Dolores Heredia to Star on Season Two of Lionsgate+’s “Señorita 89”

Dolores Heredia has landed a (god)mother of a role…

The 56-year-old Mexican actress has been added to the cast of Lionsgate+’s Señorita 89, which has been renewed for a second season.

Dolores Heredia Heredia will be joined by Yoshira Escárrega as a series regular on the new season, with production kicking off on October 17 in Mexico City.

Heredia will portray La Madrina, mother of the cartels, who sees power and influence in Jocelyn (Leidi Gutiérrez), and Yoshira Escárrega as Maribel Montaño, who is known as La Santa because the night they found her with her victim’s eyes in her hands, they say the dead man could still see.

In the first season of Señorita 89, Isabel (Natasha Dupeyrón) was crowned; Dolores died (Bárbara López); Elena (Ximena Romo) went into exile and Concepción’s (Ilse Salas) La Encantada empire fell apart.

When Season 2 premieres, the ‘90s are in full swing and the two main TV networks in Mexico find themselves in a war to impose the next queen. While Miss Yucatan (Dupeyrón) tries to keep the crown atop her head, unbeknown to most, there’s a revolution brewing in the depths of the country where there’s a new queen looking to shake things up and change the rules of the game.

In addition to Salas, Romo, Dupeyrón, and Gutiérrez, returning cast members include Juan Manuel BernalLuis Ernesto FrancoEdwarda GurrolaCoty CamachoJuan Carlos Vives, and Aida López.

“After the incredible reception of the first season, both in Mexico and the rest of the world, it was an immense joy to receive the confirmation that there would be a second season,” said Lucia Puenzo, showrunner and writer of the series. “In the second season, our protagonists have understood that nothing is achieved by asking for forgiveness or permission. They are ready to set fire to all limits, borders, privileges… and break once and for, all the stereotypes that say that only princesses have the right to exist.”

Season 1 of the Lionsgate+ Original Series became the top-performing series ever on the service in Mexico – with viewership increasing more than 243% from the premiere episode to the finale, according to the streamer.

Señorita 89 pulled back the curtain on some of the truths and challenges women faced in the ’80s, and we saw viewers wanting more week-over-week,” said Jeff Cooke, Senior Vice President, Programming, International Digital Networks for Starz. “We are thrilled to team up again with Lucia Puenzo and Fabula, to continue the impactful storytelling and its relevancy in today’s modern world that reinforces our commitment to co-producing local and culturally relevant content.”

This eight-episode second season is executive produced by Pablo Larraín, Juan de Dios Larraín, Ángela Poblete, and Mariane Hartard from Fabula and Christian Vesper at Fremantle; written by Lucía Puenzo, who is also a director, María Renée Prudencio and Tatiana Mereñuk; and directed by Nicolás Puenzo, Sílvia Quer and Jimena Montemayor.

Fremantle will handle the International distribution of the series.

Alcon Television Acquires Rights to Diego Gutierrez’s Lucha Libre-Inspired Action Drama “Luchador”

Diego Gutierrez is wrestling with a new project…  

Alcon Television Group has acquired the rights to the Latino editor, writer and director’s Mexican wrestling drama Luchador.

Diego Gutierrez

Written by Gutierrez, thecharacter-driven action drama centers on a fictional, Lucha Libre-inspired city run by colorful gangs of Mexican wrestlers at the brink of tyranny, and the unlikely young wrestler who becomes its champion and savior, both in and out of the ring.

Lucha Libre

Gutierrez will serve as the executive producer alongside Alcon Television Group’s Andrew KosoveBroderick Johnson and Ben Roberts

Roberts brought the project into Alcon, which will take the project to market later this year.

“We are thrilled to work with Diego in this exciting world he has envisioned for these rich characters,” said Kosove and Johnson. “Creatively we see this as ripe ground for many types of stories in many different mediums.”

Gutierrez is best known as the creator and executive producer of the popular Spanish-language Netflix series Monarca starring Irene Azuela and Juan Manuel Bernal

His previous credits include working as a writer and executive producer on From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series, as well as Syfy Network’s Warehouse 13 and Paramount Network’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Netflix Orders Salma Hayek-Produced Original Drama Series “Monarca”

Salma Hayek is on Flix

Netflix has ordered Monarca, an original drama series from Mexico produced by the 51-year-old Mexican actress/producer’s Ventanarosa Productions, Lemon Studios and Michael McDonald’s Stearns Castle.

Salma Hayek

Irene Azuela and Juan Manuel Bernal are attached to star, and production is scheduled to begin in the fall for a 2019 global premiere.

Created by Diego Gutierrez, who also serves as showrunner, and written by Lemon Studios’ Fernando Rovzar, Julia Denis, Ana Sofia Clerici and Sandra García VeltenMonarca will follow the world of wealthy Mexican elites riddled by corruption, scandal and violence. Set in the powerful world of Mexican billionaires, Monarca is a high stakes, multi-generational family saga about a tequila-born Mexican business empire, and the battle that ensues when a member of the family decides to fight the dirty system her family helped create.

“I’m extremely excited to partner with Netflix, and to be working with amazing Mexican talent in front of and behind the camera. We are proud to show Mexico as a vibrant, sophisticated and culturally rich nation, fighting to control its own destiny,” said Hayek.

“Mexico is a top priority for us in which to continue to develop series,” said Erik Barmack, VP International Originals, “and we look forward to bringing the best originals to the world through partnerships with key players such as Ventanarosa and Lemon Studios.”

Added Gutierrez: “This is the definition of a passion project for me. Having been born and raised in Mexico, I’m humbled to have the opportunity to tell this story with Netflix and the incredibly talented team of people we’re assembling, both in the U.S. and Mexico.”

Ventanarosa produced Frida, which earned Hayek nominations for an Oscar, Golden Globe, SAG and BAFTA. Its other titles include Emmy and Golden Globe winner Ugly Betty, animated film Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, The Maldonado MiracleEl coronel no tiene quien le escriba and In the Time of the Butterflies.