Netflix to adapt ‘Las Muertas’ & ‘Celda 211’ as streamer expands Mexican scripted slate

Negociando Con Mi Mujer

Netflix is expanding its slate of Mexican originals with five new series and four films entering production.

Among the series is an adaptation of the Jorge Ibargüengoitia novel Las Muertas, which tells the story of the Baladro sisters, inspired by the Mexican serial killers known as Las Poquianchis. Luis Estrada will adapt the novel for Netflix and direct the series, which will be produced by Mezcala Films.

Gringo Hunters will be centered on an elite Mexican police unit that catches fugitives on the run to Mexico. The story is based on an article published by The Washington Post, written by Kevin Sieff, and will be filmed in Tijuana and Mexico City. The series will be produced by Woo Films and Redrum in co-production with Imagine Entertainment, and in association with The Washington Post.

Meanwhile, Nadie Nos Vio Partir is a limited series based on the novel of the same name by Tamara Trottner. It tells the intense pursuit of a mother to rescue her children, who were kidnapped by her vengeful husband. Her mission is just the beginning of the confrontation between two of the most powerful families in the Jewish community in the 1960s.

María Camila Arias and Big Drama will lead the adaptation, which is being produced by Alebrije Producciones and Península Films.

Celda 211 (working title) is a limited series inspired by the novel of the same name by Francisco Pérez Gandul and by the events that took place at the Adult Social Reinsertion Center #3 in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, on 31 December 2022. The six-episode series, which stars Diego Calva and Noé Hernández, will be directed by Jaime Reynoso and Gerardo Naranjo, and produced by Woo Films.

Produced by Mar Abierto, Las Hermanas Guerra follows sisters Perla and Antonia, whose intense rivalry is marked by betrayal, followed by cruel manipulation. The series is created and written by José Ignacio “Chascas” Valenzuela, and directed by Carlos Villegas and Iker Dupeyron.

Delincuentes

Netflix’s “commitment” to Mexico

On the film front, Rodrigo Garcia’s Las Locuras will explore, through a series of stories surrounding one intense day, how people are pushed to the limits and rebel against confinement, self-censorship and family pressure. It is produced by Global Panorama.

Meanwhile, The Biggest Fan (working title) is a comedy directed by María Torres, telling the story of Lana Cruz, an actress who, after being cancelled from Hollywood, returns to Mexico to act in a film and show everybody that she can still be a big star. What she doesn’t imagine is that she will meet Polly, her biggest fan and her worst nightmare. Lana will have to do everything in her power to keep Polly from ending her career and her patience. Kate del Castillo stars, while Gaumont and Pasajero will produce.

Delincuentes is directed by Humberto Hinojosa and tells the story of a group of privileged young people who take advantage of their elite social status to commit crimes. Tigre and BH5 produce.

Negociando Con Mi Mujer (working title) is an action comedy, directed by Juan Taratuto, about Alan Binder, a brilliant hostage negotiator who will face the most important case of his career: the kidnapping of the President and his mistress. Starring Mauricio Ochmann, Tato Alexander and Leonardo Ortizgriz. Produced by Tiger House and Sin Sentido Films.

“We want to begin 2024 by reaffirming our commitment to show the true Mexico on Netflix,” said Francisco Ramos, Netflix’s VP of Latin American content. “This diverse and complex Mexico — immensely rich, sometimes contradictory, and full of possibilities — is what inspires us, motivates us and keeps us always on the lookout for the best stories, so that our series and films are even more ambitious and accurate.

“These projects confirm our commitment to the Mexican audiovisual industry, to entertainment made in Mexico, and to the construction of our cultural story.”