A reboot of a popular Mexican musical telenovela that spawned a successful pop band is coming to Netflix in the U.S. Rebelde, a limited series in Spanish, is debuting Jan. 5.
A new generation of students, some with dreams of becoming stars, enters Elite Way School, EWS, the campus where the Latin Grammy-nominated RBD was born almost two decades ago. Throughout eight episodes, Rebelde follows a group of high schoolers trying to win EWS’ Battle of the Bands, a key musical competition that could open big doors. Romance and friendship bloom between them while a mysterious secret society casts a shadow over their artistic dreams.
The series stars Azul Guaita Bracamontes, Giovanna Grigio, Franco Masini, Sergio Mayer Mori, Alejandro Puente, Jeronimo Cantillo, Lizeth Selene, Andrea Chaparro, Estefania Villarreal, Karla Cossío, Karla Sofía Gascón, Leonardo de Lozanne and Edwarda Gurrola. It is helmed by Santiago Limón, who was third assistant director in the 2011 action thriller Colombiana, starring Zoe Saldana. Co-directing is Yibran Asaud, whose credits include the comedic soap opera La Casa de las Flores and who last year won the Silver Bear for Outstanding Artistic Achievement at the Berlin Film Festival for the editing work in Una película de policías (A Cop Movie).
Back in the early 2000’s, Rebelde became a hit in Mexico, launching the international career of the Rebelde, or RBD, composed by Anahí, Alfonso Herrera, Dulce María, Christopher von Uckermann, Maite Perroni and Christian Chávez. The group became an international sensation and sold more than 15 million records worldwide. That Mexican telenovela was an adaptation of the Argentinian soap opera Rebelde Way, created and produced by Chris Morena.
The new Rebelde series is based on the concept by Cris Morena Group and Dori Media Group that was later adapted by Televisa. It is produced by Woo Films and Propagate.