Conquistador Series ‘Hernan’ Snagged by Azteca TV and History Channel Latin America
By Anna Marie de la Fuente
LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – In the wake of its streaming rights acquisition by Amazon Prime, epic series “Hernan” has sold to Mexican broadcaster Azteca and pan-regional pay TV network, The History Channel, which have jointly acquired the series for their respective platforms.
Produced by Mexico’s Dopamine, a Salinas Group unit, and Spain’s Onza Entertainment, the eight-episode mega-series marks the 500th Anniversary of Spanish conquistador Cortes’ arrival in Mexico. It is expected to bow later this year via the various outlets. Azteca seemed a likely platform for the series as it is also owned by the Salinas Group.
Set in 1519, the ambitious series turns on the conquest of Mexico by Cortés and his troops, and will feature key characters’ perspectives of this tumultuous time in Mexico and Spain’s history.
The series aims to highlight both the encounter and contrast of these two cultures as well as the human side of Cortes, a skilled diplomat and a military genius who was beloved and despised in equal measure.
Touted as the most expensive Hispanic series in history by Dopamine, “Hernan” was shot on location and on sets built in both Spain and Mexico, with special effects by El Ranchito, whose credits include “Game of Thrones.”
Spanish actor Oscar Jaenada (“Cantinflas,” “Luis Miguel: The Series”) plays the conquistador. He leads a cast from Mexico and Spain including Víctor Clavijo (Captain Cristóbal de Olid), Michel Brown (Captain Alvarado), Dagoberto Gama (Moctezuma), Jorge Guerrero (Xiconténcatl), Almagro San Miguel (Captain Sandoval), Isabel Bautista (Marina / Malinche) and Aura Garrido (Doña Juana).
Dopamine’s CEO Fidela Navarro said that the second season of “Hernan” is in development and will likely start filming by early January.
Dopamine recently struck a production alliance with Turner Latin America, announcing three joint projects at NATPE in January: “Amarres,” written by its showrunner Fernanda Eguiarte, expected to bow by the second quarter of 2020; “Coyotl,” a youth targeted series set along the U.S. border where werewolves are pitted against coyotes, which Navarro described as “a different way of relating and addressing current issues for a younger audience”; and risqué new thriller “Tu Parte del Trato,” featuring strong female characters.
