Deadline reports that Chris Brancato (Godfather of Harlem, First Wave), the brain behind Narcos, served as a keynote speaker at today’s Series Mania. The Peaky Blinders creator spoke about his career and upcoming projects, including the MGM+ series, Hotel Cocaine, starring Danny Pino (Cold Case, Law & Order: SVU).
According to Deadline, Brancato reminisced about his illustrious three-decade career, marked by his creation of Narcos, a groundbreaking U.S. Netflix sensation that pioneered bilingual filming. Since then, global hits such as Squid Game and Money Heist have emerged from diverse corners of the world, further reshaping the landscape of television.
“If you said one line in another language [back then], it was like, ‘Absolutely not’,” he said via Deadline. “There was this prejudice against even a single line of subtitles.”
He recounted informing then-Netflix commissioning chief Cindy Holland that if the characters in Narcos spoke English, it was “going to be bullshit”, to which she responded with an “OK.”
“I was so stunned walking out of there with the exec thinking what world we were in that we could do a show in another language,” Brancato explained via Deadline. He humorously added that he was informed Netflix was looking to expand into Latin America, thus expressing his contentment and that he was “happy” with the decision he made.
The end of the peak TV era has been a topic of much discussion at Series Mania, and Brancato acknowledged the trend of fewer shows being commissioned.
“You can’t go to Hollywood with a pitch now that isn’t perfect,” he added according to Deadline. “Things you would have sold five to seven years ago you now wouldn’t be able to. I don’t know if it’s risk aversion or the studios losing billions of dollars during the strike. There are a whole bunch of conflicting reasons why they will make less product.”
According to Deadline, Brancato, engaged the Series Mania audience with insights into his upcoming endeavors, mentioning his contemplation of a couple of projects reminiscent of Beverly Hills, 90210, a series he previously contributed to in his career. He also mentioned crafting a series akin to Peaky Blinders, delving into the realm of Irish gangs in New York. Tentatively titled The Westies, the project is in its early stages of development for MGM+.
His latest project, Hotel Cocaine, is described as a “muscular crime drama,” via Deadline. Reminiscent of Casablanca, the show revolves around a Cuban exile (Pino) who serves as the general manager of a hotel—a glamorous hub within the Miami cocaine scene during the late ’70s and early ’80s. Much like his previous work, the series highlights themes that resonate with contemporary issues.
“I look for themes such as hedonism that was part of the American and worldwide culture at that time,” said Brancato via Deadline. “Did it amount to anything? To examine this, you want to make a period piece to comment about and I think this offers commentary about today as well.”
According to Deadline, Brancato stated that should a second season be greenlit, he plans to explore the broader scope of the cocaine trade in Miami, focusing on the underlying factors of the era, particularly the concept of a second American invasion of Cuba.
Series Mania concludes on Friday, having showcased keynote presentations from prominent executives representing Netflix, Disney+, and HBO.