Antena 3, Telemundo Partner on Novela Adaptation

MIAMI/MADRID: Telemundo has inked a deal to produce and distribute a version of the telenovela La Reina del Sur, based on the novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte, for Antena 3 in Spain.

Telemundo begins production on a 70-episode La Reina del Sur in Colombia, Mexico and Spain this summer for a U.S. broadcast. A special 13-episode adaptation is being prepared for Antena 3, possibly for a prime-time slot. La Reina del Sur tells the story of Teresa Mendoza, a Mexican woman who becomes the reigning drug trafficker in Spain. Kate Del Castillo will play the leading role.

“We are delighted to team up with Antena 3, a leading broadcaster in Spain, to launch La Reina del Sur,” said Marcos Santana, the president of Telemundo Internacional. “This project is a win-win for both companies and speaks volumes about the international reputation and quality of Telemundo’s original content.”

“We are very pleased to have reached an agreement that allows us to work with a leading company like Telemundo," added Javier Bardají, general director of Antena 3. "With La Reina del Sur, Antena 3 intends to further expand its extensive catalogue of fiction and offer the viewer products that combine the highest quality with the greatest appeal to the audience.”