Yahoo Finance HBO Max Defrosts Spain’s Answer to Captain America with Live Action ‘García!’ Adaptation
Set to launch in Europe later this year, HBO Max has bolstered its originals pipeline with the announcement of “García!” a new series to be produced in Spain based on the popular graphic novel of the same name by authors Santiago García and Luis Bustos.
Miguel Salvat, Steve Matthews and Antony Root, the trio behind HBO España’s fan-favorite horror thriller “30 Coins” from Spanish maestro Alex de la Iglesia, are teaming once again as executive producers on the six-hour series.
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“’García!’ is a project with enormous narrative and epic visual ambition. The tiniest details combine to become an action-packed adventure series, sometimes honoring the great genre traditions, but sometimes blowing them up. In ‘García!’ whilst we see a Spain that has changed somewhat in the last few decades, some elements remain the same,” said Salvat.
Set in modern-day Spain, the novel, published by Astiberri Ediciones, plays on cultural and social uncertainty in a country still struggling with the ghosts of its dictatorial past, where old sentiments are reemerging, and political divides are deepening. In the story, a young investigative reporter named Antonia, played by Veki Velilla (“+ de 100 mentiras”), uncovers the truth behind a decades-old Francoist conspiracy.
At the peak of his power in the 1950s, the dictator had García, his top agent, cryogenically frozen. Today, after 60-years in hibernation, the Captain America-like super-soldier with inhuman strength and agility is thawed out by the reporter. Brainwashed to be an order-following machine, García is a relic of a bygone era and struggles to adapt to the 21st century. He must rely on Antonia to help him acclimatize, while she needs his expertise to put an end to a sinister clandestine plot to upend Spanish democracy and re-establish the dictatorship.
Francisco Ortiz (“El Cid”) will play the titular role, joined by a cast including Emilio Gutiérrez Caba (“Common Wealth”), Francisco Reyes (“30 Coins”), Nico Romero (“Riot Police”), Helio Pedregal, Mario Pardo, Miki Molina, Marina Gatell, Pepe Ocio and Silvia Abascal.
Sara Antuña and Carlos de Pando co-created the series and handle screenwriting duties. Filmmaker and composer Eugenio Mira (“Grand Piano”) will direct the series’ six episodes, produced by one of Spain’s most exciting independent companies in Zeta Studios (“Élite,” “The Neighbor”) for WarnerMedia in Spain.
“When I read the first episode of “García!” I really enjoyed identifying with elements I’ve always loved, but what won me over was the way the script combined those references with something totally new. Being able to experiment with such great original material, a rich universe and ever-evolving characters, not to mention keeping track of the constant cliff-hangers and revelations, is a great technical and artistic challenge for me, and a huge privilege,” explained director Mira.
Antonio Asensio, president of Zeta Studios, added: “There is no doubt that ‘García!’ is one of our biggest bets. It is a very ambitious project which involves an exciting challenge in terms of production – we are thrilled to bring the show to life. We are confident that partnering with HBO Max, one of the most important entertainment platforms, is the beginning of a fruitful collaboration”.
“García” will arrive on HBO Max next year.
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