk down Olive Avenue and see the Warner Bros. water tower, but you’re also in a real community with real people living real lives. That perspective—that’s what we’re trying to capture in everything we do.”

The first season of “Valley Dreams” is expected to premiere on Netflix in early 2025. Rising Tide is already in pre-production discussions for their next project, though details remain confidential.

“This is just the beginning,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve got so many more stories to tell, and now we have the platform to tell them properly. Burbank better get ready—we’re just getting started.”