José Alberto “Güero” Castro: “Media Elements Are One Of The Differentiators In Adaptation Of Los Hilos Del Pasado”

The new version of Cristal, originally written by Delia Fiallo, produced by José Alberto “Güero” Castro for TelevisaUnivision under the title Los Hilos del Pasado, premiered on Univision in the U.S. on September 10 at 9pm, on ViX on September 11, and will air on Televisa in Mexico in October. The differentiating elements from the original include localization, modernization, and the addition of media elements such as social networks and cell phones, which did not exist back then.

“We also took advantage of the opportunity to film abroad, on very large locations outside of the country. We made some changes there. Eduardo Santamarina’s character is now a music producer, while in previous versions he worked in film or entertainment, producing videos. We decided to pivot a little toward music, to also enter a different genre, but we tried to stay true to the essence of the original story,” Castro explained to PRODU.

DELIA FIALLO, THE MOST IMPORTANT AUTHOR IN MELODRAMA

When asked why this work by Delia Fiallo has been adapted so many times around the world—several times in Mexico—Castro said: “I think Delia Fiallo is one of the most important authors in melodrama. She set, I believe, many of the rules that define the structure of melodrama. Obviously, this story gains its greatest meaning from the love of a mother, and that is a universal theme.”

He added that the pacing of the story is also key. “Our version is much shorter. It runs 60 hours. That helped us select certain moments or elements of the original story, and it also forced us to cut some characters or subplots, so we could make it more limited and tighter,” he said.

Los Hilos del Pasado, a modern remake of Delia Fiallo’s Cristal

Castro noted that Cristal “is a classic, and it is obviously a huge responsibility and a great challenge to adapt it properly. It is always difficult to take such an important work and bring it to a new audience. And, wow, at times that creates doubts, because we do it with all our love and effort, and there will be criticism—some will like it, others won’t—but we think this is the right moment. Two generations have passed since the last time this version was done, and that’s what we’ve tried to respect and deliver now.”

LOCATIONS IN MEXICO, THE U.S., AND ITALY

Castro explained that since Carolina Guillén’s character (played by Yadhira Carrillo) is a fashion designer, “we thought one of the most important places to feature was Milan, the global epicenter of fashion. Nearby is the beautiful Lake Como, which gave us grandeur and the ability to enrich the project visually. Then we went to vibrant, colorful, and wild Miami, to give the story sparkle and brightness, surrounding it with elements that highlight the production. We also filmed in Isla Mujeres, a gorgeous location in the Mexican Caribbean, and in Mexico City, where we built key sets on soundstages. The atelier we created for the character is majestic—we built a very beautiful place that feels part of the story, so the audience experiences the world with all the importance it deserves.”

He said the main challenge was to create a version that would be attractive to viewers. “It was difficult to choose what was best to keep in the story and to put together a cast that could really connect with the audience. And, as always, we’re crossing our fingers, hoping people will like it,” he said.

Castro explained that the novela premiered in the U.S. before Mexico because of the TelevisaUnivision merger. “The idea is to align programming across the group’s three networks. Right now we’re adjusting, but over the next projects I hope we’ll almost always launch in unison,” he said.

ENTRELÍNEAS

Castro was also asked about his writing company, Entrelíneas, and said they continue working on other stories for TV: adapting two novelas, developing two films—one of them a horror project “that is very interesting, based on a town in Mexico, near Pachuca.”

Regarding the horror film, he said Patricio Sáez is leading the project because “horror is complicated, and I think he understands it very well. He’s a great writer.”

The executive said he is very happy with Entrelíneas, which has allowed him to build strong synergy with Televisa: “to be able to work and adapt stories.” He revealed they are developing an original story they expect to air on Televisa at the end of 2026.

“Lately we’ve had a lot of contact with actors, writers, young talent—it has become a good breeding ground and above all created strong synergy with TelevisaUnivision,” he said.

As for the original story they are developing for Televisa, Castro mentioned it is a strong romance, centered on the intense relationship between an older man and a younger man.

He said Entrelíneas is “a good lab to experiment with different elements, and I feel very lucky to have the team I do: Vanessa Varela, Patricio Sáez, Fernando García—working and developing different stories. Right now we’ve also been asked for two micro-series, which are gaining a lot of traction.”