Telemundo & Chile’s TVN Team Up for New Drug War Drama

MIAMI: Telemundo Internacional and Chilean broadcaster Televisión Nacional de Chile (TVN) are teaming up to co-produce a new drug-war-themed drama, Owners of Paradise.

The partnership will involve Telemundo handling the scripted drama’s international syndication, with both companies contributing talent in front of and behind the camera. The series, which stars Mexican actress Kate del Castillo as a drug lord's widow caught in the middle of the drug wars, is scheduled to shoot on location in Miami, New York and Chile. The finished product will air on Telemundo in the U.S. and on TVN in Chile.

“We are extremely proud of this historic co-production agreement with the company that has led scripted drama in Chile,” said Marcos Santana, the president of Telemundo Internacional. “This co-production will have a significant impact in the international markets, as both companies dedicate their best resources to this project. Written by Pablo Illanes, this story is inspired in real events that took place at the end of the ’70s and early ’80s, a period marked by intense controversy both in Miami, with the arrival of the drug wars, and in Chile under the military government of Augusto Pinochet.”

Mauro Valdés, the executive director of TVN, added: “This agreement is a manifestation of TVN’s leadership, in particular in the area of scripted productions. We have had a long standing relationship with our partner Telemundo Internacional and this project will expand it into large scale audiovisual productions. This alliance introduces a major innovation in the Chilean television industry and will allow us to showcase to the international markets the great capacity of our production teams, the talent of our actors and the quality of our country’s locations.”