The TV-ready life of notorious drug lord Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán has now reached its inevitable conclusion: a Netflix series. The streaming giant is partnering with Univision for a new drama series based on El Chapo's rise, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
"We are thrilled to partner with the award-winning Univision Story House on the timely and globally relevant drama series based on the life story of El Chapo," Ted Sarandos, Netflix's chief content officer, said in a statement. "El Chapo is a great example of how Univision continues to innovate and evolve with premium storytelling formats," Univision CEO Randy Falco added.
The series, simply entitled El Chapo, will premiere on UniMas in 2017 before exclusively sliding into Netflix queues across the U.S. Casting and additional production details regarding the series have not been released, though it's relatively safe to say that Sean Penn will have absolutely nothing to do with it.
Given the inherently cinematic nature of El Chapo's life, which currently consists of inhumane zombie treatment and continued Penn-related drama, this is a wise (and fairly predictable) move from Netflix. El Chapo joins the previously announced History Channel series #Cartel, a drama that also follows the Mexican drug lord's storied career. #Cartel boasts the involvement of Narcos creator Chris Brancato, who will both write and produce the series.
Not into the idea of binge-watching this presumably great El Chapo series? No worries. An El Chapo biopic is officially in development, despite alleged attempts by the Mexican government to halt the production.
