Televisa USA Co-Pro Leads Starz’s Latino-Themed Projects

PASADENA: Starz has announced three new drama projects with Latino themes, including an original series co-produced with Televisa USA.

Titled Maleficio, the supernatural thriller will be based on a popular Mexican novela from the ’80s. It will center on Don Enrique De Martino, a powerful Mexican businessman who has made a deadly pact with the Devil.

“We are pleased to partner with Televisa USA for an adaptation of such an incredibly successful series and bring it to the U.S. audience,” said Carmi Zlotnik, the managing director for Starz. “With Mauricio Katz’s prolific writing guiding the project and Pedro Peirano executive producing, Maleficio was a project we knew was worth developing.”

“Starz’s stamp of quality, together with Mauricio and Pedro [Peirano’s] tremendous vision and intimate knowledge of the format, will ensure an impactful return of this iconic series,” said Chris Philip, the head of production and distribution for Televisa USA. “Maleficio’s past success means we have a built-in audience of hundreds of millions of fans worldwide.”

Additionally, the network has commissioned Santeria, about a supernatural clash between opposing sects of the titular religion in Cuba, and Pour Vida, the story of twin sisters grappling with gentrification in East L.A.

Starz retains all domestic and international multiplatform rights including television, home entertainment and digital for the series.