Amazon Prime Video has ordered a drama series based on the comic book “El Gato Negro” by Richard Dominguez, Variety has learned.
The series, currently titled “El Gato,” will be shot in both English and Spanish. Diego Boneta is attached to star, with Eric Carrasco adapting the comic book for the screen.
“Sharing ‘El Gato’ with audiences around the world is a dream come true,” says Boneta. “This has been a passion of mine since I started Three Amigos. Eric Carrasco and the entire team have built a character and universe that honors the super hero genre and still feels completely epic and original. It is an absolute honor to play Frank and produce this with my amazing partners at Amazon, MGM, and all other producers on this epic story. Get ready for a wild ride.”
In the series, Boneta will star as Frank Guerrero. The official description states that Frank “returns home to Mexico after the death of his father and finds himself neck deep in a nest of vipers – his estranged family – who are vying for control of his father’s business empire. But Frank’s grief is interrupted when he learns his only inheritance, a seemingly worthless parcel of land on the border, sits atop the lair of a famous costumed vigilante. His father was ‘El Gato.’ Now, Frank is in the crosshairs. To survive, he’ll have to solve mysteries decades in the making and unravel the truth about his father’s connections to a modern-day terror plot.”
Production is slated to begin on the show this spring in Mexico. Carrasco will serve as executive producer and co-showrunner alongside Turi Meyer and Alfredo Septién. Boneta will executive produce under his Three Amigos production banner, which has an overall deal with Amazon MGM Studios. Steve Stark of Toluca Pictures will also executive produce along with Andrew Mittman of 1.21 and Carla Gonzalez Vargas. Kai Dolbashian, Marilu G. Carranza, and Joel Novoa-Schneider will co-executive produce. MGM Television will produce.
“This is a pulp thriller,” said Carrasco. “It’s a family drama, it’s everything I love about spies and masks and secret identities. A lot of us on this team – Diego, and Andrew Mittman, and Steve Stark, and Carla Gonzalez Vargas, and I – have been at this for a long time now, and it’s a genuine thrill to finally make the show with MGM Television and Prime Video.”
Boneta is known for his starring roles in films like “Rock of Ages,” “Terminator: Dark Fate,” and the recent “Father of the Bride” reboot. He has also starred in shows such as “Luis Miguel: The Series” and “Scream Queens.” He is currently in production on the film “Follow,” which is being produced by Three Amigos, for Prime Video. He will also be seen in the upcoming Prime Video series “Stanley” and “La Liberación.”
He is repped by UTA, Brillstein Entertainment Partners, and Hansen Jacobson.
“Rooted by a tremendous sense of civic duty and wrapped in complex family dynamics, ‘El Gato’ is an unconventional yet captivating take on a familiar genre that we believe our global Prime Video customers will enjoy,” said Vernon Sanders, head of television for Amazon MGM Studios. “The incredible team behind the series including Diego Boneta, Eric Carrasco, Turi Meyer, and Alfredo Septien, as well as our colleagues at MGM Television are bringing this groundbreaking tale to life.”
Carrasco’s past credits include “Foundation” at Apple TV+ as well as “Supergirl” at The CW and “Masters of the Universe: Revelations” at Netflix. He is currently in post-production on the Netflix animated series “Twilight of the Gods,” which he co-created with Zack Snyder and Jay Oliva.
He is repped by CAA and Grandview.
“Eric Carrasco has created a brilliant take on the super hero genre that is refreshing and honest,” said Lindsay Sloane, head of MGM Television. It explores the life of the man behind the mask and the complicated legacy he leaves behind. Under the leadership of creative executive Max Kisbye, I believe we will create a series that will keep audiences enthralled.”
Septién and Meyer most recently served as co-executive producers on the Netflix limited series “Griselda” starring Sofia Vergara. They have also worked on series such as “Midnight, Texas,” “Vampire Diaries,” and “Witches of East End.” Meyer has also directed multiple episodes of “Buffy The Vampire Slayer,” “Angel,” and “Smallville.”
They are repped by Verve, Industry Entertainment, and Yorn Levine Barnes.
“El Gato” is the second Mexico-based superhero project to be announced at Prime Video in recent months. It was previously reported that the streamer is developing a spinoff of “The Boys” set in Mexico with Diego Luna and Gael Garcia Bernal executive producing.
