Javier Pons: “Dinastía Casillas Reflects The Redefinition of the Crime Genre”

For some time now, Telemundo has been working on “revisiting, refreshing, and enriching” some of its franchises. According to Javier Pons, Chief Content Officer & Head of Telemundo Studios, Dinastía Casillas, which premieres on Tuesday, October 7 in the U.S., is one of the clearest examples.

“I believe there are few properties as important, popular, and widely recognized and followed as El Señor de los Cielos. We thought it was a good time to let El Señor de los Cielos breathe, but at the same time explore, through a spin-off, new universes and enrich it,” Pons told PRODU.

He explained that with Dinastía Casillas, they are expanding the universe already created in El Señor de los Cielos.

“It presents, like El Señor de los Cielos, action sequences and confrontations between characters and their enemies, while maintaining the essence that has made this saga so iconic. But it also adds the possibility of introducing new characters, and giving characters who were previously secondary in El Señor de los Cielos greater depth so the audience can get to know them better,” he said.

AN UPDATED STORY

Pons shared that Dinastía Casillas will have around 90 episodes. He mentioned that the lenses used for filming the series will have a special grain, as the idea is to give it a look different from El Señor de los Cielos. “It gives a specific personality to the new franchise,” he noted. He also pointed out that the series’ head writer is Colombian Juan Camillo Ferrand, “who has been based for a long time between the U.S., Mexico, and Colombia, and works very well in the action genre of super series.”

He commented that filming Dinastía Casillas is planned for 18 weeks, 12 of which will be production. “We have filmed in Mexico City, the outskirts, and other more remote regions like Guerrero, which provide the right settings to tell these stories and also give Dinastía Casillas a richness through diversity,” Pons said.

Isabella Castillo and Ivan Arana

He added that all locations are in Mexico. “We think the main fans are clearly Mexican. Of course, there have been times when it has moved to the U.S., but in this case, no part of the story takes place here. This series has been entirely shot on location,” and added that post-production is being done at Telemundo Center in Miami.

Pons mentioned that they are a month and a half away from finishing filming the super series. “We are in the final stretch. We want the audience to grow—not just the loyal fans of El Señor de los Cielos, but also new generations who can connect with the story. This super series reflects Telemundo Studios’ creative production and the redefinition of the crime genre. It is an updated story about a new generation of narcos facing a much more complex ecosystem,” he said.

He commented that they are very excited about the edits and the episodes being prepared for broadcast.

BREAKING NEW GROUND

He recalled that in the 10 years of El Señor de los Cielos franchise, “things have changed a lot from the time Aurelio (Casillas) started his activities to today’s reality. Ten years ago, the business was different. Today, the risk is more global, there is more violence, and there are new players. The evolution in this environment adds more conflicts and tension for our characters. I think it confirms Telemundo Studios’ commitment to continue betting on stories that break new ground. We have a responsibility to offer the U.S. Hispanic audience something different, and I think Dinastía Casillas, as a spin-off, is very different.”

María Fernanda Yepes plays Elizabeth, Chema´s ex wife

Pons provided more details about the new characters, explaining that the second generation of Casillas are characters with more doubts and existential crises. “They have new layers of complexity. What happens to Ismael Casillas when he has to defend his father’s legacy and find out where he is? New characters, like Elizabeth, Chema’s ex-wife (María Fernanda Yepes), represent something new because she is an empowered woman who wants, in some way, to change the overall landscape of the narco world—a woman who becomes the head of the cartel, but not to destroy it, rather to change it. A woman who was always a slave to this male world, where decisions were made and women were never heard. Suddenly, Elizabeth, who managed to leave that world, decides to return after some time, but to try to change the rules from a female perspective. I think she is undoubtedly the major new addition to this series,” the executive said.

He noted that there are four main protagonists in the super series, but the total cast includes 42 actors, plus around 860 supporting actors and 350 extras. “To give you an idea of the level of action we have, we used 855 stunt performers, which reflects very well the dynamism and action that the new generation promises. Many things will happen later, and there will be a lot of action,” he added.

PURE ENTERTAINMENT AND PERSPECTIVES

As a final reflection, Pons said that Dinastía Casillas is an example of “how we alternate original stories with revisiting our most powerful franchises.”

He noted that Telemundo has a promise with its audience to always try to surprise, “to step out of our comfort zone. We’ll see if, by letting El Señor de los Cielos breathe, we can create a new franchise. I think this is a commitment to ourselves, the company, and the audience—to always try to innovate. What distinguishes what we do in the studios is innovation, but also, fundamentally, the stories and how we tell them. There are several elements in Dinastía Casillas that are not just pure entertainment—which is our obligation—but also provide different perspectives to spark conversation. That is the purpose we wake up every morning with here in Doral.”