U.S. HISPANIC
Disney: Journey to the Center of the Earth fuses the present with the classic and seeks to unite two generations
Maribel Ramos-Weiner| 12 de abril de 2023
Junket Viaje al centro de la tierra
Journey to the Center of the Earth is the new original series recorded in Latin America by Disney+ Original, which premieres this Wednesday the 5th. It was produced by TIS (ex-Telecolombia and Estudios Teleméxico). It is an adaptation of Jules Verne’s classic set in this era, aiming to exceed the imagination of those who have read the book, with the support of a great display of special effects, where the mix between classic and new is one of the main bets for its creators.
“The challenge was not to disappoint the Verne readers, going beyond the imagination of those who read the book. That is why we went for an adaptation for a new target, where we proposed not only a totally different spin-off with children, a dog, grandmother, and Verne himself but also topics that nowadays are very moving and sensitive for the new generation such as the environment conservation and the family. The special effects, the talent we had in front of the cameras, and the great team from Mexico behind the scenes, was the formula to achieve all of the above,” said Fernando Semenzato, Head of Development and Production of Factual and Comedy for Disney+ and Star+ Latin America.
Directed by JM Cravioto, the series of eight 30-minute episodes match the high levels of quality that are trademark of The Walt Disney Company productions, Semenzato highlighted. He said that was one of the reasons for working in Mexico. “We know that there is great talent in front of and behind the cameras and it is a reflection of what the company is, of high quality, with good stories and great talent,” and added that for this reason, the adaptation is suitable for a specific target. “Each One of the versions that have been made around this book targets a generation and ours is intended for Children 6 to 12 years old, to bring something totally different from what has been seen in previous versions, but keeping much of the original. This mix between classic and new is something that will work very well; In addition, it will unite two generations, the kids who have heard about the book and the parents and grandparents who have already read it.”
One of the central characters in the story is Diego, played by the young actor Sebastián García, who spoke about the long visual effects process. “Even some were sent to India, that’s why it took us two years to make them, but it ended up as a production matching those made in Hollywood and the best is that representing Mexico. It is a digestible story for the new generations who want to continue reading Jules Verne and are interested in more stories like these.”
The series stars Óscar Jaenada (Pompilio Calderón), Margarita Rosa de Francisco (Pola), Mauricio “El Diablito” Barrientos (voice of Claudio), and Gabriel Goity (Julio Verne), along with the young talents Sebastián García (Diego) and Yankel Stevan (Martin).
Journey to the Center of the Earth is an adventure and science fiction series that features a group of boys and girls on a journey through a parallel dimension in which they discover a fascinating world and fight to protect the ecological balance of the planet. In the story, Diego (García) is sent by his parents to the camp of Pompilio Calderón (Jaenada). There, together with his brothers and friends, he finds his grandmother Pola’s (Francisco’s) abandoned car, and following her footsteps he arrives at a mysterious portal to another dimension. When Diego discovers a powerful family secret, he understands that he must protect that dimension, but the mission is not that simple: Pompilio and his henchman Claudio (Mauricio “El Diablito” Barrientos) will do everything possible to destroy this fantastic world that they discovered.
