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Exclusive: Sources are telling us that thespian-on-the-rise Malachi Beasley is starring opposite Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix sports drama movie Fight for ’84.

The project, directed by Andrés Baiz and written by Oscar nominees Andrea Berloff, John Gatins and White Boy Rick‘s Andy Weiss, is set in 1980. After the US Olympic Boxing Team is tragically killed in a plane crash, a new coach is brought in to rebuild the team from scratch and lead them to victory at the ‘84 Olympics, winning the most medals in Olympic boxing history.

The movie reunites producer Eric Newman and Andrés Baiz directing, the duo having previously teamed on the successful hit show Griselda for Netflix as well as Narcos. Producers are Eric Newman for Grand Electric, Bryan Unkeless for Night Owl, Foxx and Michael W. Abbott for A Move Films Production.

EPs are Andy Weiss for A WeBros Entertainment Production, Henry Tillman and Datari Turner.

They say the truth is stranger than fiction, but in the real world of Griselda Blanco, the truth is more brutal.

Inspired by the true story of Colombian drug trafficker Griselda Blanco and starring Sofía Vergara (who also serves as executive producer) as the ambitious and murderous Miami cartel head, Griselda tracks the dramatized life, business acumen, and downfall of “the Godmother,” one of America’s highest earning drug traffickers in the ’70s and ’80s… and one of the most deadly.

She went by many nicknames: “La Madrina,” “The Black Widow,” “La Dama de la Mafia.” But for her foes, the name Griselda became synonymous with death.

With six hour-long episodes, Griselda was created by Eric Newman (Painkiller) and Andrés Baiz — who directs every episode — reuniting the team behind Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. Newman, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda, and Carlo Bernard serve as co-creators and executive produced the series...

Sofia Vergara is embracing summer and her confidence with a bold new Instagram post that has fans buzzing. The Modern Family star set Instagram ablaze with her sultry, topless poolside photo. The post, which doubled as a nod to her skincare brand Toty, also shows her bold side as she embraced the season.

But behind every girl’s bold moment, there’s always a vulnerable side that often remains hidden. Similarly, behind her radiant public persona, the actor also once opened up about a challenging moment in her acting career. Last year, she shared her experience of her first intimate scene for a major Netflix project, and how it tested her vulnerability.

Sofía Vergara stuns in topless Instagram post Sofía Vergara in Griselda (2024) | Credit: Netflix

On Sunday, June 8, Sofia Vergara posted a topless photo on @sofiavergara/Instagram while sunbathing by the pool. Lying on a recliner, wearing only a minimal black thong bikini bottom.

Jamie Foxx is going from an action hero to the heavyweight champ, as the actor has signed on to lead Netflix's new boxing biopic/drama, Fight for '84. Foxx is best known for his roles in Quentin Tarantino's Django: Unchained, the hit comedy Horrible Bosses, and Disney Pixar's Soul, to name a few. In recent years, Foxx has frequently collaborated with Netflix on new movies. In 2023, he starred in They Cloned Tyrone alongside John Boyega, and, more recently, he joined Cameron Diaz in her acting comeback in Back in Action. Foxx has also starred in two boxing movies in the past; the Will Smith-led Ali in 2001 and the 1996 satirical comedy The Great White Hype. But neither of them are like his new film.

Per Variety, Jamie Foxx has been cast in Netflix's semi-biographical boxing drama, Fight for '84. The film is directed by Andrés Baiz, who previously helmed Griselda,...

Jamie Foxx is set to star in the upcoming sports drama Fight For ’84 at Netflix. The news was announced Wednesday at the Netflix Upfronts in New York. Foxx will star with Andrés Baiz directing.

Set after the U.S. Olympic Boxing Team is tragically killed in a plane crash in 1980, the film follows a new coach (Foxx) brought in to rebuild the team from scratch and lead them to victory at the ‘84 Olympics, winning the most medals in Olympic boxing history.

Academy Award nominees Andrea Berloff and John Gatins, Andy Weiss penned the script. Eric Newman will produce for Grand Electric along with Bryan Unkeless for Night Owl, and Foxx and Michael W. Abbott for A Move Films Production.

Weiss will exec produce for A WeBros Entertainment Production as will Henry Tillman and Datari Turner.

Foxx has had strong ties over the years with the streamer, most recently starring in...

Jamie Foxx is ready to take a swing at an emotional story from American sports history.

Netflix announced during its upfront presentation Wednesday that the actor will star in director Andrés Baiz’s forthcoming drama feature Fight for ’84. The script is credited to Andrea Berloff, John Gatins and Andy Weiss.

Fight for ’84 takes place in the aftermath of the tragic plane crash that killed the U.S. Olympic boxing team in 1980. Foxx stars as the new coach who is recruited to lead the team and would guide them to victory at the 1984 Olympics, where the squad collected the most boxing medals in the history of the Summer Games.

