HBO Max is adding another comedy to its roster.
The streamer has handed out a series order to half-hour scripted entry Gordita Chronicles.
The comedy, which was first put into the WarnerMedia-backed platform’s development pipeline in February 2020, revolves around a 12-year-old Dominican girl who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American dream.
Newcomer Olivia Goncalves stars in the single-camera comedy from Sony Pictures Television. Claudia Forestieri (Good Trouble, Selena) penned the script and exec produces alongside Josh Berman (Drop Dead Diva), Jennifer Robinson and Chris King of Osprey Productions. Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz (HBO Max’s Love Life) also exec produces and serves as showrunner. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana exec produce via their Cinestar Pictures label. Eva Longoria directed the pilot and also is credited as an exec producer on the series via her UnbeliEVAble banner.
“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, exec vp nonfiction and live-action family programming at HBO Max. Added Sarah Aubrey, head of originals st the streamer: “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.”
Goncalves leads the cast that also includes Diana Maria Riva, Juan Javier, Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.
Gordita Chronicles has been fast-tracked at HBO Max. The project spent the bulk of 2020 in development and was ordered to pilot in March, receiving a speedy green light as sources note execs at both HBO Max and producers Sony TV (which was the studio on Netflix’s Latinx reboot of One Day at a Time) loved the creative.
Gordita Chronicles joins a roster of scripted comedies at HBO Max that also includes Hacks, Generation, Love Life, Made for Love, Rap Shit, Search Party, The Sex Lives of College Girls and the upcoming Sex and the City update, among others.
“From the minute we heard Claudia’s childhood story, we knew it was not only incredibly funny, but emotionally poignant and an important story to tell,” said Jason Clodfelter, co-president at 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.”
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
