HBO Max Releases First Trailer for “Gordita Chronicles,” Starring Olivia Goncalves

Olivia Goncalves is heading back to the 80s…

HBO Max has released the first trailer for its coming-of-age series Gordita Chronicles, starring the Latina Hollywood newcomer.

Olivia Goncalves

The series, which is about family, opportunity, love, resilience and boldly defying the status quo in pursuit of the “American Dream,” will premiere on Thursday, June 23 on HBO Max.

Here’s the logline for the series from Sony Pictures Television and executive producers Eva Longoria and Zoe Saldana: The year is 1985 and Cucu “Gordita” Castelli (Goncalves) has just said goodbye to all of her friends and family in Santo Domingo. She has moved to Miami with her marketing-executive father Víctor (Juan Javier Cardenas), bold and vivacious mother Adela (Diana Maria Riva) and status-obsessed older sister Emilia (Savannah Nicole Ruiz). While life in America is far from what they imagined — “The song said ‘America the Beautiful,” Cucu says, “I think they oversold it” — the Castellis are determined to take charge of their strange new world. The coming-of-age series is about family, opportunity, love, resilience, and boldly defying the status quo in pursuit of the “American Dream.”

After immigrating from their home in the Dominican Republic, 12-year-old Cucu Castelli (Goncalves) and her eccentric family must discover and define their version of the “American Dream” in 1980s Miami. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Noah Rico, Cosette Hauer and Dascha Polanco also star in the series, whose first episode was directed by Longoria. Patrick Fabian and Loni Love are guest stars.

Showrunner Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz executive produces alongside writer Claudia Forestieri, Longoria, Saldana, Josh Berman, Jennifer Robinson, Chris King, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana.

HBO Max Orders Family Comedy Pilot “Gordita Chronicles,” Starring Olivia Goncalves, to Series

Olivia Goncalves is preparing to Chronicle(s) her latest endeavor…

HBO Max has picked up to series the family comedy pilot Gordita Chronicles, starring the Latina actress and Hollywood newcomer.

Olivia Goncalves

The project hails from Claudia ForestieriJosh Berman’s Osprey ProductionsZoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television

Goncalves leads the comedy, written and executive produced by Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria. Diana Maria Riva and Juan Javier Cardenas also star.

Gordita Chronicles, inspired by Forestieri’s life, centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zoe, Eva, Josh and Sony Pictures Television to bring to life this beautiful coming-of-age story inspired by Claudia’s personal journey,” said Jennifer O’Connell, Executive Vice President, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Programming, HBO Max.

“HBO Max is proud to work with the powerhouse Latinx talent in front of and behind the camera for this series, which we believe will resonate with all families,” added Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max.

Cast also includes Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

“From the minute we heard Claudia’s childhood story, we knew it was not only incredibly funny, but emotionally poignant and an important story to tell,” said Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Cucu and the Castellis remind us of the iconic sitcom families we grew up watching, but none of those ever captured a Dominican family’s experience of coming to America. This show changes all of that, and we are thrilled and grateful to dive back in and make a wonderful series for our friends at HBO Max.”

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.

Diana Maria Riva to Star in HBO Max’s Family Comedy Pilot “The Gordita Chronicles”

Diana Maria Riva is beginning to chronicle

The 51-year-old Dominican American actress has joined the cast of HBO Max’s upcoming family comedy pilot The Gordita Chronicles, from Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television.

Diana Maria Riva

Riva, who recently started in NBC’s short-lived comedy Sunnyside, joins a roster of new cast additions that includes Juan Javier Cardenas, Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

They join newcomer Olivia Goncalveswho will lead the comedy written by Claudia Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria.

The Gordita Chronicles centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Riva will appear as Adela, Cucu’s mom. The actress appeared as Detective Ana Perez in Netflix’Dead to Me. Her additional roles include Man with a PlanKajillionaire, and McFarland, USA.

Cardenas takes on Victor Castelli, Cucu’s dad. He played Dante in The Walking Dead and Ben in S.W.A.T. His credits also include Snowfall, Damnation, Scandal and Lusa.

Ruiz will appear as Emilia, Cucu’s older sister. High School Musical: The Musical actor Noah Rico joins the cast as Yosmel “Yoshy” Hernandez, a Cuban refugee and Cucu’s first friend in Miami.

Lastly, Hauer joins as Ashley, a needy go-getter desperate to fit in, but nevertheless always sticks out.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is co-executive producer. Sony Pictures Television is the studio.