David Zepeda has already been setting hearts aflutter in telenovelas like “’Sortilegio” and “Soy tu dueña”… But now he’s preparing to steal hearts in his biggest role yet.

The Mexican actor will star in the remake of the classic telenovela  “Cañaveral de Pasiones,” which originally aired on Televisa in 1996.

“When I arrived at Televisa, I always dreamed of starring in a telenovala at nine o’clock at night. It was my goal,” professes the 37-year-old telenovela star. “Thanks to God and the people who have believed in me, I don’t plan to disappoint anyone!”

The original oh-so-1990s version of “Cañaveral de Pasiones,” which translates to “sugar cane plantation of passions,” starred Daniela Castro and Juan Soler. Even though Zepeda has only seen the first episodes of the popular telenovela, he’s confident the remake will captivate viewers.

“For the new version we’ll bring the story up-to-date and new situations that people will appreciate,” exclaims Zepeda about the production, which will co-star Angelique Boyer and Mark Tacher. “It’s a great story complete with passion and debauchery. We [the characters] are all intertwined and fighting for our personal objectives. For some its love, for others it’s passion and revenge.”

Production on the telenovela is scheduled to start next week in and around Mérida—in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula—with “Cañaveral de Pasiones” premiering in January.