NetflixA ‘reset’ of Narcos is happening and the new series looks better than the original.
The drugs and drama are moving to a new location as Narcos: Mexico is set to be released later this year.
The new series will be its own entity, focussing on the origins of the modern drug war at a time when Mexican trafficking was made up of independent growers and dealers, and will no doubt give Narcos fans a fresh perspective on the show.
The story of Javier Pena will be no more, the show introducing Diego Luna and Michael Peña as leading actors to replace Pedro Pascal.
Guadalajara is not only the birthplace of mariachi and tequila, it's also the home of the newest season of Narcos. Coming 2018. pic.twitter.com/G9w1DjOa19
— Narcos (@NarcosNetflix) December 19, 2017
Narcos: Mexico will be set in the 80s, and will show Félix Gallardo, played by Diego Luna, taking the reigns of the Guadalajara Cartel, bringing traffickers together in order to build a huge empire and become the founder of today’s Mexican drug trade.
Félix will be challenged by the likes of DEA agent Kiki Camarena, played by Michael Peña, after he moves his family from California to Guadalajara and becomes aware of Félix’s work.
Camarena uncovers intelligence on the drug lord through informants, and becomes tangled in a web of tragic events as the sophistication of Félix’s network dawns on him.
Camarena’s mission in turn affects the drug trade and the war against it, and I think it’s safe to say that while quite a terrifying real -life event, the story will definitely make entertaining television.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, showrunner Eric Newman talked about the reset of the show.
He said:
The origins of the Guadalajara cartel are in the late 1970s and early 1980s, so Narcos is going back in time.
We always knew that we would get to Mexico eventually. A key team comprised of myself and the guys I really trust and work very closely with — [director] Andi Baiz, [co-creators] Carlo Bernard and Doug Miro — have been discussing how to best transition to Mexico as early as season two.
We decided on the Guadalajara cartel because it represents the beginning of the modern Mexican drug trade. It makes sense to start there.
The design was always to finish out the Colombian story and the players that we’ve come to know there, and then start anew in Mexico.
The new series is also introducing the infamous Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman into the storyline, representing the man who was a part of the trade from the beginning. El Chapo will be played by Fear The Walking Dead star Alejandro Edda.
Newman continued:
Chapo was there at the beginning, in a way. He was one of the younger guys in the Guadalajara cartel before it splintered and he and another guy were given Sinaloa as territory.
He also explained to The Hollywood Reporter why moving the series to Mexico was a natural next step for Narcos.
He added:
Past a certain point, and I think we’ve just reached that point in our show, Mexico became the kings of the cocaine game.
There is definitely a natural passing of the torch to Mexico, who at the time were already very successful as heroin and marijuana smugglers. It makes perfect sense that you would employ what they call the Mexican Trampoline to bounce cocaine into the States.
An official release date has not yet been set, but Narcos: Mexico will premiere later this year.
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Emily Brown first began delivering important news stories aged just 13, when she launched her career with a paper round. She graduated with a BA Hons in English Language in the Media from Lancaster University, and went on to become a freelance writer and blogger. Emily contributed to The Sunday Times Travel Magazine and Student Problems before becoming a journalist at UNILAD, where she works on breaking news as well as longer form features.