Vanessa Ragone, Producer Of Atrapados, Shares Details About This Successful Argentine Miniseries Now Streaming On Netflix

The Argentine miniseries Atrapados has spent two weeks in Netflix’s global Top 10 and was among the 10 most-watched shows in 52 countries during the week of April 7. Directed by Miguel Cohan and produced by Vanessa Ragone of Haddock, it is the first adaptation of a Harlan Coben novel made in Latin America.

Filming took 90 days across Bariloche and Buenos Aires and involved 21 locations. The production team included 463 professionals; 98 actors and actresses formed the cast, and 856 extras participated.

Vanessa Ragone spoke with PRODU about this major production, which, despite having an open ending, is not currently slated for a second season. She explained that Netflix proposed producing this version of Coben’s novel, as part of an agreement they have with the author to adapt some of his work. That’s how the opportunity to make Atrapados in Latin America came about (Coben’s stories have also been adapted in the U.S., U.K., Poland, and Spain, among others). The whole process took nearly three years.

One of the most time-consuming aspects was the adaptation itself, since the action had to be moved from New Jersey to a Latin American city, and the characters had to be Argentine, not just Americans living in Argentina. Plus, the original book is from 2010 and needed to be updated to the present day, incorporating elements like social media and grooming, which barely existed back then.

“It was a long and meticulous job, but we worked very well with Harlan, and he gave us great feedback on both the scripts and the scenes we filmed. We chose Bariloche because we were looking for a relatively small location that also had a magnetic and somewhat dark feel, with landscapes that we knew would enhance the series,” Ragone explained.

She added that they filmed in the fall, just before the snow came, but some days were challenging due to the need to move equipment into difficult locations. All gear had to be sent from Buenos Aires to Bariloche.

“If there’s something we need in Argentina, it’s more audiovisual hubs, so that everything isn’t concentrated in just a few cities,” she said, acknowledging that they considered other locations but ultimately chose Bariloche because of its logistical and hospitality infrastructure.

She added that it was a great experience and that including places outside Buenos Aires is always valuable. She would return to Bariloche, given the high production capacity and the local talent and experience, which clearly showed in the final results.

Something that really helped, according to Ragone, was that all the actors were together in Bariloche, with no distractions, and very focused. They often met at night to rehearse the next day’s scenes and had conversations with her and the director.

Soledad Villamil stars in the miniseries

THE PRODUCTION SITUATION IN ARGENTINA

Ragone acknowledges that Argentina is currently experiencing a crisis in the production sector and that the current government decisions go against the grain of countries like Brazil, Colombia, or Mexico, where production is booming.

“We’re completely out of the game. Right now, unless a platform is producing or there’s a co-production, it’s very difficult because there’s no support of any kind. I think it’s a great loss and a real shame that we’re in this situation, especially when all of Latin America is flourishing in terms of production. It’s painful because it’s not based on anything other than an ideologically incomprehensible stance against the industry — an industry that is economically viable, profitable, and gives us global visibility,” she said.

“Even though platforms continue to produce in the country despite the tough conditions, with state support, we could be doing double or triple the amount,” she added.

UPCOMING PROJECTS

They are currently in post-production on another Netflix series, El Tiempo de Las Moscas, an adaptation of two novels by Claudia Piñeiro: El Tiempo de Las Moscas and Tuya, which are interconnected stories. It stars Carla Peterson and Nancy Dupláa and is directed by Ana Katz and Benjamín Naishtat. It is expected to premiere before the end of the year.

They’re also working on several documentary projects and developing various ideas.

Watch the Atrapados trailer