Ben Odell, CEO of 3Pas Studios
Y Llegaron de Noche is an original comedy series from ViX, produced in collaboration with 3Pas Studios and Visceral. Created, produced, and directed by Eugenio Derbez, it was the inaugural project that 3Pas Studios and the platform discussed when they formed their first-look agreement a few years ago. ViX and 3Pas Studios have already jointly produced the originals: La Noche del Diablito (2022-2023), Radical (2023), Es Por su Bien (2024), and now Y Llegaron de Noche (2024). Additionally, the following Derbez productions are available on the platform: De Viaje con los Derbez (2019) and De Broma en Broma (2021).
“When we decided to partner with ViX, one of the projects we discussed was this ambitious series. It’s a period comedy that we felt would offer something unique and captivating to our audience,” Ben Odell, CEO of 3Pas Studios, told PRODU.
Inspired by true events, Y Llegaron de Noche is a comedy that delves into the behind-the-scenes story of a group of Latinos who created a superior Spanish-language version of the classic 1931 Dracula film. While the renowned actor Bela Lugosi filmed the English version of Dracula during the day, another cast and crew worked tirelessly at night on the same set, using the same costumes and a translated script. Despite the challenges of working from dusk to dawn, they managed to create a film that surpassed the original.
Created and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher (known for The Valet and Overboard), Y Llegaron de Noche is executive produced by Odell, Derbez, and Javier Williams on behalf of 3Pas Studios. Derbez also serves as showrunner and director of the pilot episode. Jorge Ulloa, Pipe Ybarra, and Alessandro Damiani also contribute as directors. Visceral handles the production for Y Llegaron de Noche, with Pablo Calasso as executive producer.
The cast features Diana Bovio, Laura Ferreti, Manuel “El Flaco” Ibañez, Daniel Sosa, John Goodrich, Federico Espejo, Daniel Raymond, Gerardo Velázquez, Fernando Memije, Yare Santana, Sofía Niño de Rivera, AJ Vaage, and comedy legend Jason Alexander, best known for his role on Seinfeld.
The series premiered on the platform on Friday the 4th.
Odell notes that this is Derbez’s first Spanish-language comedy series for television since La Familia Peluche. Produced in Mexico, the series was completed in seven episodes due to the impending Hollywood writers’ strike, which prevented the planned eight-episode production.
Odell highlights his longstanding partnership with Greenberg and Fisher, the writers behind the series. They have a history of successful collaborations, including the film Overboard.
“We have a great understanding of each other on a comedic level. For us, comedy arises from drama, from the heart. You must begin with the emotional, and the comedy flows from the characters. That’s their approach. One day, they sent us an article from The Guardian about three years ago detailing the history of making Dracula in Spanish in 1930. It was a story we were unfamiliar with. I was aware that Hollywood produced many films in various languages during that era, often referred to as ‘universal.’ Many called it the Tower of Babel, as actors from around the world came speaking German, French, and Spanish. However, I was unaware of the specific case of Dracula, which was one of the first experiments and a product of necessity,” Odell said.
Odell recalls that the need for Spanish-language versions arose during the transition from silent to sound films. With dubbing technology still in its infancy and many people unable to read, studios faced the challenge of marketing these new sound productions in other languages. “Subtitles were not a viable option. To address this, studios began producing local versions of their films. One of the first examples was Dracula, the iconic Bela Lugosi film. During the day, the English version was filmed. At night, a cast of Hispanic actors from across Latin America would arrive to shoot the Spanish version.”
Odell points out that this Spanish-language version of Dracula was lost for approximately 50 years. It was in San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, that the missing fifth reel of the film was discovered. The five reels were reassembled, and the film, forgotten for half a century, was re-released. This story was brought to light in the Guardian article.
“We read it and thought, ‘This could be an incredible series.’ At its core, it’s a compelling story. Notably, critics who have seen both versions consistently praise the Spanish version, despite its being filmed under less favorable conditions, with a smaller budget, and without the same level of oversight. It’s a perfect metaphor for the immigrant experience in this country. Immigrants often come here, work harder, and excel in their jobs, outperforming those born and raised here. We saw a powerful and intriguing narrative in this story, but we approached it through a comedic lens,” he explained.
Augusto Rovegno, SVP of Content at ViX
“This story blends several elements that resonate deeply with us. It’s an incredibly inspiring tale, authentically showcasing the resilience, hard work, determination, and many other defining qualities of the Latino people, as Ben mentioned. While it’s an uplifting story, it also incorporates humor, compelling relationships, and a rich tapestry of diverse characters,” added Augusto Rovegno, Senior VP of Content at ViX.
