In perhaps one of her meatiest roles since Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma,” Oscar-nominated thesp Yalitza Aparicio stars in Prime Video’s upcoming series “Cometierra,” created by its showrunner Daniel Burman, The Mediapro Studio’s head of content for the U.S., Mexico and Central America.
Principal photography is underway, predominantly in Mexico, with some scenes shot in Uruguay.
Inspired by the bestselling debut novel of Argentine writer-activist Dolores Reyes,“Cometierra,” meaning Eartheater in English, is a supernatural drama steeped in magical realism that follows Aylín, a young girl from the rough outskirts of Mexico City.
She unexpectedly gains the extraordinary ability to commune with the earth beneath her feet, a gift that propels her into a world of crime-solving and clashes with malevolent forces lurking in her past. With the help of her fellow misfits, Aylín finds her true identity while navigating a community plagued by violence and grappling with the mysterious disappearances of those she holds dear.
The seven-episode series is produced by Spain’s The Mediapro Studio (TMS), Oficina Burman, Exile Content Studio and production house and services company Cimarrón Cine. Both Burman’s shingle, Oficina Burman and Cimarrón form part of The Mediapro Studio, with the latter’s acquisition announced in September. TMS acquired Oficina Burman in 2018.
“’Cometierra’ tackles several inescapable problems that are the reality for many Mexicans, from the brazen perspective of the world of superheroes, urban music, and teenage sexual awakening,” said Alonso Aguilar, head of local originals, Prime Video Mexico.
Cris Gris (“Vgly”) and Martin Hodara (“La señal”) will share directing duties with Burman (“Iosi, the Regretful Spy”).
“When I finished reading ‘Cometierra’ for the first time, I felt the entire strength of its protagonist in my hands. The inspiration that the work gave me is the same one that infected every one of us who joined up for this vibrant and necessary adventure,” said Burman, adding: “Bringing this story to the world along with Prime Video, and with all the support of The Mediapro Studio, is an enormous privilege, one that I am enjoying every day of shooting.”
Aside from Aparicio, the series stars Lilith Curiel, Max Peña, Iván Martínez, Roberto Aguilar, Gerardo Taracena, and Harold Torres. The rest of the cast features Juan Daniel García Treviño, Lizeth Selene and Arcelia Ramírez, with special appearances by Rubén Albarrán and Mabel Cadena.
The writing team, led by Monica Herrera (Prime Video’s “La Caída”), includesGabriela Guraieb (Max’s “Vgly”), Camila Brugés (Netflix’s “Frontera Verde”), Juan Carballo (“El amor después del amor”), Clara Roquet (“Libertad,” “Creatura”) and novelist Brenda Navarro (“Casas vacías”).
TMS’s chief executive officer Laura Fernandez Espeso, Burman and Uruguayan-born producer Sandino Saravia Vinay of Cimarrón Cine (“Roma,” Birds of Passage”) as well as Exile Content Studio’s founder-executive chairman Isaac Lee and development head Isabel López Polanco serve as executive producers.
“Cometierra is an exceptional project and we are certain it will captivate universal audiences,” said López Polanco, adding: “To be able to collaborate with world-class partners and be guided by the visionary hand of Daniel Burman, ‘Cometierra’ will dig deep into the soil of the human experience, unearthing the extraordinary in the ordinary, and planting the seeds of power, friendship, first loves and self-discovery in the heart of darkness with unparalleled artistry.”
“Cometierra” joins a growing list of Mexican Amazon Original and Amazon Exclusive productions, including such titles as “De viaje con los Derbez,” “El juego de los llaves,” “An Unknown Enemy,”“Dive,” “The Head of Joaquin Murrieta” and “Mala fortuna.”
It has also won Daytime Emmy awards with non-fiction shows “LOL: Last One Laughing” and Diego Luna’s “Pan y Circo.”
With 52 offices around the world in Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, New York and Miami, including 24 which are producing content, the multi-award winning TMS is one of the most prominent production houses in the Spanish-speaking world although it has also worked with the likes of Woody Allen, Paolo Sorrentino, Ran Tellem, Oliver Stone and Gastón Duprat as well as top Ibero-American talent worldwide.
Exile Content Studio, part of Candle Media since last year, has worked with some of the largest Spanish-language media companies and partnered with a host of award-winning creative talent, including George R.R. Martin (“Hunter’s Run”), Diego Luna (“Todo va a estar bien”) and producer Mark Johnson (“Amen”). Among its hit projects are Max’s“Vgly,” which has become HBO’s most successful original series in Mexico and one of its biggest hits in Latin America.
