Jerry Rodríguez
Following the success of the first season of Como Agua Para Chocolate and the confirmation of a second season, the production team is focusing on the elements that best connect with audiences to craft the next installment. This original adaptation for HBO, produced by Ventanarosa Productions, Endemol Shine North America, and Endemol Shine Boomdog, is under Warner Bros. Discovery.
Meeting the audience’s enthusiastic reception while maintaining or even surpassing the quality of the adaptation is the main challenge for the second season, explained Jerry Rodríguez, showrunner, executive producer of Como Agua Para Chocolate and SVP Head of Scripted at Endemol Shine Boomdog. “We need to draw on everything that worked in the first season and make the second season even better,” he said.
Rodríguez emphasized the goal of making the second season as heartfelt as the first. “We want the audience to stay in love with these characters, as this is a character-driven series. People have grown attached to them, so we need to create new situations for them,” he explained.
Rodríguez highlighted key factors behind the success of the first season, such as their approach to the project: respecting the original novel and deepening the backstories and plots derived from it. He also noted the importance of casting and the creative team’s talent. “The care taken to recreate the era and the impactful music were crucial to the season’s success,” he added.
The series’ ability to connect with younger audiences, many of whom were discovering Laura Esquivel’s novel for the first time through this adaptation, has been particularly gratifying. Rodríguez shared examples like audience discussions on social media, the creation of memes, and over 150 playlists inspired by the series’ music. He attributed part of this success to the youthful on-screen talent, which resonated naturally with the new generation.
The direction of Julián de Tavira and Analorena Perezríos, along with the contributions of executive producers Salma Hayek Pinault, José Tamez, and Siobhan Flynn from Ventanarosa Productions; Sharon Levy, Lisa Fahrenholt, and Flavio Morales from Endemol Shine North America; and Alejandro Rincón, Jerry Rodríguez, Clara Machado, and Manuel Vargas from Endemol Shine Boomdog, were also instrumental. Additionally, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Mariano César, Mônica Alburquerque, and Anouk Aarón played pivotal roles.
The first season covered the first half of the novel, while the second season’s six episodes will address the book’s latter half. Rodríguez revealed that new characters will be introduced, and the team is currently completing development and beginning preproduction, with filming set to start in early 2025.
Rodríguez highlighted the overwhelmingly positive response from both audiences and international critics. Como Agua Para Chocolate received glowing reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, was named one of the best premieres by Time magazine, and ranked among the top 10 series of the year by The Washington Post.
The series also became the most-watched Latin American production on Max. “Currently, we remain in the top 10 in over 35 countries, and in 19 of these, we’ve held first or second place for most of the time,” Rodríguez said.
While the team expected a positive reception, the audience’s enthusiasm exceeded their expectations. “The greatest challenge was meeting the audience’s expectations, especially given the beloved status of the novel and the original film,” Rodríguez explained. He noted that initial reactions were mixed when viewers spotted differences from the book or movie, but by the second episode, most embraced the changes and enjoyed the reinterpretation.
“Our biggest challenge now is maintaining or surpassing the production quality achieved in the first season. We’re working hard, and I hope the results will soon speak for themselves,” Rodríguez concluded.
