HBO Max Orders Comedy ‘Gordita Chronicles’ from Zoe Saldana, Sony Pictures

HBO Max has given a series order to the family-friendly comedy “Gordita Chronicles” that hails from Sony Pictures TV, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Osprey Productions.

The Latino-focused series stars Diana-Maria Riva (“Dead to Me,” “Telenovela”), Juan Javier Cardenas (“Snowfall,” “9-1-1: Lone Star”) and Olivia Goncalves (“Scooter McGruder”).

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Claudia Forestieri (“Good Trouble,” “Selena: The Series”), wrote the pilot and Eva Longoria directed. Longoria will serve as an executive producer for her Unbelievable Entertainment banner, and Forestieri also executive produces.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zoe, Eva, Josh and Sony Pictures Television to bring to life this beautiful coming-of-age story inspired by Claudia’s personal journey,” said Jennifer O’Connell, executive VP, non-fiction and live-action family programming, HBO Max. “HBO Max is proud to work with the powerhouse Latinx talent in front of and behind the camera for this series, which we believe will resonate with all families,” added Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max.

Per the logline, “Gordita Chronicles” centers on a willful, 12-year-old Dominican girl who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American dream.

“From the minute we heard Claudia’s childhood story, we knew it was not only incredibly funny, but also emotionally poignant and an important story to tell,” added Jason Clodfelter, co-president, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Cucu and the Castellis remind us of the iconic sitcom families we grew up watching, but none of those ever captured a Dominican family’s experience of coming to America. This show changes all of that, and we are thrilled and grateful to dive back in and make a wonderful series for our friends at HBO Max.”

Goncalves plays “Carlota ‘Cucu’ Castelli,” a willful, confident, reluctant Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu is overzealous in her quest to regain the queen bee status in her new school, when her parents and older sister move to Miami for her dad’s new job. Riva plays “Adela,” Cucu’s mom and Cardenas plays“Victor Castelli,” Cucu’s dad.

Also starring are Savannah Nicole Ruiz (“Gentefied”) as “Emilia,” Cucu’s older sister. Noah Rico (“High School Musical: The Musical”) plays “Yosmel ‘Yoshy’ Hernandez,” a Cuban refugee and Cucu’s first friend in Miami, and newcomer Cosette Hauer plays “Ashley,” an optimistic go-getter desperate to fit in, but nevertheless always sticks out.

Josh Berman (“Drop Dead Diva,” “CSI”) executive produces alongside Jennifer Robinson and Chris King of Osprey Productions, with Saldana and Longoria. Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz will executive produce and serve as showrunner for Bons Mots Emporium. Mariel and Cisely Saldana, Zoe’s sisters, are executive producers for Cinestar Pictures.

(Pictured Zoe Saldana and Eva Longoria)

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