Producers include Eric Newman for Grand Electric, Bryan Unkeless for Night Owl, and Foxx and Michael W. Abbott for A Move Films Production. Executive producers are Henry Tillman and Datari Turner, along with Weiss for A WeBros Entertainment Production.

Baiz is known...

Netflix announced five new series and two films as part of its 2025 advertiser upfronts presentation in New York on Wednesday, including a new untitled series from Dan Levy.

On the scripted series side, Netflix announced three new titles, perhaps the most anticipated of which is a new show from “Schitt’s Creek” creator and star Levy and “Bottoms” star Rachel Sennott. Described as a family crime comedy, the eight-episode series is set to go into production in 2025. The show follows two “deeply incapable siblings” who are blackmailed into entering into a life of organized crime, a logline reads. Taylor Ortega will star in the series as will Laurie Metcalf.

“I’m so excited to be bringing this truly chaotic family story to life with Netflix. Thrilled with the team we’re building both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Taylor Ortega is going to become a household name...

Jamie Foxx is set to star in and produce the Olympic boxing movie “Fight for ’84” for Netflix. The Oscar-winner will play a coach hired to reconstitute the U.S. Olympic boxing team after the original team is killed in a tragic plane crash in 1980. In the 1984 Olympics, the U.S. won nine gold medals in boxing, the most in Olympic history. The project was announced during Netflix’s upfront presentation on May 14.

Columbian filmmaker Andrés Baiz (“Santanás”) — who helmed Netflix’s 2024 limited series “Griselda,” as well as episodes of “The Sandman,” “Narcos: Mexico,” and “Marcos” for the streamer — is making his English-language feature debut with the movie. Andrea Berloff (“Straight Outta Compton”), John Gatins (“Flight”) and Andy Weiss (“White Boy Rick”) wrote the screenplay.

The film is based on the real crash of a Lot Polish Airlines flight in March 1980 that killed 14 boxers and eight staff members of the U.

In high school, Jamie Foxx wanted to play football for the Dallas Cowboys; unfortunately, he had to settle for being a movie star. But even on-screen, the Oscar winner has continued to channel his love for sports — he played a quarterback in Any Given Sunday and a boxing trainer for the champ in Ali. Now, he’s heading back to the ring with Fight for ’84,a new film based on the true story of the coach of the 1984 US Olympic Boxing team.

The new film is directed by Andrés Baiz and written by Andrea Berloff (Straight Outta Compton), John Gatins (Flight), and Andy Weiss (White Boy Rick).

“What excites me about Fight for ’84 is how deeply human it is,” Baiz tells Tudum. “It’s a story about second chances, about rebuilding after loss, and about finding strength through connection. This isn’t about fame or glory – it’s...

Set in 2012 Venezuela, Pimpinero: Blood and Oil builds its story on the gasoline-smuggling surge that emerged from the country’s extremely low fuel prices. The historical period shows a time of financial hardship, where smuggling presented both chances for profit and life-threatening risks.

The raw desert of La Guajira, filled with sand-covered roads and intense heat, creates the background that mirrors the disorder and strain of the characters’ existence. The harsh land reflects the dark world of the pimpineros, where staying alive depends on criminal dealings and brutality.

The film mixes raw reality with high drama, with the desert’s barrenness showing the characters’ ethical decline. The raw images—streams of dust behind racing vehicles or long stretches of empty terrain—place viewers inside an isolated and dangerous space, building the film’s tense atmosphere.

Plot Overview: A Tale of Diverging Loyalties and Personal Vengeance

Pimpinero: Blood and Oil...

As the saying goes, love is a battlefield, and that’s the concept on which The Hidden Face builds its twisted narrative. The 2011 Colombian-Spanish thriller takes your run-of-the-mill love triangle and transforms it into something more sinister and, dare we say, clever. In essence, it doesn’t waste time with your average love-gone-wrong plot. At the start, we have a man grieving over his girlfriend’s mysterious disappearance. But soon enough, the storyline unravels into a web of manipulation, deceit, and secrets. Directed by Andrés Baiz, The Hidden Face merges suspense with emotionally charged storytelling. It may seem so at first, but this isn’t one of those movies that relies heavily on twists. In fact, it trades that in for genuine tension that’s created by characters who are just as unhinged as the plot itself.

Sofía Vergara stars as a notorious Colombian drug lord in Netflix limited series Griselda and she knows first-hand how the narcotics trade can ruin the lives of ordinary people. “I lived through that era,” says the native Colombian, for whom Pablo Escobar and the Orejuela brothers were household names. “Everybody at that time—good families, families with money—were part of the business at some point. Even, unfortunately, my brother.”

Vergara’s brother was killed by a drug cartel in the 1990s, when he was just 28 years old. “There are things that happen in life that push you in the wrong direction,” she says. “My brother had nothing to do really in this business, and for some reason he ended up there. He was very charismatic, very generous, very handsome. You would’ve never thought. But people are not just one thing. They sometimes get dragged into things because of necessity,...

