Netflix is really into telling the real-life stories of drug cartel leaders.
First they knocked it out of the park with Narcos, which focused on Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and launched the career of Pedro Pascal.
Now, they're bringing us Griselda, based on the life of Griselda Blanco, the drug lord who allegedly showed a young Escobar the ropes before he claimed his cartel throne.
Griselda is the "Cocaine Godmother" you've never heard about, so we thought we'd bring you up to speed.
Who was Griselda Blanco?
Born in 1943 in Cartagena, Colombia, Blanco grew up within the world of crime. She was reportedly involved in the kidnapping of a child when she was 11 years old, where she allegedly shot the child after the parents wouldn't pay the ransom.
She married a small-time criminal when she was in her teens, and the couple had three children. They later divorced and Blanco was accused of ordering a hit on her one-time betrothed.
By the early 1970s she was in a relationship with Alberto Bravo, who introduced her to the drug trade. Using New York City as their base, they started bringing cocaine into the US.
In 1975, after a fight over supposed stolen funds, Bravo died in a shootout with Blanco. She reportedly also ordered the death of her third husband, earning her the nickname "The Black Widow".
By the late 70s Blanco was in Miami, and running one of the largest and most profitable drug importation operations in the US.
She was the first to use human "mules" to carry cocaine into the US, and later became a mentor to Pablo Escobar, who took over her operation.
At its peak, it was thought to be shipping 1,500 kilograms of cocaine a month to the US.
In 1985, Blanco was arrested on drug charges and sentenced to 15 years in a US prison. Prosecutors soon began to piece together all of the people in Blanco's circle that mysteriously ended up shot in the head, and she was also charged with three murders.
Blanco was handed three concurrent 20-year sentences for her involvement in the killings. She was released and deported to Colombia in 2004.
She led a quiet life in her home country until 2012, when she was shot twice in the head while leaving a butcher shop in Medellin.
No charges were ever placed in relation to her murder.
What is Griselda about?
It looks like Griselda will largely focus on Blanco's time in Miami, when her business was at its peak.
Modern Family's Sofia Vergara will be ditching her comedy roots to step into the cocaine boots of Griselda Blanco.
Vergara's physical transformation for the show included fake eyebrows, a fake nose and even fake teeth (which explains why Vergara looks so uncanny valley in the promo material).
She also wore five different wigs to represent Blanco at five different time periods. Considering the series is only six episodes, time jumps are definitely on the cards.
Also expect lots of shootouts, stare-downs, beautiful people drenched in sepia tones and the highly anticipated acting debut of Colombian reggaeton star Karol G as Griselda's friend Carla.
What have Griselda's real-life family had to say about the Netflix show?
The show contrasts Griselda's ruthlessness in business with her role as a parent.
In promos for the show, Griselda is identified as a "mother", as well as a "queenpin" and "innovator".
But her youngest — and only surviving — son, Michael Corleone Blanco, isn't super happy about the show. (Yes, he's named after The Godfather.)
The youngest Blanco filed a lawsuit last Wednesday in Miami against Netflix and Vergara, among others.
Court documents claim Young Blanco, "has devoted several years to meticulously documenting the private narratives of his, as well as his mother's life, with the intention of publishing a book and developing a Spanish soap opera".
He says he discussed details of his mother's life with two of the defendants, Andres Hernando Lopez and Rafael Alfredo Rojas Vega, between 2009 and 2022 in the hopes of writing a book. He claims they then turned around and gave that info to Netflix.
Young Blanco also says Netflix refused to consult with him for Griselda.
He is seeking a temporary injunction to stop Netflix releasing the series, as well as more than $US100,000 ($152,000) in damages.
Young Blanco is currently gearing up to release his own book about Griselda Blanco: My Mother, the Godmother, and the True Story of Michael Corleone Blanco, the Son of Griselda Blanco.
Even after their matriarch's death, the Blanco family drama continues.
Griselda is streaming on Netflix.
https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDI0LTAxLTI1L2dyaXNlbGRhLWJsYW5jby1zb2ZpYS12ZXJnYXJhLW5ldGZsaXgtc2VyaWVzLXRydWUtc3RvcnkvMTAzMzc1OTE20gEoaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEwMzM3NTkxNg?oc=5
2024-01-24 23:59:38Z
CBMiaGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDI0LTAxLTI1L2dyaXNlbGRhLWJsYW5jby1zb2ZpYS12ZXJnYXJhLW5ldGZsaXgtc2VyaWVzLXRydWUtc3RvcnkvMTAzMzc1OTE20gEoaHR0cHM6Ly9hbXAuYWJjLm5ldC5hdS9hcnRpY2xlLzEwMzM3NTkxNg
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