Jerry Rodríguez, Showrunner, Executive Producer, and SVP Head of Scripted at Endemol Shine Boomdog
The series Como Agua para Chocolate, based on Laura Esquivel’s iconic novel, premiered on October 3rd at Iberseries. The event featured the unveiling of previously unseen images and insights from key figures involved in the production, including Jorge Tijerina, director of Development of Fiction Content in Mexico and Colombia at Warner Bros. Discovery; Curro Royo, Head Writer; and Jerry Rodríguez, Showrunner, Executive Producer, and SVP Head of Scripted at Endemol Shine Boomdog.
Rodríguez spoke with PRODU ahead of the event, discussing some of the most significant challenges they faced. These included determining the narrative perspective, credibly translating magical realism, and working with young actors for a period drama.
The production, set to premiere on November 3rd on Max and HBO, faced the significant challenge of surpassing the high bar set by Laura Esquivel’s beloved novel and Alfonso Arau’s 1992 film adaptation. Both works remain cherished by audiences. “Exceeding expectations is a huge challenge,” Rodríguez admitted.
Rodríguez emphasized that while the series takes a contemporary approach to storytelling, it remains deeply rooted in the historical context of the novel. “The unique aspect of adapting a work with a previous audiovisual adaptation is the opportunity to view it from our present-day perspective,” he explained. “We’re watching ‘Como agua para chocolate’ through a 2024 lens, with our narrator recounting a story set during the Mexican Revolution.” This approach mirrors the novel’s structure, where a narrator tells a historical tale from a contemporary viewpoint. “We’ve meticulously recreated the costumes, settings, and behaviors of the Revolutionary era, avoiding any anachronisms. The modernity lies in our storytelling techniques: the narrative tone, music, editing, staging, cinematography, and camera movements are all distinctly 2024.”
The central premise revolves around the conflict between desire and societal expectations. Rodríguez noted, “Tita yearns to love and live her life, but societal norms constrain her.” This adaptation highlights the enduring challenges faced by Latin American women, demonstrating that progress, while significant, is still incomplete.
The creative team worked diligently to achieve a credible representation of magical realism. The executive explained that, from the outset, they had to establish a shared understanding of magical realism among the entire team. They ultimately agreed on the definition of magical realism as “an impossible fracture of reality,” rather than mere magic. The challenge, they noted, was translating this primarily literary genre into a visual medium.
“This fracture of reality, however, is experienced by the characters as ordinary, meaning no one expresses surprise. For instance, at the beginning of the story, when Tita is born and cries profusely, the kitchen floods. This is a plausible scenario, except for the fact that it floods with tears. Yet, no one is astonished. It starts with realistic elements: a kitchen can indeed flood, albeit not with tears. Magical realism exaggerates elements of reality to create poetic moments, but without veering into the realm of magic. We often teetered on the brink of crossing that line, but we were careful to maintain the balance.”
The young actors underwent a rigorous training process before production, including cooking classes to authentically portray the culinary skills required of their characters. “The inherent cultural richness and hyperlocal elements, such as food, magical realism, love, and drama, make this a work with universal appeal,” Rodríguez noted.
The production has been meticulously crafted with a substantial budget to faithfully recreate the era. Months of script development were dedicated to ensuring the series meets international standards for global distribution.
This adaptation was directed by Julián de Tavira and Analorena Pérez-Ríos and produced by Salma Hayek Pinault, José Tamez, and Siobhan Flynn of Ventanarosa Productions; Sharon Levy, Lisa Fahrenholt, and Flavio Morales for Endemol Shine North America; Alejandro Rincón, Jerry Rodríguez, and Clara Machado, as well as Manuel Vargas, who supervised physical production, for Endemol Shine Boomdog; and Mariano César, Mônica Albuquerque, and Anouk Aarón for Warner Bros. Discovery.
The main screenwriter and executive producer was Francisco Javier Royo Fernández, known as “Curro Royo,” with María Jaén and Jimena Gallardo serving as additional screenwriters.