Broadway adaptation Wicked soared to the top of the Korean box office at the weekend with 45% of ticket sales.

Directed by Jon M. Chu, the US fantasy musical took $3.6m from Friday through Sunday (November 22-25) from just over 500,000 admissions. Over its first five days in theatres, the film has accumulated $4.64m.

Also opening at the weekend was New’s Hidden Face, which placed second with $1.7m. Directed by Kim Dae-woo, the mystery thriller is a remake of Spanish-Colombian film The Hidden Face directed by Andrés Baiz. The film stars Cho Yeo-jeong of Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning Parasite as a cellist who mysteriously vanishes.

The brutal petrol trade between Venezuela and Colombia in 2012 is the backdrop to Andrés Baiz’s starry if slow-paced tale of brothers navigating the future

It’s called the “caravan of death” – cars speeding, Mad Max-style, across the desert on the border between Colombia and Venezuela, loaded up with jerry cans of petrol. Colombian film-maker Andrés Baiz, who previously worked on episodes of Netflix’s Narcos, has directed this crime saga inspired by the real-life “pimpineros”, smugglers who exploited dirt-cheap petrol during the presidency of Hugo Chávez. But strangely, this film keeps to the speed limit; it’s like Formula One with enhanced health and safety, slow-paced and a little low on adrenaline.

The year is 2012, when sixpence bought a gallon of petrol in oil-rich Venezuela, leading to a boom in cross-border smuggling to Colombia. A trio of brothers, the Estradas, have been muscled out of the smuggling business...

You’ve never seen Sofía Vergara like this. In the drama series Griselda, the veteran comedian (Modern Family) is La Jefa (“The Boss”) through and through. Vergara stars as the eponymous Griselda Blanco and also serves as an executive producer on the project, streaming now. On July 17, Vergara was nominated for an Emmy Award in the Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category.

With six hour-long episodes, Griselda was created by Eric Newman (Painkiller) and Andrés Baiz — who directs every episode — reuniting the team behind Narcos and Narcos: Mexico. Newman, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda, and Carlo Bernard serve as co-creators and executive produced the series alongside Baiz, Vergara, and Luis Balaguer with Latin World Entertainment. Escajeda and Miro are the series’ co-showrunners.

“From the earliest days of my research for what became Narcos, [Griselda] leapt out at me as a fascinating character,” Newman tells...

Clara Lago, best known for her roles in hit romcom “Spanish Affair” and Andi Baiz suspense drama “The Hidden Face,” will star opposite Chile’s indefatigable Alfredo Castro in the Iberseries Co-Production Forum-bound “Queen of the Woods” (“La reina del bosque”).

To be directed by Luján Loioco, the drama is produced by Loioco’s Buenos Aires-based Libre Cine alongside Argentine-Spanish company Non Stop, Brazil’s Cinefilm and the U.S.-based Bosco Entertainment, run by Julio Bove.

“Queen of the Woods” is described as a female-driven suspense film that tells the story of a failed relationship between a pregnant woman and her dying father. Forced to spend their last days together while isolated in a mountain cabin, she must confront the ghosts of her childhood to discover the kind of mother she truly wants to be, the synopsis goes.

“I aim to craft a story that truly connects with the audience.

Today, Prime Video released the official trailer and poster for the Colombian Original movie Pimpinero: Blood and Oil, which will premiere on Prime Video later this year.

Set in the desert bordering Colombia and Venezuela, where gasoline smugglers known as “pimpineros” risk their lives transporting illegal fuel from one country to another, the film follows Juan (Alejandro Speitzer). He is the youngest in a clan of three brothers entangled in this perilous trade, as he’s forced to work for a sinister rival.

Determined to uncover the gruesome secrets that shroud this no-man’s-land, Juan’s girlfriend Diana (Laura Osma) embarks on a quest for the truth. Packed with action, drama, and romance, Pimpinero: Blood and Oil touches on universal themes around geographical, ethical, and family borders.

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Andrés Baiz, the movie stars Alberto Guerra (Griselda), Alejandro Speitzer (La Cabeza de Joaquin Murrieta), Laura Osma (Goles en...

Colombian rock star Juanes, winner of 26 Latin Grammys and three Grammy awards to date, is making his big screen debut in Prime Video drama “Pimpinero: Blood and Oil,” by Andrés Baiz, which bows its trailer exclusively in Variety ahead of its Toronto Film Festival (TIFF) world premiere.

Juanes stars alongside Alberto Guerra, Alejandro Speitzer (“The Head of Joaquin Murrieta”) and Laura Osma (“Goles en contra”) in the dramatic fact-based thriller set along the border of Colombia and Venezuela.

