Marina de Tavira to Star in Spanish-Language Crime Drama Series “Kolonie”

Marina de Tavira is heading to the scene of the crime…

The 46-year-old Mexican actress, who earned an Academy Award nomination for her work in Alfonso Cuaron’s Netflix Spanish-language film Roma, will star in the Spanish-language crime drama series Kolonie.

Marina de Tavira

The project is in development between Narcos producer Gaumont and Redrum, which has worked on series including Narcos: Mexico and Amazon’s international drug thriller Zerozerozero.

Written by Carlos Rincones, who wrote on Netflix’s Mexican drama Tijuana, the series centers around an emotionally complex seasoned special agent, Adriana, played by de Tavira, who is tasked with investigating the brutal murder of a Mennonite boy in rural Chihuaua, Mexico. Once there, she partners with a rookie local policeman who recently abandoned the Mennonite community to join the police force. As they inch closer to solving the crime, they slowly uncover the justice they pursue is mired in a dark web of corruption and mysticism that extends beyond anything they could have ever imagined.

The series will be shot in Mexico with Redrum’s Stacy Perskie executive producing and Christian Gabela serving as head creative executive.

“Led by Gaumont’s Christian Gabela and his team, we are proud to develop Kolonie with our valued partner, Redrum, and are honored to have Marina de Tavira, one of the most talented actresses of today, star in the series,” said Nicolas Atlan, President, Gaumont U.S. “At Gaumont we take pride in producing important, local stories that resonate on a global scale, and we can’t wait to bring this riveting story to life.”

Perskie added, “We feel the Mennonite communities in Northern Mexico are a fascinating and unexplored part of our culture and telling a great story with a powerful female lead in that world is something that we are very excited about. We feel very lucky about having Marina de Tavira, one of the most emblematic Mexican actresses of our time, play that role and spearhead this project, which will shed light upon one of Mexico’s hidden corners.”

de Tavira earned a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nod for playing Sofia in Roma and is also set to star in Lisa Joy’s Reminiscence alongside Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson and Thandie Newton.

 

Netflix Renews José María Yazpik’s Drug-Trafficking Drama “Narcos: Mexico,” Without Star Diego Luna

There’s more narcos action in José María Yazpik, but it won’t include Diego Luna

Netflix has ordered a third season of the 49-year-old Mexican actor’s drug-trafficking drama series Narcos: Mexico. However, the show will come back without its lead Diego Luna, who portrayed drug cartel leader Félix Gallardo.

José María Yazpik,

Season 2 ended with Luna’s Gallardo sentenced to prison for his drug trafficking crimes and there had been much speculation he wouldn’t return if the series was renewed for a third season. Luna is set to reprise his Cassian Andor character in Disney+’s Star Wars spinoff series Rogue One, which is currently in pre-production.

Series co-creator Carlo Bernard will be taking over day-to-day showrunning duties from Eric Newman, who is stepping back after five seasons. Newman will continue to executive produce the series alongside Bernard, Jose Padilha, Sidonie Dumas, Christophe Riandee, Nicolas Atlan, Doug Miro and Andrés Baiz.

Wagner Moura, who starred as Pablo Escobar during the first two seasons of Narcos, also will return to the series, directing two episodes in the new season.

“I am grateful for my five years at the helm of Narcos and Narcos: Mexico and am immensely proud of what this spectacular team has achieved with these shows,” said Newman. “Carlo Bernard is the first person I ever spoke to about this project, over ten years ago, and I am extremely pleased to leave the steering of Season 3 of Narcos: Mexico in his very capable hands.”

Set in the 90s, when the globalization of the drug business ignites, Season 3 examines the war that breaks out after Felix’s empire splinters. As newly independent cartels struggle to survive political upheaval and escalating violence, a new generation of Mexican kingpins emerge. But in this war, truth is the first casualty – and every arrest, murder and take-down only pushes real victory further away.

In addition to Yazpik, returning cast members for season three include Scoot McNairy, Alberto Ammann, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Hermosillo, Matt Letscher, Manuel Masalva, Alejandro Edda and Gorka Lasaosa.

In addition to Moura, Andrés Baiz, Alejandra Marquez, Luis Ortega, Amat Escalante will direct on Season 3.

Season 2, which premiered in February, is currently streaming on Netflix.

Narcos: Mexico is produced by Gaumont for Netflix.