Starz partners with Televisa on ‘Maleficio’


Details

Gabriel Miramar-Garcia

| 10 January 2016




Starz has partnered with Televisa USA to develop the original series Maleficio based on the popular Mexican production.



El Maleficio originally aired in 1983-84 with 320 episodes, to become one of the most successful telenovelas of all time.

The supernatural thriller will centre on Don Enrique De Martino, a powerful Mexican businessman who has made a deadly pact with the Devil. Writer and producer Mauricio Katz will serve as show-runner. Pedro Peirano will serve as executive producer, and will co-write the first episode with Katz. Peirano, an award-winning Chilean director, screenwriter, journalist, cartoonist and television producer, wrote the film No, which was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 2013.

"We are pleased to partner with Televisa USA for an adaptation of such an incredibly successful series and bring it to the US audience," said Carmi Zlotnik, MD, 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' stamp of quality together with Mauricio and Pedro's tremendous vision and intimate knowledge of the format will ensure an impactful return of this iconic series," added Chris Philip, head of production and distribution, Televisa USA. "Maleficios past success means we have a built-in audience of hundreds of millions of fans worldwide."

Katz in Mexico co-created and executive-produced the hit TV series Niño Santo, which aired for two seasons. Most recently, Katz served as consulting producer on The Bridge for FX. Starz will retain all domestic and Canadian rights and Televisa USA will retain International rights.