Set to a pounding soundtrack, the trailer shows quick cuts of mounting intensity. The story co-penned by Baiz and Maria Camila Arias (“Birds of Passage”) takes place in the unforgiving desert between these two countries where gasoline smugglers known as “pimpineros” risk their lives transporting illegal fuel across the border. Among them is Juan, the youngest of three brothers deeply involved in this dangerous trade. When he’s coerced into working for a menacing rival,...

All in all, it took 15 years for Sofía Vergara to produce and star in the hit Netflix crime drama “Griselda,” which led to an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie. Sitting down for a video interview with IndieWire, she said that before she had any idea what the project could be, Vergara had a strong connection to Griselda Blanco’s story. “I just love that character because she was Colombian. I’m a mother, I’m Colombian. Of course, I have not killed any of my husbands, but I would understand why she had to do it,” she said with a laugh.

Though her success as a four-time Emmy nominated actress on one of the biggest sitcoms in the world is what made it possible for her to shop her idea around, Vergara began her “Griselda” journey feeling like her “Modern Family...

The Toronto Film Festival has unveiled programming for its Sept. 6 to 10 industry conference, to include conversations with The Listeners director Janicza Bravo, screenwriter Jordan Tannahill, and Malcolm Washington and Virgil Williams, the director and screenwriter bringing TIFF The Piano Lesson adaptation for Netflix.

Rebecca Hall stars in The Listeners, which will have a world premiere in Toronto, while Samuel L. Jackson and John David Washington star in The Piano Lesson. Denzel Washington’s son Malcolm will direct the film adaptation of The Piano Lesson, based on a screenplay he penned with Williams.

They will be joined as part of the Dialogues program in Toronto by Rumours director Guy Maddin and Universal Language director Matthew Rankin, both Canadians who are bringing their Cannes world premiere titles to TIFF for North American bows.

The Toronto conference has also booked conversations with Sydney Freeland, director of Netflix’s Indigenous basketball drama Rez Ball,...

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the full Industry Conference line-up running September 6-10 including the Perspectives panel series in partnership with Screen International.

The festival has also announced the 10 Industry Selects acquisition titles screening for accredited industry, a roste that features Rich Flu, Spanish director Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia’s follow-up to 2019 TIFF selection The Platform; South Korean first-time director Kim Soo-jin’s Noise, and Teemu Nikki’s previous Nordic Film Market participant 100 Litres Of Gold from Finland.

The moderated Perspectives sessions will look at a range of topics including the future of film journalism, sustainable cinema, Indigenous co-productions,...

The Colombian director Andrés Baiz is preparing the release of his fourth feature film, Pimpinero: Sangre y Gasolina, or Blood and Oil. Premiering next month at Toronto International Film Festival, the Prime Video project marks the director’s first full-length release in more than 10 years. As he makes his grand return to the big screen, Grammy Award-winning musician Juanes will make his official acting debut in the feature-length film.

“In the desert bordering Colombia and Venezuela, gasoline smugglers known as ‘pimpineros’ risk their lives transporting illegal fuel from one country to another,...

Prime Video today revealed the first photos and cast members for Pimpinero: Blood and Oil, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Andrés Baiz. The film marks Baiz’s return to the big screen after a successful career directing global series.

Pimpinero: Blood and Oil explores the powerful and universal themes of borders and family bonds. The cast includes Alberto Guerra (Griselda), Alejandro Speitzer (La Cabeza de Joaquin Murrieta), Laura Osma (Goles en contra), and multi-award-winning Grammy artist Juanes.

The announcement comes as Pimpinero: Blood and Oil was officially selected to screen at the Toronto International Film Festival, with its World Premiere on September 9th. The movie is part of the international Centerpiece program lineup at TIFF and is set to launch on Prime Video later this year.

Pimpinero: Blood and Oil is set in the desert bordering Colombia and Venezuela, where gasoline smugglers known as “pimpineros” risk their lives transporting illegal fuel from one country to another.

The 49th edition of the Toronto Film Festival continues to announce more movies, with the festival on Tuesday unveiled its 2024 Centrepiece lineup that features 43 titles from filmmakers representing 41 countries. TIFF runs September 5-15 under its new sponsorship with Rogers.

In total, the list includes 18 world premieres from Algeria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Nigeria, Panama, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, Spain and the U.S..

The section is a reflection of TIFF’s spirit of providing an elevated platform for international cinema, acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work from influential filmmakers.

Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof, who made it to Cannes this past year with The Seed of the Sacred Fig after fleeing his home country, is at TIFF with not one but two movies. He’ll have The Seed of the Sacred Fig, but also a title he wrote,...

Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) has unveiled the 43 features selection for the Centrepiece programme including world premieres for Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s feuding matriarchs comedy Front Row and Laura Piani’s romantic comedy Jane Austen Wrecked My Life.

Taking their place in the global cinema showcase alongside the latest work from 41 countries are features that have already impressed at festivals, such as Mohammad Rasoulof’s Cannes award winner The Seed Of The Sacred Fig, and Steven Soderbergh’s Sundance selection Presence.

