‘Gentefied’ Trailer Reveals February Premiere Date on Netflix
Just days after the premiere of The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia comes another Latinx-centered series also on Netflix with the Feb
Photo: Unsplash/@molliesivaram
Just days after the premiere of The Expanding Universe of Ashley Garcia comes another Latinx-centered series also on Netflix with the Feb.21 premiere of Gentefied. The series is set in Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles and like the play on words the title suggests, gentrification is a major theme on the series, similar to Vida which is set in the same neighborhood. Written by first generation Chicano writers Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chavez, it started out as a web series and received praise in Sundance in 2017 before getting picked up for a 10-episode first season on Netflix, IndieWire reports.
This Spanglish series follows three Mexican-American cousins as they struggle to balance family and their pursuit of the American Dream. Judging by the trailer, their immigrant grandfather’s taco shop is in peril as the neighborhood is rapidly changing and he’s reluctant to change along with it. Joaquín Cosío, Karrie Martin, JJ Soria and Carlos Santos star alongside Julissa Calderon, Annie Gonzalez, and Laura Patalano. The three leads illustrate different Latinx experiences from the chef trying to making it in a white-male dominated industry, the grandson with commitment issues, and an aspiring painter whose work isn’t taken seriously by her mom and she struggles with balancing her relationship with raising her daughter.
The series billed as a dramedy is produced by Ugly Betty and Superstore star America Ferrera and That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama, both also have guest starring roles with Ferrera directing a couple of episodes as well, according to The Wrap. According to the synopsis, the show is a “love letter to the Latinx and Boyle Heights communities” and the creators hope it “will let their little cousins rocking Adidas, hoops, and big dreams see themselves on the big screen in ways they only dreamed of growing up.”
#Gentefied is a smart & funny new show from executive producer @AmericaFerrera about Mexican-American cousins chasing the American Dream. It's a love letter to the Latinx community — and so is our new page @ConTodoNetflix! pic.twitter.com/xBLD2miVGK
— Netflix Queue (@netflixqueue) January 21, 2020
The release of the trailer immediately received love on social media with #gentefied blowing up Twitter and Chavez shared it on her Instagram writing, “Dear Gente, This one’s for you…Con mucho pero mucho amor.” With such a strong Latinx cast and crew, we’re all naturally excited to binge watch and we’re also hoping this series — along with The Expanding Universe of Kathy Garcia — thrive on Netflix in a way no Latinx-centered show has been able to so far. Stay tuned and make sure to check out the premiere Feb. 21.
