“The Son-in-Law” (“El yerno”), the latest from “Miss Bala” director Gerardo Naranjo, is set to debut May 1 worldwide on Netflix following an April 19 theatrical release in Mexico.
The wry comedy features a crack team comprising co-founder and former CEO of Focus Features James Schamus (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) who wrote the screenplay alongside “The House of Flowers” co-writers Gabriel Nuncio and Alexandro Aldrete. Schamus also produced the film with Chile’s Fabula, run by Pablo and Juan de Dios Larraín.
Described as a “sharp, dark and painfully funny take of ‘the great Mexican dream’– the tragicomedy of being Mexican and wanting to ‘make it’ at any cost,” the story centers on José Sánchez, renowned for his impressive mustache, sharp wit and relentless drive. After enduring a tough patch in business, fate changes his course, turning him into El Serpiente, a ruthless political strategist. To maintain his power, he must secure one final, perilous deal — and this time, his charm alone might not be enough to see him through.
Adrián Vázquez (“La Brava F.C.”) plays Sánchez with Jero Medina (“S.W.A.T.”) and Verónica Bravo (“La hora de los valientes”).
“’The Son-in-Law’ explores betrayal as a central narrative thread, portraying it as a widespread practice in this country. The film is a provocation, inviting us to examine a reality that is equally ridiculous and contradictory,” said Naranjo.
This is Schamus’ second outing in Mexico for Netflix, after “Somos,” his first television series, which debuted in June 2021. The six-episode series is based on the ProPublica report “How the U.S. Triggered a Massacre in Mexico” by Pulitzer Prize-winning American journalist Ginger Thompson.
“Ever since we finished ‘Somos,’ I’ve dreamed of returning to Mexico, hoping I might once again experience that same energy, talent and kindness. With ‘The Son-in-Law,’ that dream came true, he said. “It’s a new adventure and an even bigger explosion of Mexican creativity. So while our characters’ ‘great Mexican dream’ became a rather insane, absurd tragicomedy – for me, it’s been a simple, wonderful dream.”
Fabula has a number of projects made for or picked up by Netflix, among them, the latest directed by Pablo Larrain: “The Count” and “Maria,” starring Angelina Jolie. They produced the first fiction feature by Chile’s multi-nominated documentary filmmaker Maite Alberdi, “In Her Place” (“El lugar de la otra”) and whose “The Mole Agent” was spun off into an English-language TV series starring Ted Danson, “A Man on the Inside,” also streaming on Netflix.
“The Son-in-Law” is the first project Fabula has produced in Mexico for Netflix. Company set up an outpost in Mexico a few years ago, with Guillermo Calderon’s “Making it up” (“Maquíllame Otra Vez”) its first feature produced in the country.
“We are honored to be part of a project directed by the talented Mexican filmmaker Gerardo Naranjo, with the renowned producer and screenwriter James Schamus, and produced by the Larraín brothers. I thank all of them for their courage and commitment to Mexican cinema. This film portrays our reality from a very original point of view; only through the experience of watching it will its full meaning be revealed,” said Francisco Ramos, VP of content for Latin America.
variety.com
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