The 18 world premieres include Iranian filmmaker Ali Samadi Ahadi’s human rights drama Seven Days written by Rasoulof,...

The 2024 Toronto International Film Festival has revealed its Centrepiece program lineup, with 43 films from 41 countries. The selections include 18 world premieres plus an array of festival favorites and winners from Cannes (“The Seed of the Sacred Fig“), Sundance (“Presence“), and more recently the 2024 Venice Film Festival (“April”). This year’s festival runs Thursday, September 5 through Sunday, September 15.

Per TIFF, Centrepiece honors “and celebrates global cinematic achievements, inviting audiences to immerse themselves in a dynamic array of contemporary films. The programme is a reflection of TIFF’s commitment to providing an elevated platform for international cinema, acclaimed titles from festivals around the globe, highly anticipated premieres from Canadian and international talents, and the latest work of influential filmmaking luminaries.”

The 2024 Centrepiece selection has been programmed by Jason Anderson, Kelly Boutsalis, Diana Cadavid, Robyn Citizen, Giovanna Fulvi, Nataleah Hunter-Young, June Kim, Dorota Lech, Jason Ryle, and Norm Wilner.

Per the festival, “Notable world premieres include ‘Front Row,...

Steven Soderbergh’s spooky ghost story Presence — starring Lucy Liu, Chris Sullivan and newcomer Callina Liang — will receive its international premiere as part of the Centerpiece sidebar at the 2024 Toronto Film Festival.

Soderbergh first screened Presence at Sundance earlier this year, some 35 years after the debut of his breakout film, Sex, Lies and Videotape, in Park City. In all, TIFF’s Centerpiece section, previously known as Contemporary World Cinema, unveiled 43 films from 41 countries on Tuesday.

There’s world premieres for Marcelle Lunam’s rom com Addition, starring Teresa Palmer and Joe Dempsie; Erin Lee Carr’s documentary Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, a Hulu title about the Canadian pop duo falling victim to identity theft; French director Laura Piani’s Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, with a Frederick Wiseman cameo; Sofia Bohdanowicz’s Measures for a Funeral, written by actor Derah Campbell; and Algerian director Merzak Allouache’s Front Row,...

Editor’s note: Deadline’s It Starts on the Page features standout limited or anthology series scripts in 2024 Emmy contention.

Narcos and Narcos: Mexico showrunner Eric Newman followed up the popular Netflix crime franchise with Griselda, starring Sofía Vergara as notorious Colombian drug lord Griselda Blanco. The six-episode limited series premiered Jan. 25 and topped Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 rankings for three straight weeks.

In the series’ penultimate episode “Paradise Lost,” directed by Andrés Baiz, Griselda (Vergara) continues her ascension to La Madrina status. But as she is celebrating the high life with a lavish birthday party for her third husband Darío Sepúlveda’s (Alberto Guerra), unbeknownst to her, law enforcement is hot on her trail.

The celebration is interrupted when Griselda’s most trusted men discover a misstep that could blow the operation. Also, cracks begin to form in her personal life as her husband reveals he’s looking for...

Netflix is marking the sixth anniversary of its flagship Fysee space by moving to Sunset Las Palmas in Los Angeles, starting on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12.

The streaming giant kicked off the announcement using a crown-themed cake—nodding to its Emmy-winning series, “The Crown”—to entice Television Academy voters to visit its huge slate of top-contending series. The Fysee space serves as a hub for Official For Your Consideration (FYC) events, showcasing an array of Netflix’s leading award contenders across various genres, including the drama “3 Body Problem,” the comedy “The Gentlemen,” the limited series “Ripley” and reality shows like “Love is Blind” and “Selling Sunset.” The beloved music documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop” will be featured in a conversation moderated by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.

The venue will feature special installations focusing on the crafts behind series such as “Avatar: The Last Airbender” and other documentary efforts including “Beckham.

Griselda, directed by Andrés Baiz and created by Eric Newman, known for Narcos, has gained positive and negative reactions for its portrayal of Griselda Blanco, known as "The Godmother of Cocaine." In the Netflix show, Griselda, played by Sofía Vergara, leaves Medellín for Miami to start her own drug empire. As her business grows, Griselda becomes power hungry at a cost, and starts to lose her grip on Miami's drug trade.

Actress Sofia Vergara is synonymous with the role of Gloria Delgado-Pritchett in the ABC sitcom Modern Family. The actress recently featured in the Netflix drama series Griselda, about the life of Griselda Blanco, an infamous Colombian drug lord. While promoting the series, Vergara discussed the challenges of portraying a real-life drug lord.

Sofia Vergara in Griselda

During one of her interviews, Vergara revealed a shocking detail about her process, which required her to learn how to smoke and use cocaine for a convincing portrayal of the character. However, Vergara had to clarify her stance after making a hilarious goof-up. At the same time, the actress also revealed how she prepared for the role of Griselda Blanco, and here is what Vergara said.

