ViX+, the fledgling Spanish-language SVOD from TelevisaUnivision, is dipping into literary classics once more with the modern retelling of Alexandre Dumas’ popular revenge tale, “The Count of Monte Cristo.”
The news follows the Jan. 20 bow of ViX+’s Anna Karenina adaptation, “Volver a Caer” with Kate del Castillo. Last year, ViX+ unveiled an adaptation of Nobel Prize laureate Mario Vargas Llosa’s “Travesuras de la Niña Mala” (“Bad Girl”).
In an exclusive first look, ViX+ unveils footage of the six-part series, simply titled “Montecristo,” with William Levy (“Resident Evil: The Final Chapter”) playing the enigmatic lead.
Produced by Spain’s Secouya Studios, “Montecristo” follows Alejandro Montecristo, a mysterious figure whose past and considerable fortune are unknown. Montecristo is the founder and CEO of a successful new tech company that has sparked the interest and envy of many, including Fernando Alvarez Mondego (played by Robert Enriquez, “The Cook of Castamar”), a businessman with close ties to the Spanish aristocracy who is keen to acquire the Montecristo startup. Little does he know that Montecristo is someone he wronged decades ago and whose return is based purely on revenge.
The First Look footage opens on a beach in Cuba, where a young Montecristo is lounging with his girlfriend. A jealous rival then gets him framed and jailed for murder charges. He escapes and surfaces 18 years later in Madrid as the mysterious and wealthy Montecristo, and begins to seek revenge on the people who betrayed him.
Scores of stage, film and TV adaptations of Dumas’ 1844 classic have been made from as far back as 1908. “The Count of Monte Cristo” is among the author’s most popular works, alongside “The Three Musketeers.”
Shot in various locations including Spain and Miami, “Montecristo” is executive produced by David Martínez, Ángela Agudo, David Cotarelo and Sergio Pizzolante.
Levy and his producing partner Jeff Goldberg also serve as executive producers.
“I’m extremely proud of what we’ve accomplished with ‘Montecristo.’ The production is world class and is the result of the hard work and dedication of an exceptional cast and crew, and our partners Secuoya Studios and ViX+,” Levy said in a statement. “I feel strongly that the premium production value, the universe, the characters and the themes explored in ‘Montecristo’ will resonate deeply with a global audience.”
The cast includes Juan Fernández (“El Cid”), Esmeralda Pimentel (“High Heat”), Silvia Abascal (“Asombrosa Elisa”), Itziar Atienza (“Wrong Side of the Tracks”), Guiomar Puerta (“Estoy Vivo”) and Franky Martin (‘Wrong Side of the Tracks”). Lidia Fraga (“Método Criminal”) and Jacobo Díaz (“Método Criminal”) co-wrote the series and Alberto Ruiz-Rojo (“Templanza,” “The Vineyard”) directed.
ViX+ launched in July 2022 with the express aim to offer more than 10,000 hours of premium content, including over 50 ViX+ original series and movies in its first year. These include originals and library content from Univision and Televisa. It also includes up to 7,000 hours of live sports, including Liga MX and UEFA Champion’s League soccer.
In the run-up to Vix+’s launch, TelevisaUnivision forged a number of content deals with key partners, including Spain’s The Mediapro Studio; Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions; Eugenio Derbez and Ben Odell’s 3Pas Studios; Propagate’s Ben Silverman; Selena Gomez; Colombia’s Dynamo and Spain’s Mediacrest.
In May, TelevisaUnivision agreed to acquire Spanish-language streaming platform Pantaya to further bulk up ViX+’s programming offer.
ViX+ is available in the U.S., Mexico, and most of Spanish-speaking Latin America by subscription, online at vixplus.
