Griselda is an American biographical crime drama television miniseries directed by Andrés Baiz and produced by Eric Newman and Sofía Vergara. It is written by Doug Miro and Ingrid Escajeda. It stars Vergara as Griselda Blanco, a notorious Colombian drug lord. The miniseries premiered on Netflix on January 25, 2024.[2]
| Griselda | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Created by |
|
| Directed by | Andrés Baiz |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Carlos Rafael Rivera[1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original languages |
|
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
|
| Production companies | Latin World Entertainment Willfully Obtuse Grand Electric |
| Original release | |
| Network | Netflix |
| Release | January 25, 2024 |
| Related | |
| Narcos Narcos: Mexico | |
The miniseries received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Vergara's performance. In the first week after its release, it debuted at number one in 90 countries and topped Netflix's Global Weekly Top 10 TV (English).
Plot
editThe story follows Griselda Blanco, a prominent crime boss, and her rise in the Miami drug scene and pursuit of power and wealth. Drug use, paranoia, and betrayal lead to her downfall, with her actions resulting in multiple deaths, including that of a child. To escape retaliation from the cartel, Griselda turns herself in to the police but faces unexpected consequences. Despite serving time in prison, tragedy strikes when most of her children are murdered. The series ends with Griselda imagining a peaceful beach scene with her children. The show serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive pursuit of power. Griselda was assassinated in 2012 in Medellín, Colombia.
Cast and characters
editMain
edit- Sofía Vergara as Griselda Blanco, a prominent Colombian drug lord in the cocaine-based drug trade and underworld of Miami, Florida, in the 1980s, also known as the "Godmother of Cocaine"[3]
- Alberto Guerra as Darío Sepúlveda, Griselda's third husband.
- Martin Rodriguez as Jorge Ayala, Griselda's top hitman.
- Juliana Aidén Martinez as June Hawkins, a Spanish-speaking intelligent agent
- Vanessa Ferlito as Carmen Gutiérrez, Griselda's friend who provides her a place to stay in Miami.
- Christian Tappan as Arturo Mesa, Griselda's friend
Recurring
edit- José Zúñiga as Amilcar, a prominent drug lord in Miami.
- José Velázquez as Uber, Griselda's second son.
- Orlando Pineda as Dixon, Griselda's oldest son.
- Martín Fajardo as Ozzy, Griselda's third son.
- Fredy Yate as Chucho Castro, a worker at a diner in Miami, hired by Griselda as her bodyguard.
- Camilo Jiménez Varón as Rafael Cardona Salazar
- Diego Trujillo as German Panesso
- Maximiliano Hernández as Papo Mejía, Griselda's rival Colombian trafficker.
- Michael Reilly Burke as Captain Sweetwater
- Carolina Giraldo as Carla, a Medellín sex worker, and Griselda's friend and confidante who helps her smuggle product into the U.S.
- Paulina Dávila as Isabel, Griselda's close friend from Medellín.
- Alejandro Barrios as Horatio, Papo’s bodyguard.
- Gabriel Sloyer as Raúl Díaz, Hawkins’ partner.
- Julieth Restrepo as Marta Ochoa, cousin of the Ochoa brothers (who are both high-ranking members of the Medellín cartel).
Guest
edit- Alberto Ammann as Alberto Bravo, Griselda's second husband, who introduced her to the cocaine business.[4]
- Ernesto Alterio as Fernando, Alberto's brother.
- Wilmer Calderon as Johnny
- Alberto Mateo as Eddie "The Bird" Rancón
- Kayla Eva as Frida
- Julian Obradors as Eric
- Taylor Handley as Billy Jensen
- Edgardo González as Emilio
- David Piggott as Max Mermelstein
- David Zaldivar as Rigo, a Cuban who helps Griselda and her family
- Christian Gnecco-Quintero as Fabio Ochoa
- Oscar Camacho as Miguelito
- Goya Robles as Monkey Morales
- Marlene Forte as Esmeralda, Rigo's mother.