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In Griselda,...

"Griselda", the grisly new crime drama TV series, directed by Eric Newman and Andrés Baiz, starring Sofía Vergara in prosthetic makeup, is currently in its third week at #1 on the Netflix English TV List:

"...'Griselda' is inspired by the degenerate life of ambitious 'Griselda Blanco', who created one of the most profitable drug cartels in history.

“In 1970's-80's Miami, Blanco's lethal blend of savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as the 'Godmother'..."

Cast also includes Alberto Guerra, Christian Tappan, Martín Rodríguez, Juliana Aidén Martinez, Vanessa Ferlito and Carolina Giraldo.

Click the images to enlarge...

Almost everyone knows the name of Tony Montana, the fictional drug lord immortalized by Al Pacino in the 1983 movie "Scarface," yet few know the name of Miami's real-life most notorious king, er, queenpin, Griselda Blanco Restrepo. In the late 1970s, Blanco seized control of Miami's drug trade through incredible violence, waging war on any who opposed her. This led to the "Cocaine Cowboy" wars, in which Blanco's enforcers would kill their opponents in broad daylight, sometimes in motorcycle drive-by shootings. Blanco's life story is both fascinating and terrible, full of sex, drugs, and murder, and is totally ripe for a fictionalized interpretation.

Sofia Vergara stars as Blanco in "Griselda," a six-part limited series on Netflix that tells the story of the infamous self-made billionaire, drug pusher, and multiple murderer, although the real story is even more brutal and impossible to believe than the miniseries depicts. "Griselda" was made by "Narcos...

Most remember Griselda Blanco as the “Black Widow,” a ruthless Colombian drug lord whose network flooded Miami with cocaine, brought in $80 million a month nationally, and who’s been personally implicated in a rumored 200 murders. Michael Corleone Blanco, her youngest son raised at the height of her drug-trafficking empire, admits she was a rigid, stern woman he affectionately called cariñosa — an endearing term given to loved ones.

“As a kid, you can’t really comprehend what is wrong, what is right, and what is the family business,” Blanco tells Rolling Stone.

Griselda is not the story of a hero. Inspired by the life of Colombian businesswoman Griselda Blanco, it’s a fictionalized dramatization in which “there are so many nuances to explore in terms of who she was as a woman, as a mother, and, of course, as a drug lord who created one of the most profitable cartels in history,” says executive producer and star Sofía Vergara.

The limited series recreates the early days of the cocaine craze — and new money — sweeping Miami in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Co-created and executive produced by Eric Newman and directed by executive producer Andrés Baiz, Griselda taps into a time when Griselda Blanco’s savagery and charisma helped her expertly navigate between business and family, to whom she was known simply as “the Godmother.”

The grit of her surroundings needed to match the toughness of her...

While the real cartel queenpin Griselda Blanco’s reign of violence besieged ’70s and ’80s Miami, there was only one casualty on set of the new drama created by the team behind Narcos:Griselda’s nose.

Griselda director and co-creator Andrés Baiz and executive producer and star Sofía Vergara developed a special bond after shooting for 100 days together. “[For] six months, I was in every scene and he was in every scene,” Vergara tells Tudum in the video above. “I got super lucky that I was able to come to a show where I was new to everything: acting in Spanish, doing dramatic acting. To be able to find Andi and the group of people he put together, it was a dream come true.”

After working so closely together, Vergara had an idea to celebrate Baiz on the last day of shooting. “She gave me the honor — this might sound gross...

Griselda Blanco's childhood and early life were left out of the Netflix series, as there is much speculation and conflicting information about her past. The series did not include Griselda's first husband, Carlos Trujillo, who she married as a teenager and had three children with. Netflix did not explore Griselda's earlier career as a marijuana dealer in New York City before she became involved in the cocaine trade. Her connection with Pablo Escobar was also left out of the series.

Netflix's Griselda told its own version of the life of Griselda Blanco, but there are several key details that the show missed. Of course, the only person who could outline such a tale with certainty is Blanco herself, but since the notorious drug lord passed away in 2012, showrunners Andrés Baiz and Eric Newman had to depend on public record and witness accounts to outline the woman's life. Throughout Griselda's six episodes,...

Karol G entered her acting era with Griselda — and she’s slaying in it.

In a new interview with TheWrap, Griselda director Andrés Baiz revealed that the singer was so good in her part as Carla — Griselda’s confidante and a sex worker who helped the drug lord smuggle product to the U.S. — that they wrote her more lines.

“We actually started writing more for her because she was doing so great,” Baiz said. “She brought a lot of authenticity to her character. [Karol] is from Medellín, so the way she speaks,...

The following article contains major spoilers for the Netflix limited series Griselda.

