Apple TV Acapulco
The series Acapulco was one of the first original Spanish-language productions that Apple TV+ acquired and its creators spent more than two years developing the pilot and characters. “It was a big learning curve to understand what the Apple brand was in terms of what an international show meant to them,” explained Austin Winsberg, creator and executive producer of the series starring Eugenio Derbez.
He said that at first Acapulco would be a show “much gloomy in certain aspects and less hopeful.” Adding that finding the balance between family and workplace and how the program actually worked took a lot of development time to figure out.
“We wanted to make sure we were as authentic as possible so if it had a Mexican character it should be performed by a Mexican actor. And if the actor was not from Mexico, but from Colombia, we had to say that he was from Colombia and not pretend that he was from Mexico. One thing I learned is that being more authentic was very necessary and important. And that’s about inclusion and responsibility and making sure the right voices are telling the right stories,” he said.
There were a lot of discussions about the show being bilingual and how much of it should be in Spanish versus English. But once they found out what was real for that environment, where spending a lot of time in Mexico with the cast and crew they often spoke in Spanish and also in English, they established certain rules and trusted that the audience would accept it.
What makes Acapulco universal, according to Winsberg, is that everyone can empathize with the fact of wanting or trying to have a better life for themselves and their family. “I think the show is light, bright, hopeful and colorful, and I think there are a lot of challenges and negativity in the world right now. I think the show makes people feel good.” He added that although there are many aspects related to Mexican culture, he also feels that “these are stories that can be told in any culture at any time.”
Winsberg mentions that season two is funnier, the narrative is more complex, and there are many twists. “I think we’ve expanded the world of the show a bit, by adding Isabel (Gabriela Milla), to the restaurant and the family,” he commented.
Asked about a third season, Winsberg indicated that it has not yet been confirmed, but they have already been thinking about what it would be like.
“Honestly, this show has brought a lot of joy and happiness to my life. I think this is a series with a high degree of positivity and having spent so much time in Mexico with a warm and wonderful cast and crew was a great joy,” he said.
Winsberg, who was the creator and producer of the NBC show, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, based on his family, indicated that compared to Acapulco, it was a very challenging show and difficult to record due to the limited time they had and that it was made in Canada. “And with this show, it’s not that everything is so easy, but it’s a wonderful, warm and collaborative community.”
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