The six-episode series stars Kate del Castillo, who is also executive producer.
Pantaya, Endemol Shine Boomdog, a division of Banijay Americas, and Cholawood Productions are teaming up for the event series A Beautiful Lie, which will be executive produced by and star Kate del Castillo (La Reina del Sur).
The six-part series co-production, based on the 2015 adaptation from Banijay-owned Endemol Shine Australia, is a modern retelling of Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, one of the greatest love stories of all time. Acclaimed Spanish writers Almudena Ocaña and Aurora García Tortosa (Elite) are also attached to the series.
A Beautiful Lie stars del Castillo as a gold medal-winning Olympic diver and Mexican national hero. Her character, Anna Montes de Oca, falls in love with a young musician and goes on a journey of self-discovery—one that society unfortunately doesn’t embrace.
Del Castillo’s production label Cholawood Productions, which has an overall production deal with Mexico City-based Endemol Shine Boomdog, will co-produce the series. Carmen Cervantes and Jessica Maldonado, who formed Cholawood with del Castillo, will serve as executive producers alongside the award-winning actress. Production of A Beautiful Lie is set to begin early next year in Mexico.
“This is a passion project for me,” said del Castillo. “Reinterpreting a classic such as Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina is a huge responsibility, and we plan to do it justice. We’re re-telling a story with strong female characters where infidelity is a major element. We will also address various mental health issues, including postpartum depression, and the sometimes-disastrous impact social media can have on people’s lives, especially public figures. It’s a modern twist from a female perspective. I’m excited to play the lead and executive produce with my team at Cholawood, alongside Endemol Shine Boomdog and Pantaya, with whom I have been wanting to work with since their impressive launch.”
“Between the teams at Boomdog, Kate and her team at Cholawood, along with the incredible writing duo of Almudena Ocaña and Aurora Tortosa, we are very excited with the auspices of this project,” said Mario Almeida, Head of Content for Pantaya. “Adapting A Beautiful Lie for Mexico, itself a brilliant modernization of Anna Karenina, has proven a formidable challenge, and we are proud of the premium and elegant series we will be producing together.”
Jerry Rodriguez, Head of Scripted at Endemol Shine Boomdog added: “We are excited to work with Kate, both as an actress and also as an executive producer, and with her team at Cholawood. We are confident that this will become a brand-defining series, showcasing some of the best onscreen and behind-the-camera talent in the industry.”
Kate del Castillo is the star of the top-rated Telemundo/Netflix series La Reina del Sur and is currently filming the highly anticipated third season. She recently wrapped another Telemundo series, Armas de Mujer, which will stream on NBCUniversal’s Peacock platform.
Last year, del Castillo starred opposite Will Smith as the main antagonist in Sony’s hit film Bad Boys For Life. She also wrote, starred, and directed various projects during quarantine, including an episode of Peacock’s At-Home Variety Show, hosted by Seth MacFarlane. She recently appeared on the NBC comedy The Mayor opposite Ted Danson and Holly Hunter.
In 2019, del Castillo returned to the New York stage for the off-Broadway production of her one-woman show, The Way She Spoke, earning impressive accolades, and making her the first Latina actress to earn three groundbreaking nominations; The Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Solo Performance, The Drama League nomination for Distinguished Performance and the coveted Lucille Lortel nomination for Outstanding Show.
A philanthropist and an outspoken global activist, del Castillo was appointed Ambassador for the Mexican Commission on Human Rights to combat human trafficking in 2009. She remains a devoted spokesperson for PETA and founded the Los Angeles en Mexico charity to help rebuild homes for the victims of the devastating 2017 earthquake in Mexico City. Del Castillo is represented by Sweeney Entertainment and attorney J.R. McGinnis. Cholawood is represented by attorney Walter Mosley.
Endemol Shine Boomdog has produced such scripted series as Súbete a Mi Moto (Amazon Prime), Nicky Jam: El Ganador (Netflix), International Emmy-winner El Vato (NBCUniverso) and it’s behind the upcoming comedy Todo por Lucy (Amazon Prime).
