Jesse Garcia and Annie Gonzalez to Star in ‘Once Upon a Time in Aztlan’
The lure of the American Dream has long been the reasoning behind immigration but we know the real hardship and struggles and a new series from George Lopez is going to explore that and more
Photo: Instagram/@jessejohngarcia/ @annieggonzalez/Wiki Commons - Brooke Army Medical Center
The lure of the American Dream has long been the reasoning behind immigration but we know the real hardship and struggles and a new series from George Lopez is going to explore that and more. Earlier this month, STXtelevision and Amazon Studios green-lit the pilot of Once Upon A Time In Aztlan, a drama series starring and executive produced by iconic Mexican-American comedian Lopez in his first real dramatic role. It was recently announced thatJesse Garcia (Narcos, Chicago P.D.) and Annie Gonzalez (Vida, Gentefied) have been cast as the show’s lead characters Arturo Duran and Dolores “Lola” Duran, respectively, Deadline reported.
Written, created, and executive produced by screenwriter and executive producer Javier Rodriguez (The Chicas Project, Big Brother), OUATIA is an hour-long drama centering on a Chicano family living in Los Angeles as they face the highs and lows pursuing the American Dream. As Arturo, Garcia takes the helm as a man who spends 13 years in federal prison and receives a second chance at life through “his transcendental artistry, which will single-handedly take possession of how the world sees the Southern California Dream.”Gonzalez, meanwhile, plays the daughter of Gervasio Duran, played by Lopez. The youngest of his children, “she’s the heart of the family, a spitfire mother, and entrepreneur who runs a bar-cabaret with her ex.”
Gonzalez took to Instagram to share the news, captioning her post, “I guess you can say…. The cat has been let out of the bag… one more time with my man @jessejohngarcia ! Beyond beyond ready to bring @ruthlessdinnerguest brilliance to you and yours!!!! #scorpioseason”.
Incidentally, both actors will also appear on our screens in the Eva Longoria-directed biopic Flamin’ Hot that will spotlight Richard Montañez (played by Garcia), the alleged inventor of the iconic snack and staple of Latinx culture, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. Gonzalez stars as his wife Judy Montañez, and will return for Season 2 of Netflix’s Gentefied, dropping on the streaming service Nov. 10. Meanwhile Lopez is also returning to the small screen and this time with his real-life daughter, Mayan Lopez, in the upcoming series Lopez vs. Lopez set to air on NBC. For OUATIA, Lopez is joining forces with famed photographer Estevan Oriol and iconic Los Angeles-based artist Mister Cartoon aka Mark Machado along with Michael Connolly who put it all together under STXtelevision-based Mad Hatter Entertainment.
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“I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Cartoon, Estevan, Jada and Michael for this series and developing a show with STXtv,” Lopez said in a previous statement. “Cartoon and Estevan are the DaVincis of our community; they have been the street chroniclers of our uniquely Chicano story … our American story. I’m looking forward to working with them and the rest of the team to expand their canvas to capture the diverse stories and people that make our culture and community so amazing, colorful and vibrant.”
While no release date has been announced yet, we’re already excited to see this Latinx-led story unfold on our screens and what else Lope, Garcia, and Gonzalez have in store for us this year.
