Ultra Violet & Blue Demon Feature Latinos In-Front-Of and Behind-the-Camera
Mexican Luchadores are all the rage lately and Disney has joined the lucha libre craze with their live-action comedy entitled Ultra Violet & Blue Demon. The Disney Channel has ordered the pilot which stars Mexican professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and Scarlett Estevez (BUNK’D).
The series revolves around a Mexican-American girl with a special legacy family. Ultra Violet & Blue Demons has a predominantly Latino cast, with creators, executive producers, and writers who will lend authenticity to the story. The title of the Disney series includes the name of one of the most famous wrestlers in Mexico, the late Blue Demon which should delight luchador fans around the world. Blue Demon Jr., his adopted son carries on his legacy while creating his own.
In 2008 Blue Demon Jr. became the first Mexican professional wrestler, as well as first masked luchador, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated the then champion, Adam Pearce. In 2014 he appeared in Robert Rodriguez El Rey network’s television series Lucha Underground and one of the wrestlers and appeared in a cartoon version in an episode of ¡Mucha Lucha! On Kids WB.
Estevez, whose acting career started at the age of three and has a long list of credit, plays a 13 year old student dealing with the angst that is middle school. When she is selected to wear the magical luchador mask that allows her to become Ultra, she begins training with her famous Mexican wrestler uncle, Blue Demon Jr. who is also a superhero in disguise. Together they teach each other, Ultra trains with her uncle to attain her superhero status and Uncle Blue discovers he can also learn a thing or two from his modern Gen-Z niece.
“Blue Demon Jr. is a Mexican cultural icon and we are looking forward to introducing him—and the luchador mythology—to our viewers,” said Rafael Garcia, vice president, Development, Disney Branded Television. “With Violet and her family, we also have the opportunity to present an authentic Mexican American family in a series that combines humor and adventure in a unique Latinx shake-up of the superhero genre.”
The cast includes: Venezuelan actress Marianna Burelli plays Violet’s mother; Juan Alfonso as Violet’s father; Brandon Rossel is Violet’s brother; Zelia Ankrum is Violet’s best friend; and Bryan Blanco as Violet’s goody-two-shoes classmate.Blue Demon Jr. is set to co-executive produce the series alongside fellow co-executive producers Moxie 88’s Dan Carrillo Levy and Eugenio Villamar who brought the IP to Disney. Jorge Garcia Castro will also serve as a co-executive producer. The pilot episode was written and executive produced by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (Pokémon Detective Pikachu, One Day at a Time) and directed by Alejandro Damiani (“M.A.M.O.N.”).
— Bel Hernandez
Featured Photo” (Disney/Mitch Haaseth)