Carlos Quintanilla of Sony: “For Rosario Tijeras 4, We Brought Together A Top-Tier Creative Team”

The fourth season of Rosario Tijeras, a production of Sony Pictures Television (SPT), debuted at number one on Netflix in 14 countries. Weeks after its premiere, it remains in the platform’s Top 10, ranks among the Top 20 series on Netflix in the U.S., and holds the number eight spot globally.

Carlos Quintanilla Sakar, VP & Head of Content and Production for SPT Latin America and U.S. Hispanic, who wrote Season 1 and was invited to lead the relaunch of Season 4 after the franchise had been dormant for several years, said they brought together “a top-tier creative team and first brought back Bárbara de Regil, who we convinced with the script. I was obsessed with certain elements from Season 1 of Rosario Tijeras. We also wanted to tell a new story in a way that even those who had never seen it could jump right in.” He added they used “a dramatic hook” in which, within the first eight minutes of the episode, the viewer understands what this season is all about. “You need eight minutes to get excited, to understand Rosario, and then the story is new, and you’re ready to jump into the adventure,” he said.

Another compelling element in this new season was bringing back past characters from Rosario’s universe. “I think that allowed us to tell a very solid story. The decision to tell the story in 40 episodes — and yes, I was heavily questioned on social media for that — was based on the desire to elevate production values and tell a strong, compelling story in less time, with all the resources invested into every episode. It’s a series with many carefully constructed elements so that the audience not only enjoys it but ends up wanting more. That’s our goal. The best compliment is when people say ‘It was only 40 episodes?’ — and I reply, ‘That’s 40 hours of someone’s time, that’s a lot’ — and they still want more.”

Rosario Tijeras 4 was approved for Colombia’s CINA incentives administered by Proimágenes: a rebate equivalent to 35% of audiovisual production spending in the country.

RUBY IS A MIRROR OF ROSARIO

In Season 4, after being punished by life, Rosario rises like a phoenix, determined to move forward. However, the brutal murder of her daughter’s adoptive parents sends her on an intense search for Ruby, her 17-year-old daughter. Rosario wants nothing more than to reconcile with her, but fears Ruby might follow in her footsteps and repeat her story. Fully aware of what’s at stake, Rosario is determined not to lose her and to protect her at all costs.

Quintanilla commented that what he finds fascinating is that “Bárbara de Regil is at her best right now. She’s grown as an actress. We wanted to pay tribute to what she represents for so many women. We wanted to portray a different Rosario, one who has grown over time. There’s something beautiful: when Ruby appears, she becomes a constant mirror for Rosario, as she is the same age Rosario was when the story began. That dynamic makes it a deeply empathetic drama for parents.”

A STORY OF FEMALE EMPOWERMENT

Quintanilla emphasizes that they are not glorifying drug trafficking. “We are fully aware of the issues currently affecting our Latin American countries. We aim to reflect that reality, but through a lens of hope — Rosario becomes empowered and seeks to liberate and protect her neighborhood and community. To me, that’s incredibly meaningful. What we want to tell is a story of female empowerment. That yes, it’s possible — even when everything is stacked against you. And although Rosario’s methods are unconventional, she fights for women and the people, seeking justice. And that’s something beautiful about Rosario as a character. In terms of diversity, we have characters who represent all kinds of Mexican identities, which I also find very compelling. It’s a series that offers a wide array of character types, and I would dare say it’s unique in Latin America in that it truly reflects society as it is today. Rosario is a modern, urban melodrama, full of realism — and I think that’s what allows us to connect with such a broad audience.”

Bárbara de Regil stars in Rosario Tijeras 4

ROSSITER’S STRATEGY IS PAYING OFF

Quintanilla said he’s very happy to be overseeing all of Sony’s series and the creative vision behind them.

“With Yo No Soy Mendoza, we’ve got a huge hit, and now, in under a year, we’re building another one — even stronger. We invested in projects we believed could succeed, and now, two years after that hard work, we’re seeing positive results. I love being able to say that John Rossiter believed in this strategy. And now I can go to the boss and say, the results are not just commercial — because our clients came on board and now we have even more — but the audience is also showing up. I’m very happy that we’re delivering for our clients and for the audience. That’s a double win,” he said.

He added: “Today, we travel through our screens, through our modern TV — which is streaming. It fills me with satisfaction that people travel with us, forget their problems, and enjoy themselves with our content. And I think the series we’re launching from Sony have tons of action, lots of drama, plenty of comedy and lightness, and ultimately, they’re feel-good content — because even with Rosario, you’re going to laugh, you’re going to be moved. That’s the kind of content we’re creating at Sony: stories that can inspire something good in our audiences, entertain them and — why not? — make them reflect. Because we also like to include themes that spark reflection in our storytelling,” he concluded.