WarnerMedia Latin America Unveils Its First Original Series for HBO Max, ‘Dias de Gallos’ and ‘Bunker’

John Hopewell
·3 min read

WarnerMedia Latin America has unveiled its first two original Latin American productions for HBO Max: Argentine freestyle battle series “Días de Gallos” and Mexico’s “Bunker,” billed as a half-hour acid comedy.

The series, both in production and made exclusively for HBO Max, were revealed on Friday, just a day after WarnerMedia announced that HBO Max will roll out in late June in 39 territories across Latin America and the Caribbean as the premium direct-to-consumer platform’s first launch outside the U.S.

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The series announcement also allowed Tomás Yankelvich, WarnerMedia Latin America chief content officer – general entertainment, to underscore the ambition, range and intended reach of WarnerMedia Latin America original productions for HBO Max. These will take in series and feature films, both scripted and unscripted, as well as children’s programs plus animation for a variety of tastes and audiences of all ages, Warner Media said in a statement.

Genres of original production in Latin America will run the gamut of “drama to comedy, suspense to animation – addressed to a broad audience, with a new, absolutely creative outlook,” Yankelevich added.

That outlook informs the just-announced productions: In its coming of age narrative and music talent background, “Días de Gallos” Disney’s franchise series such as 2012-15’s “Violetta” and 2016-18’s “Soy Luna.”

But these were teen targeting 80-part telenovelas, with their protagonists signing pop and Latin music. “Días de Gallos,” in contrast, runs just 10 episodes and looks to have a harder edge and older audience range. Set against the background of competitive freestyle competitions, the series, which is produced with Argentina’s Zeppelin Studios and launched in early 2019 by Lucas Jinkis and Hernán Guerschuny, will “depict the emotions and dreams of a community of young, talented artists competing against one another as they navigate their relationships of friendship, love and sex and try to learn from their mistakes,” WarnerMedia said Friday.

The series stars singer-actor Angela Torres (“Solamente Vos”), actor Tomas Wicz (“Signos: Under the Sign of Vengeance”) and young Argentine freestyle performer Ecko. It also features other real-life rappers such as Roma, NTC, Klan and drag performer The Queen.

“There’s no doubt in my mind that the show will change the way that young people are portrayed on TV. The characters on the show are very real, diverse and necessary,” Wicz said.

Filming in Mexico City, “Bunker” reflects a far broader international revolution in comedy half-hours. Bruno Bichir, star of Mexico’s “Perfectos Desconocidos,” plays a father who has lost the respect of his wife and children and only finds peace of mind retreating to an old fallout shelter in his home’s basement.

There, as the world falls apart, he teams with Russian and Korean scientists and activists for what WarnerMedia describes as a “common cause.” Victor Oliveira (“Hernán”), part of a high-profile Mexican cast including Miguel Rodarte (“Macho”), described the show as “a funny story about loyalty, family and lots of action.”

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