Griselda's tragic ending highlights the difference between depictions of male and female drug lords, with the latter often losing everything they set out to protect, including their children. The show's creators and lead star believe that the tragic ending was necessary to reflect Griselda's choices and the consequences of her greed and ruthlessness. The Griselda finale leaves viewers reflecting on her choices and challenges the oft-glorified portrayal of male drug lords, showcasing the impact of a mother's pursuit of providing for her children.

Griselda's co-creator Eric Newman, director Andrés Baiz, and lead star Sofia Vergara explain the show's tragic finale and its meaning. The Netflix series is a true crime drama that tells the story of Griselda Blanco (Vergara). Blanco was a notorious Colombian drug lord from the late 1900s through the early 2000s, earning the nickname "The Godmother.

Warning: Spoilers ahead for Griselda.

Griselda, the new Netflix miniseries, purposely keeps the world of Griselda Blanco separate from Pablo Escobar's in order to highlight her character and story. The opening quote of the first episode, made by Escobar, shows his respect for Griselda and emphasizes her significance in the cartel drug trade. Escobar and Griselda had a complex relationship, with Griselda working under Escobar at one point and rumors of a romantic involvement. Their similar ruthlessness and mastery of the drug trade made them a potentially perfect match.

The overlapping timelines and themes between Griselda and Narcos naturally raise questions about Pablo Escobar's role in the new Netflix miniseries. Griselda is created by Carlo Bernad and Doug Miro, two of the creators of Narcos, as well as Eric Newman and Ingrid Escajeda. Griselda premiered on Netflix on January 25, 2024, exclusively on Netflix, the same platform that launched Narcos back in...

Griselda, the new Netflix crime series, is a perfect replacement for Narcos and has received critical acclaim. Sofia Vergara delivers a transformative performance as the real-life queenpin Griselda Blanco, showcasing her unprecedented rank in the Colombian cartel. Griselda maintains the stylistic and thematic similarities of Narcos, but focuses more acutely on its protagonist and differentiates itself from the Escobar-centric series.

The new Netflix crime series Griselda is the perfect replacement for the celebrated series Narcos, even three years after its successful spinoff Narcos: Mexico. The original Narcos series was one of the earliest popular original series on the giant streaming platform, premiering back in 2015 only two years after House of Cards and Orange is the New Black. Narcos, which was created by Carlo Bernard, Doug Miro, and Chris Brancato, quickly earned critical acclaim and is still considered one of the greatest Netflix series ever made.

Griselda features Emmy Award nominee...

Spoiler Alert: This post contains spoilers for “Adios, Miami,” the series finale of “Griselda,” now streaming on Netflix.

When viewers arrive at the end of Netflix’s new limited series “Griselda” — about the life and crimes of feared drug lord Griselda Blanco — they might be surprised to learn there is a lot more to the story.

The series doesn’t follow Griselda into her post-prison twilight years. Instead, it ends with the so-called Cocaine Godmother of Miami on the worst day of her life –– a scene that tested Sofía Vergara, the woman playing her.

“It was very emotional for me,” Vergara tells Variety of filming the sixth and final episode. “But I think with the help of [series director Andrés Baiz], I was able to tap into the things that, from the very beginning, made me believe that I could play her.”

In the finale, Griselda is arrested in California and sentenced...

Here’s a look at this week’s biggest premieres, parties and openings in Los Angeles and New York, including events for Expats, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans and Griselda.

Expats premiere

Nicole Kidman joined creator Lulu Wang and co-stars Sarayu Blue and Jack Huston at the New York premiere of their Prime Video series on Sunday.

Amazon’s Albert Cheng, Lulu Wang, Nicole Kidman and Amazon’s Jennifer Salke

Feud: Capote vs. the Swans premiere

Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Calista Flockhart, Demi Moore and Molly Ringwald walked the carpet alongside EP Ryan Murphy on Tuesday at the NYC premiere of their new Feud installment.

Jon Robin Baitz, Diane Lane, Chloe Sevigny, Ryan Murphy, Naomi Watts, Tom Hollander, Molly Ringwald, Demi Moore and Calista Flockhart Billy Crudup and Naomi Watts

Griselda premiere

Netflix hosted the U.S. premiere of its new limited series in Miami on Tuesday,...

It’s not all laughs for Sofía Vergara in Griselda.

Beneath the glitz and glamour of ’70s and ’80s Miami lies a much darker side — and an antihero playing a dangerous game. Inspired by a true story, the limited series from creators Eric Newman and Andrés Baiz follows Griselda Blanco, an ambitious business woman and devoted mother who’s responsible for creating one of the most profitable cartels in history. With her lethal blend of savagery and charm, Griselda navigates business and family as she rises to the top of the industry, earning the title of “the Godmother.”

Available to stream on Netflix now, Griselda reunites the team behind Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, including Newman, Baiz, Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda, and Carlo Bernard, who all serve as executive producers, alongside Vergara and Luis Balaguer with Latin World Entertainment. Griselda Blanco is a boss in...

