Emmy nominee Sofia Vergara (Modern Family) stars as Griselda Blanco, known as The Godmother of the underworld, in Netflix’s Griselda. The new trailer reveals Griselda’s not just a savvy businesswoman and mother, she’s also a killer who basically owns Miami.
“From the earliest days of my research for what became Narcos, [Griselda] leapt out at me as a fascinating character,” said series creator Eric Newman in an interview with Netflix’s Tudum. “I have always endeavored to humanize complicated people, many of whom have been considered evil, and Griselda offered both the greatest challenge and opportunity.”
In addition to Vergara, the six-episode limited series stars Alberto Guerra as Dario Sepúlveda, Christian Tappan as Arturo Mesa, Martín Rodríguez as Rivi Ayala, Juliana Aidén Martinez as June Hawkins, and Vanessa Ferlito as Carmen Gutiérrez. Carolina Giraldo (a.k.a Karol G), Fredy Yate, Paulina Dávila, José Zúñiga, Camilo Jiménez Varón, Julieth Restrepo, Gabriel Sloyer, Diego Trujillo, and Alberto Ammann guest star.
Discussing her lengthy involvement in developing the series, star/executive producer Vergara said she wanted to challenge herself by diving into this complex character.
“She’s not a hero, and many of the things she did were very terrible. But she was also very interesting. There were so many nuances to explore in terms of who she really was — as a cartel leader and a fearless businesswoman in Miami in the ‘70s, and of course, as a woman, as a mother. That was not a very usual mix. She was someone who did whatever it took to protect her family. At least, that’s what she supposedly said was driving her. I really wanted to explore that from the point of view of her being one of the only women in history to have gone as far as she did.”
Newman and his co-creators Doug Miro, Ingrid Escajeda, and Carlo Bernard serve as executive producers along with Andrés Baiz and Luis Balaguer. Baiz directs all six episodes, and Escajeda and Miro are co-showrunners.
Griselda premieres on January 25, 2024.
“There has never been a woman who came close to achieving the power, wealth, and respect that Griselda did. And no trafficker, woman or man, ever elicited the same level of fear,” said Newman. “Griselda is a rise-and-fall story like none we have ever seen before. It’s thrilling, emotional, funny, scary, and tragic. Griselda is an antihero of the highest order and a series of contradictions at odds with herself.”
The Plot, Courtesy of Netflix:
Griselda is inspired by the life of the savvy and ambitious Griselda Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. In 1970s-80s Miami, Blanco’s lethal blend of unsuspected savagery and charm helped her expertly navigate between business and family, leading her to become widely known as “the Godmother.”
