Hulu wants to immerse audiences into the world of Mexican boxing.
La Máquina, starring Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna, premiered on Hulu this week, marking the streaming service’s first Spanish language-produced original series, in partnership with Searchlight Television. The series follows an aging boxer whose manager attempts to get him one last shot at winning a title.
The television arm of Searchlight Pictures brought the idea to Hulu, according to Jordan Helman, executive vice president, drama, Hulu Originals and ABC Entertainment. The streamer previously produced The Dropout and History of the World Part II from the studio, and Helman was intrigued by the idea of García Bernal and Luna reuniting on screen and working with showrunner Marco Ramirez.
“All of those elements together, paired with the color and bombast of the world and idea at the core of La Máquina, made it feel like an undeniable package,” Helman told ADWEEK.
Ramirez, who was previously a writer on hit series like Daredevil and Orange is the New Black, said his background helped prepare him for the material, considering La Máquina’s elements of boxing and dramedy.
However, despite Spanish being Ramirez’s native language, La Máquina was the first time he had ever written a show in Spanish.
“I have family members, who, this will be the first show that I ever write that they’ll be able to see in their native language where they won’t have to read the English subtitles,” Ramirez said. “On a personal level, it feels wonderful to be able to know that I’ve had a small part in putting that out into the universe.”
Going international
The Hispanic audience is among the fastest growing in the U.S., with the 2020 Census revealing that the group accounted for 51% of all new population growth, making it a sought-after audience during this year’s TV upfront negotiations.
However, Helman and Ramirez explained that the series has a universal story and themes of brotherhood that reach across audiences regardless of language.
“Shows like La Máquina may likely over-index with Spanish-language speakers, but by no means are they made exclusively for that audience alone,” Helman said.