Few series acclimate the viewer as quickly and completely to its period as Netflix‘s “Griselda,” a drama set in the ’70s and ’80s about cocaine magnate Griselda Blanco (Sofia Vergara). From the show’s opening frames, the filmmakers immerse the viewers in 1970s Miami, giving an immediate and persuasive sense that what we’re watching is something more than a typical reconstruction of an era — it feels as though someone just happened to drop a camera in the middle of the real Griselda’s life and captured everything that occurred as it occurred.

Some of this comes from the carefully chosen and steadily accumulating period details in the production design and costumes, but what really allows “Griselda” to establish its ’70s milieu within seconds is the gorgeously textured cinematography by Armando Salas, ASC. In partnership with director Andrés Baiz, who, like Salas, worked on all six of the series’ episodes,...

Sofia Vergara emphasizes the extensive effort, including the use of prosthetics, that went into her transformation into Griselda Blanco for the Netflix series.

The actress expressed dissatisfaction when Kelly Clarkson appeared to downplay the significance of her Griselda makeup transformation.

Griselda is an American biographical crime drama and streaming television miniseries directed by Andrés Baiz and produced by Eric Newman and Sofía Vergara.

The series, written by Doug Miro and Ingrid Escajeda, features Vergara in the lead role as Griselda Blanco, a notorious Colombian drug lord.

The creative team behind the series was involved in creating Narcos and Narcos: Mexico.

A six-part miniseries dramatically portrays Blanco’s life and criminal activities. The program premiered on Netflix on January 25.

Sofia Vergara puts Kelly Clarkson on blast over Griselda makeup comments

During an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the host commented on Sofia Vergara’s transformation for her Netflix miniseries portraying Griselda Blanco.

Karol G, the renowned Colombian singer-songwriter behind hits like Ahora Me Llama with Bad Bunny, appears in Netflix’s latest crime drama, Griselda.

The series, starring Sofía Vergara, has debuted on Netflix, and excitement builds as fans anticipate seeing Vergara portray a notorious drug lord – a far cry from her role in Modern Family.

Karol G shared glimpses from the Griselda premiere on Instagram, featuring photos and a video alongside Vergara and the rest of the cast.

The series follows Griselda Blanco, a Colombian woman who established one of the most lucrative cartels in history.

Set in the backdrop of 1970s and ’80s Miami, Blanco’s deadly combination of unexpected brutality and charisma allowed her to skillfully navigate the realms of business and family.

This adept balancing act earned her the moniker “the Godmother,” solidifying her widespread recognition during that era.

Karol G plays a sex worker in Griselda

Karol G,...

While Sofía Vergara was delighting millions of viewers for more than a decade as Gloria Pritchett on Modern Family, she was thinking about Griselda Blanco.

For 15 years, Vergara pored over the life of the woman known as the cocaine trade pioneer — who also earned the nicknames “The Godmother” and “The Black Widow” — for transforming the drug trade from Colombia to the United States, making her biggest mark in Miami, in the 1970s to the early 2000s.

Narcos boss Eric Newman had also spent time thinking about Blanco. The executive producer behind Netflix’s hit drug cartel franchise says he always wanted to tell the Colombian queenpin’s story and even considered bringing her into the Narcos fold while working the flagship series and spinoff Narcos: Mexico.

“The challenge that I found immediately with Griselda [Blanco] is that her story is so compelling; she’s such an anomaly,” he tells The Hollywood Reporter.

After “Narcos” and “Narcos: Mexico,” director Andrés Baiz was hesitant to return to the world of cartel crime dramas. At least until “Modern Family” star Sofía Vergara and her business partner Luis Balaguer approached Baiz and executive producer Eric Newman with the story of Griselda Blanco, the Cocaine Godmother.

“I’m going to be very honest here. Because I’m Colombian and had been working in ‘Narcos’ for seven years, I was a little bit over [the subject matter]. I wanted to do something different,” Baiz, who has also directed episodes of “The Sandman,” told TheWrap.

But when he was given the opportunity to guide Vergara through her prestige drama debut by directing and producing all six episodes of “Griselda,” Baiz changed his mind.

“It was less about the character and more about the opportunity to work with somebody and getting her to reinvent herself as an actor. That was what really drew me,...

Now streaming on Netflix in its entirety, Griselda marks a career-defining turn for executive producer and star Sofia Vergara, who sheds every last cell of her Modern Family persona as she transforms into real-life cocaine queen Griselda Blanco.

Well, maybe not every last cell. The true-crime drama’s third episode opens with Vergara cruising around Miami, singing along to — what else — Laura Branagan’s 1982 bop “Gloria.” If your immediate thought is that this must be a not-so-subtle reference to Modern Family‘s Gloria Pritchett, the role which famously earned Vergara four Primetime Emmy nominations, you’re definitely not alone.

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