“Like Water for Chocolate,” HBO’s upcoming series adaptation of Laura Esquivel’s Mexican literary classic executive produced by Salma Hayek Pinault, has released its official trailer.
Set during the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century, the six-episode series follows Tita de la Garza (Azul Guaita) and Pedro Múzquiz (Andrés Baida), “two souls deeply in love, yet unable to be together due to entrenched family customs,” according to the show’s synopsis. “The protagonists navigate a world of magical realism and rich flavors as Tita struggles between the destiny imposed on her by her family and her fight for love. Along the way, the audience will witness her greatest refuge: the kitchen. For Tita, her magical connection to cooking becomes an active resistance against oppression, allowing her to channel her deepest desires and passions into her recipes, transforming those who taste them.”
Hayek Pinault, who executive produced the series through her Ventanarosa Productions banner, told Variety that after six years of development, it is “so satisfying to finally see it on screen.”
“‘Like Water for Chocolate’ is a true jewel of Latin American literature and film,” Hayek Pinault continued. “I wanted to find a new place and way to tell this story, so that a new generation can discover it and the people who already have a relationship with the story can rediscover it in a new format.”
Hayek Pinault was a “huge fan” of both Esquivel’s 1989 book and the 1992 film adaptation, which became the highest-grossing foreign-language film ever released in the United States at that time. Therefore, it was a “truly scary challenge” to take on a story that “so many people have fallen in love with,” but she hopes the new series will have the same effect with its stellar cast.
Leading the ensemble is Irene Azuela as Mamá Elena, who was initially surprised by her casting as the matriarch who forces Tita to take care of her until she dies. When Azuela realized the role she was being offered to play, she “laughed so much,” but then thought, “Alright, I’ve reached that age…” When digging into her character, Azuela decided to focus on “the reasons that made Mamá Elena such a harsh woman.”
Ultimately, “Like Water for Chocolate” is a story about the struggle of all of the women involved to control their own destinies, which is something both Hayek Pinault and Azuela resonated with.
“I wanted to tell a coming-of-age story that shows the passage of finding your own identity and fighting for it, detaching yourself from the anxiety of disappointing your parents and learning to take ownership of your life,” Hayek Pinault said. “Historically, these issues have been a bigger challenge for women, and while we have improved upon this greatly, equality has still not been achieved.”
Added Azuela, “I think we, as women, are still struggling to know our ways without the gaze of the others. We’ve accomplished a lot, but still are constrained by ideas that makes us feel guilty about feeling desire.”
Hayek Pinault believes the Spanish-language series will resonate not only with the Latino community — who she hopes will feel a “sense of pride” — but also with audiences around the world, as “Like Water for Chocolate” is “completely universal because it is a forbidden love story.”
“I hope this story breaks stereotypes by focusing on a family in Northern Mexico that looks different than how we normally imagine Mexicans,” Hayek Pinault added. “I hope it shows people that Mexican food is so much more than just tacos, and we have many exquisite dishes that people have never heard of, but that your mouth craves. I am excited for audiences to be transported through the series and watch the tale unfold.”
“Like Water for Chocolate” also stars Ana Valeria Becerril as Rosaura, Tita’s sister and rival in love; Andrea Chaparro as Gertrudis, another sister of Tita’s; Ángeles Cruz as Nacha, Tita’s cook and mentor; Mauricio García Lozano as Don Pedro Múzquiz; Ari Brickman as Don Felipe Múzquiz; and Louis David Horné as Juan Alejandrez.
The series is an original production from Warner Bros. Discovery and is produced by Ventanarosa Productions, Endemol Shine North America and Endemol Shine Boomdog.
Sharon Levy, CEO of Endemol Shine North America and an executive producer of “Like Water for Chocolate,” said in a statement that it was “essential to find the right partners to bring Laura’s beloved novel to life in a truly authentic way.”
“Ventanarosa and Boomdog are world-class storytellers whose expertise ensured this timeless tale was told with the utmost respect and presented with beauty and quality equal to its source,” Levy continued. “We’re thrilled with the result and believe that ‘Like Water for Chocolate’ has found the perfect home on Max, and are really excited for a new generation of audiences to experience the series and hope they love it as much as we loved making it.”
“Like Water for Chocolate” debuts Nov. 3 on HBO Latino in the U.S. and will be available to stream globally where Max is available. Episodes will premiere weekly on Sundays through the show’s finale on Dec. 8.
Watch the trailer for “Like Water for Chocolate” below.