- Carter MacIntyre as Al Singleton
- Jeffrey Vincent Parise as Jon Roberts
- Natalie Masini as Sheila
- Michael Andrew Baker as Rodney
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Lady Comes to Town" | Andrés Baiz | Teleplay by : Ingrid Escajeda & Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro & Eric Newman & Carlo Bernard and Ingrid Escajeda & Doug Miro | January 25, 2024 |
| 2 | "Rich White People" | Andrés Baiz | Brenna Kouf & Cassie Pappas and Doug Miro | January 25, 2024 |
| 3 | "Mutiny" | Andrés Baiz | Teleplay by : Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro and Turi Meyer & Alfredo Septién | January 25, 2024 |
| 4 | "Middle Management" | Andrés Baiz | Teleplay by : Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro & Gina Lucita Monreal | January 25, 2024 |
| 5 | "Paradise Lost" | Andrés Baiz | Doug Miro & Ingrid Escajeda & Giovanna Sarquis | January 25, 2024 |
| 6 | "Adios, Miami" | Andrés Baiz | Teleplay by : Doug Miro Story by : Doug Miro & Ingrid Escajeda | January 25, 2024 |
Production
editDevelopment
editOn November 3, 2021, it was reported that Netflix was in the process of developing a new crime drama miniseries based on the real life of Colombian drug trafficker Griselda Blanco.[5] The miniseries would be produced by Eric Newman, Sofía Vergara, and [6] Luis Balaguer for Latin World Entertainment. A Colombian native, Baiz directed all episodes.[7] Baiz, with Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard, who are part of the Narcos creative team, would serve as executive producers, and Ingrid Escajeda and Miro would serve as showrunners.[8][9] On January 19, 2022, Netflix released a first-look photo of Vergara in character as real-life drug queenpin Griselda Blanco, in a sneak peek of the upcoming limited series. The release also revealed 12 newly confirmed cast members, including Vanessa Ferlito and Juliana Aidén Martinez.[9] The cast also includes Alberto Guerra, Alberto Ammann, Christian Tappan, Diego Trujillo, Paulina Davila, Gabriel Sloyer, Martin Rodriguez, José Zúñiga, Maximiliano Hernández, Julieth Restrepo and Carolina Giraldo (best known as Karol G—a famous singer from Medellín—in her first major acting role).[10]
Filming
editFilming for the miniseries began on January 17, 2022, in Los Angeles.[11]
Release
editThe series was released on Netflix on January 25, 2024.[2]
On January 17, members of Griselda Blanco's family filed a lawsuit for unauthorized use of likenesses and called on a judge to halt the release of the show.[12][13]
Reception
editAudience viewership
editDuring its debut week, Griselda debuted at number one in 90 countries and topped the Netflix Global Weekly Top 10 TV (English) chart, just three days after its release, with a total of 20.6 million viewers and 113.8 million hours viewed.[14][15] It maintained the position in the following week, garnering 114.1 million viewing hours.[16][17]
Critical response
edit
Griselda was met with generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for Vergara's performance, though some historical inaccuracies received criticism.[18] On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 87% of 52 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sofía Vergara impressively disappears into the role of Griselda Blanco in this propulsive gangster saga, which plays loose with the facts but achieves genuine grit."[19] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the show a score of 64 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[20]
TVLine named Sofía Vergara their performer of the week, for the week of January 27, 2024, specifically for her performance in episode five, "Paradise Lost". The site deemed it a "career-defining" performance, writing that "Vergara's unwavering commitment and out-of-left-field gravitas elevates Griselda to one of those rare edge-of-your-seat TV experiences".[21]
Some in Colombia have challenged aspects of the production for "glorif[ying] ... a bygone era of rampant violence and drugs" and Griselda as a heroine. Diego Cortes, an assistant professor of media studies at the University of Oregon, "said the series was regurgitating tired stereotypes" but was also highlighting the role of North Americans in "their role in the drug trafficking industry ... [as] cocaine customers" whom Griselda identified as a market.
