Onyx Collective Orders U.S. Latino History Docuseries

Disney’s Onyx Collective has ordered the docuseries Gigante, which will cover four distinct eras in U.S. Latino history through the lens of the Sabado Gigante variety show.

Gigante tells the story of how immigrants from different Latin American countries created a tenuous alliance that would influence social capital, economics and politics in the U.S. Made with the participation of Sabado Gigante’s Don Francisco (Mario Kreutzberger), the four-part limited series is produced by Foton Pictures and Trojan Horse and will be streamed exclusively on Hulu in the U.S., Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories.

With access to 53 years of Sabado Gigante archives and A-list celebrities, Gigante explores how the longest running variety show in the history of television helped shape a new demographic and became a political force.

Jihan Robinson, VP of nonfiction at Onyx and Freeform, said: “To say we are enthusiastic about this project would be an understatement. Don Francisco and this series played such a huge role in the lives of the Latinx community and have left a lasting impact on this country. We are thrilled it has found a home with Onyx and to continue the Sabado Gigante legacy.”

Kreutzberger said: “I’m at a time in my life where it is more interesting looking backward. Where I have the full perspective of not only my 60 years as a professional but also where I’m able to fully analyze Don Francisco and Sabado Gigante’s record-breaking run and what it meant to so many people. I’m beyond happy to have the opportunity to tell the story with this amazing team and thankful to Onyx for helping us bring our show to a brand-new audience.”

Kareem Tabsch, executive producer and director, said: “Hispanics. Latinos. Latinx. Whatever you may call us or whatever we may call ourselves, so few people understand who we are and where we came from—including us. Gigante is the definitive Latino origin story told through the lens of Sabado Gigante, one of the most beloved programs in the Spanish-speaking world and a staple in all our homes. The series will tell how a Chilean Jewish immigrant in Miami managed to shape the way that millions of other immigrants from dozens of nationalities across the Western Hemisphere identified themselves, bringing us all closer together and forever changing the face of the United States and Latin America in the process.”

Carlos Enrique Cuscó, CEO of Foton.Pictures, said: “This is an extremely personal project for us and is very much part of our DNA as a company. Bringing impactful and relevant stories to the foreground with such hugely talented creative partners like Kareem and Alex is the reason we got into this business. To now partner with Onyx Collective and get the opportunity to share our story as Latinos, with the participation of Don Francisco (Mario Kreutzberger), is a dream come true. We could not be more honored to be producing this ambitious project with Onyx Collective and Trojan Horse.”