Creators of the Series Koatí, Debuting on Netflix November 13, Say It’s a Love Song to Latin America

The animated series Koatí (13×11’), developed as a ViX Original by Upstairs Animation Miami and LatinWE, was acquired by Netflix for its premiere on Thursday, November 13, in both English and Spanish across multiple territories: the U.S., Canada, Latin America, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand. Koatí was created by Melissa de Assís Escobar from LatinWE and Anabella Sosa-Dovarganes from Upstairs, with Sofía Vergara from LatinWE serving as executive producer.

Sosa-Dovarganes and Escobar told PRODU that the series is a completely new story — a spin-off from the 2021 film — that began production in 2023 and was completed in record time for its November release. “It’s a dream come true that two years later it’s premiering on Netflix.”

“The series is a love song to Latin America. It has an emotional intelligence component, a love for nature, and represents a community of animals from all over Latin America coexisting in this world,” they said. Escobar added that the goal is to launch an entire Koatí universe with school supplies and other products.

The series stands out for many reasons, including that it will be available simultaneously in English and Spanish upon its Netflix debut and features seven original songs created by music producer Julio Reyes-Copello and his team. It also has an important partnership with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and encourages co-viewing between children and adults (both parents and caregivers).

Sofía Vergara from LatinWE, serves as executive producer for Koatí and, Anabella Sosa-Dovarganes from Upstairs and Melissa de Assís Escobar from LatinWE, are the creators

“Koatí showcases the beauty not only of animals but of nature itself. We believe that children learn to love what they know, so we want them to fall in love with our landscapes and characters and feel inspired to learn more about them and how to help protect them,” they said.

Escobar emphasized that Koatí aims to promote pride and love for Latin America’s nature and native species among young audiences. “In Latin America, we have the lungs of the world — the Amazon — and the natural riches of Mexico, the Andes, Brazil, and Argentina’s glaciers, yet many people don’t know about them. We’re environmentalists without being extreme, but we believe it’s important for children to learn about these environments,” Escobar said.

They highlighted that they created a “fun” comedy series for children. “It celebrates everything about Latin America — the jungle, diversity, and even our culture. There are picnics, food, spectacular jungle adventures, and natural treasures and places that have never before been shown in a series like this. And we also included the emotional intelligence component.”

They noted that during preproduction they worked with an educational curriculum specialist for preschoolers. As entertainment industry executives, they already understood the importance of this aspect but wanted to ensure they were emotionally caring for children.

“Kids will not only learn and be inspired; they’ll also enjoy the music, sing, dance, and learn life lessons — which is really what children need today: more nature, more family time, and more ideas for connecting with the environment and learning the basics in a joyful way,” they said.

LATIN TALENT

Sosa-Dovarganes and Escobar gave special mention to the Latin team behind Koatí. “The Latin crew has worked on all kinds of English-language series — for Disney, Nickelodeon, and major films. They poured their hearts into this project, working in record time, researching, and animating. Our animation is beautiful because you can see the emotion and joy.”

Sosa-Dovarganes added that the “above the line” team — the creative and executive team involved — is entirely Latin. “We wanted them to portray their own world and feel represented. We believe this is the first production that is 100% Latin in terms of talent.”

Escobar noted that every fruit, tree, and animal in the series comes from Latin America. “Not a single leaf or flower is from anywhere else,” they said.

“There are so many wonderful things in Latin America that no one had ever taken the time to show children or to export to the world. For us, it’s an honor to showcase the talent of our directors and animators. Sometimes even the names of fruits didn’t translate easily into Spanish. We’d ask, ‘How do we say this?’ and then it was the opposite — ‘How do you say pitaya in English?’” Escobar said.

Koatí (13×11’) is an spin-off from the 2021 film

Sosa-Dovarganes emphasized that the series represents Latin America as a whole. “It shows a diverse community living together in paradise — all different, all accepted, living like a family: some fly, some swim, others walk. People in the U.S., Latin America, and Europe will understand this concept,” they said.

They also mentioned that for the four youngest characters in the series, a voice casting call brought in about 1,200 children. “When we started analyzing the voices, we realized they were the same actors who voiced Willy Wonka in Spanish, or Spider-Man. These are major talents. They’re thrilled because for the first time, they’re not just dubbing — they’re shining as actors. The Latin American voices audiences know here will now be heard around the world, and that’s something truly beautiful,” they noted.

CREDITS

Executive Producers:Sofía Vergara, Anabella Sosa-Dovarganes, Melissa de Assís Escobar, and Luis Balaguer

Creators:

Anabella Sosa-Dovarganes and Melissa de Assís Escobar

Showrunner:

Anabella Sosa-Dovarganes

Directors:

Sergio Slepczuk and Fernando Sawa

Music Producers:

Julio Reyes-Copello and Felipe Pimiento

Writers:

Federico Marcello and Melissa de Assís Escobar

Voice Cast:

Sofía Vergara (Modern Family, Griselda, AGT, Despicable Me, The Smurfs, Happy Feet) as Zaina

Adriana Barraza (Blue Beetle, My Penguin Friend, Babel, Where the Tracks End) as Amaya

Juan Pablo Monterrubio (Emilia Pérez, A Million Miles Away, Time Travelers) as Nachi

Habana Zoé López (Snow White – Disney, La Voz Kids México, I’m Frankelda, Furiosa, Barbie) as Xochi

Emilio Treviño (Willy Wonka, LEGO, Pinocchio, Dune, Spider-Man, Karate Kid) as Pako

Andrea Valentina Cabrera (Citadel, A Charlie Brown Valentine, Snoopy Presents, Challengers) as Xuxu

Sebas Villalobos (Nat Geo Lab, Soy Luna, Miss Universe Latina, Los 50, Pequeños Gigantes) as Calli