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Date | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold Derby TV Awards | August 14, 2024 | Limited/Movie Actress | Sofía Vergara | Nominated | [22] |
| Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | September 8, 2024 | Outstanding Cinematography for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Armando Salas (for "Middle Management") | Nominated | [23] |
| Outstanding Period Costumes for a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Safowa Bright Bitzelberger (for "Paradise Lost") | Nominated | |||
| Primetime Emmy Awards | September 15, 2024 | Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie | Sofía Vergara | Nominated |
Lawsuit
editMichael Corleone Blanco, the real life son of Blanco, and his wife, Marie, sued Netflix, Vergara, and others over the series due to alleged unauthorized usage of the family's "image, likeness, and/or identity" without consent or compensation in January 2024. The suit was dismissed with prejudice in February 2024.[24][25][26]
References
edit- ^ "Carlos Rafael Rivera Scoring Netflix's 'Griselda'". Archived from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
- ^ a b Bitran, Tara; Thao, Phillipe (December 1, 2023). "See Sofía Vergara's Transformation into 'Griselda'". Netflix Tudum. Archived from the original on December 1, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Tilly, Chris (November 30, 2023). "Griselda release date, trailer, cast, plot, & more". Dexerto. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ Seitz, Loree (November 30, 2023). "Sofía Vergara Rises Through Cartel Ranks to Dominate 1980s Miami in 'Griselda' Trailer". The Wrap. Archived from the original on November 30, 2023. Retrieved December 1, 2023.
- ^ "About Netflix - Netflix Announces Limited Drama Series, 'Griselda,' Starring and Executive Produced by Sofia Vergara". About Netflix. Archived from the original on November 19, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Strause, Jackie; Goldberg, Lesley (November 3, 2021). "Sofia Vergara to Star in 'Griselda' Limited Series at Netflix From 'Narcos' Team". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Cordero, Rosy (November 3, 2021). "Sofia Vergara To Portray Griselda Blanco In Netflix Limited Series". Deadline. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ Otterson, Joe (November 3, 2021). "Sofía Vergara to Play Drug Queenpin Griselda Blanco in Netflix Limited Series". Variety. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved November 3, 2021.
- ^ a b Cordero, Rosy (January 19, 2022). "'Griselda' Netflix Series Adds To Cast, Releases First Look of Sofia Vergara As Notorious Drug Queenpin". Deadline. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Romano, Nick (January 19, 2022). "Sofia Vergara transforms into Netflix's Griselda Blanco in first-look photo". EW.com. Archived from the original on January 19, 2022. Retrieved January 20, 2022.
- ^ Munro, Stefani (January 23, 2022). "When does Griselda come out on Netflix?". Netflix Life. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
- ^ O'Kane, Caitlin (January 22, 2024). "Sofia Vergara and Netflix sued by family of Griselda Blanco ahead of miniseries about drug lord". Entertainment. cbsnews.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ Wang, Jessica (January 25, 2024). "Sofia Vergara's Griselda releases on Netflix amid lawsuit from Blanco estate: 'Comes with the territory'". TV. Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Netflix Global Top 10". Netflix. January 28, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ Bell, BreAnna (January 30, 2024). "Netflix Top 10: 'Griselda' Debuts at No. 1 on English TV Chart as 'Leave the World Behind' Joins Most Popular English Films List at No. 8". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Netflix Global Top 10". Netflix. February 4, 2024. Archived from the original on March 5, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Hailu, Selome (February 6, 2024). "'Fool Me Once' Becomes Netflix's Ninth Most-Popular English-Language TV Show Ever, Bumping 'Queen Charlotte' From Top 10". Variety. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
- ^ Bythrow, Nick (January 30, 2024). "Sofía Vergara's New Crime Show Dominates Netflix's Global Chart On Its Debut Week". ScreenRant. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
- ^ "Griselda". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ "Griselda: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ Swift, Andy (January 27, 2024). "Performer of the Week: Sofia Vergara". TV Line. Archived from the original on January 31, 2024. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ "2024 Gold Derby TV Awards winners: 'The Bear' and 'Shogun' dominate with 6 apiece [Watch many acceptance speeches]". Gold Derby. August 14, 2024. Archived from the original on August 14, 2024.
- ^ "Griselda". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. July 17, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2024.
- ^ Pietsch, Bryan, "'Griselda’ gets chilly response in her native Colombia" Archived February 6, 2024, at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post, February 6, 2024. Retrieved 2024-02-06.
- ^ Overhultz, Lauryn (February 13, 2024). "Sofia Vergara 'Griselda' lawsuit from real-life mobster's son permanently dismissed". FOXBusiness. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ Thomas, Carly (February 10, 2024). "Griselda Blanco Estate Settles Lawsuit With Netflix Over Sofia Vergara Show". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 14, 2024. Retrieved February 14, 2024.