Buena Vista Original Productions Developing New Series About Pancho Villa

Pancho Villa’s life is headed to the small screen…

Disney-owned production company Buena Vista Original Productions has announced a new series inspired by the life of the legendary Mexican revolutionary, entitled Centauro del Norte

Francisco Pancho Villa

A fictionalized version of Villa’s life story, the series will begin with the historical figure, real name Doroteo Arango, as a young bandit during his adolescence in the Mexican pueblo of Durango, and tracks his rise and eventual establishment as the most influential player in the Mexican Revolutionbefore his eventual death, resulting from an ambush.

The 10-hour series, produced with Mexico’s BTF, will film on location across Mexico, in many places made famous through Villa’s exploits.

Looking to shed a light on lesser-known parts of Villa’s life, the series will take a multi-layered look at his historical legacy, his interpersonal contradictions and his life before becoming a revolutionary. Described in a press release as: “cruel, a womanizer, charismatic and ideological,” Villa is reviled by some and revered by many.

Centauro del Nortecontinues the noteworthy commitment shown by Buena Vista to bioseries, or true-life crime series, which has seen Leonardo Aranguibel, now BVOP head of general entertainment productions, spearhead high-profile hits from the ground breaking Hasta que te conocíSelena’s Secret– both produced with Mexico’s BTF Media, founding a partnership now reprised in Centauro del Norte– and the recent Monzón, a smash success in Argentina and winner of the best series Produ Awardat November’s Mip Cancun.

Recently announced Buena Vista Original Productions take in Santa Evita, about the extraordinary power exercised by Eva Perón, even after death, and Mariposas, set in 1950’s Dominican Republic and focusing on political activist Arantxa Garmendia. Also in the pipeline is Femicidios, one of the most ambitious drama series project ever in Latin America, portraying episodic, true-life stories of infamous cases of fatal gender violence in four countries in Latin America.

Warner Bros. Developing Animated Speedy Gonzales Film with Eugenio Derbez Voicing the Iconic Character

Eugenio Derbez has the need for Speed(y)

Warner Bros. is looking to bring Speedy Gonzalez, the beloved  Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies mouse, as an animated feature with the 54-year-old Mexican actor/director voicing the iconic character.

Speedy Gonzales

“In Mexico we grew up watching Speedy Gonzales,” Derbez told Deadline about “the Fastest Mouse in all Mexico.” “He was like a superhero to us, or maybe more like a revolutionario like Simon Bolivar or Pancho Villa. He watched out for the little people but with a lot of bravado and a weakness for the ladies. I’m really excited to be bringing this character to the big screen. And besides being Mexican— my full name is Eugenio Derbez Gonzalez and I have big ears. The casting couldn’t be better.”

Eugenio Derbez

Speedy Gonzales started out as a character in another cartoon before animators Friz Freleng and Hawley Pratt introduced him in an animated short of his own in 1955. Then, the legendary Mel Blanc voiced the mouse. That short, which also featured Looney Tunes’ Sylvester the Cat, ended up winning the Academy Award for best short subject.

The in-development project, which is tentatively entitled Speedy, will be produced by Dylan Sellers via Rivers Edge Films and Derbez and Ben Odell via their 3pas Studios.

Hank Nelken has been hired to script the story, which is described as a heist caper. The project will likely be cut into both English- and Spanish-speaking versions.

“We see this as an origin story of the great master, like a Robin Hood character, who ultimately ends up taking from the rich and giving to the poor,” said Sellers. “In a time when Donald Trump is gaining momentum, the world needs Speedy more than ever.”


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Derbez has voiced animation in the past, particularly notable was Donkey in the Spanish-language version of ShrekBy doing so, he added even more humor into film with local colloquialisms and humor, which was credited for helping box office attendance in Spanish-speaking countries.