Netflix is no stranger to building a series around bad guys, and their upcoming release of
El Chapo will follow in the footsteps of other breakout successes that came before it.
The collaboration between Netflix and Univision promises to tell the story of Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, and marks the first joint project between the streaming service and the Spanish-language broadcasting giant. In the teaser above, we see a glimpse of all the usual highlights of a kingpin's story: briefcases filled with cash, guns, fast cars, and a power-hungry man at the center of it all.
Guzman's infamous "El Chapo" moniker translates roughly to "Shorty" and alludes to his diminutive height, but don't let the size of the man fool you. The cartel leader's power was once so great
he was labeled the "most powerful drug trafficker in the world" by the United States Department of the Treasury, and the DEA puts his level of influence on par with infamous Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar.
The creators have a lot of material to work with here, even toward the end of Guzman's reign. Mexican authorities captured "El Chapo" in early 2014, only for Guzman to escape a maximum security prison a year later by crawling through an opening in the jail's shower room. Univision's involvement here promises Netflix's narrative storytelling will be supplemented by reporting and insight from people who were directly involved in the day-to-day coverage of Guzman's life and impact.
If
El Chapo is anywhere near as engaging as
Narcos, which provided viewers with a well-rounded view of Escobar and the Medellin drug cartels, Netflix will probably have another hit on their hands.
El Chapo premieres Sunday, April 23 on Univision and will hit Netflix soon after.