Premieres June 23 on HBO Max
What do you get when you have a great script, bring on two Latina powerhouses in film and television to sign on as executive producers, a young rising star, and a studio and streaming platform that is sold on the show? You get the Gordita Chronicles and it is so good!
Claudia Forestieri, the creator of the show started off as a news producer at Telemundo, and made her transition into TV writing thanks to the amazing writing fellowships offered in Hollywood (including ABC and NBC). The script that finally got her the attention that would propel her to become a working TV writer was the Gordita Chronicles.
She took the script to Frank Ochoa, Executive Director of Comedy Development at Sony Pictures Television which led to Zoe Saldana coming on board as an executive producer through her production company Cinestar Pictures. When the search for the right director was on, Gloria Calderon Kellett (creator of One Day at a Time and With Love) knew who the right person might be. She called Eva Longoria and she was on, not just as a director, but also as an executive producer.
Now the search was on for the lead character of Cucu Castelli, the precocious and totally irresistible “Gordita”. That would be Oliva Goncalves, who although had no acting experience sold the creative team on her ability to take on the lead role of this TV comedy series… and they were right. Goncalves’ family is of Dominican background, she grew up in the U.S. totally bilingual (Spanish/English), which comes in handy as the series is peppered with Spanish.
A year and a half after announcing the pilot was a go, the Gordita Chronicles is set to make its television debut on June 23 and the world is in for a treat. The Gordita Chronicles is like Fresh Off The Boat taken to a higher level of sass and laughs. Credit goes to the writing, but working with executive producers and directors that know these characters enough to create a truthfulness and uniqueness to a story that has never been seen on TV before sure makes a big difference.
We are talking about a middle-class family whose father (Juan Javier Cardenas) has landed a high-paying job (or so he thinks) and moves his wife and two young girls, teenager Emilia (Savannah Nicole Ruiz) and 12-year-old Cucu from the Dominican Republic to Miami. It’s 1985 and his wife, played by Diana Maria Riva, is looking forward to their “gorgeous new home in Miami”. To quote Cucu, upon their arrival in the U.S. “The song said ‘America the beautiful’ I think they oversold it”. This fish out of water story is changing the rules on the immigrant story.
Recently, HBO Max pulled out the “purple carpet” for the premiere of the Gordita Chronicles, as the cast and creatives were feted for their work in this infectious comedy series created by Forestieri. The star of the day, Goncalves arrived looking beautiful in her blue gown, as she worked the carpet like a pro with the rest of the cast and creatives. From costume designer to the executives and cast you could feel the excitement and pride as they talked about the project.
The screening was raucous fun as the over 200 in attendance laughed and hooted throughout. It was followed by a Q & A conversation led by Goncalves herself, who interviewed the A-list executive producers, Longoria and Saldana like a TV host pro.
The Gordita Chronicles is a semi-autobiographical story based on Forestier’s growing up in Miami after immigrating as a young girl from the Dominican Republic. She is the original “Gordita”, meaning chubby in Spanish. In the pilot episode, Goncalves’ character, Cucu Castelli, wears the moniker proudly as in the DR it’s a term of endearment for girls of a certain weight. However, that is not the case in her new school in Miami. But Cucu is not letting anything get her down, as she embraces her new surroundings and is stepping up to enjoy her new country and all it has to offer.
The guests were able to vicariously experience what it might have been like to grow up Latina in Miami during the 80s, along with the vibrant, retro tone and nostalgic decor, fashion, food, music, and much more.
After the screening guests, which included a literal who is who of Latino actors, producers and executives, were treated to a taste of Caribbean/Cuban music, food delicacies like mofongo, and cortadito cafe. As usual, the party kept going way beyond the end time…but it wouldn’t be a Latino party if that was not the case.
Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz is both executive producer and showrunner. Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces through her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is a co-executive producer through Sony Pictures TV.
I highly recommend the Gordita Chronicles. Experience it beginning June 23 on HBO Max.