In a competitive situation, the George Lopez drama series “Once Upon a Time in Aztlan” has been set up at Amazon for development, Variety has learned exclusively.
Lopez will star in and executive produce the one-hour series under his Travieso Productions banner. Javier Rodriguez created the series and will executive produce along with famed photographer and director Estevan Oriol, iconic LA-based artist Mister Cartoon, and Michael Connolly, who put the package together under his Mad Hatter Entertainment banner. Ricardo de Montreuil will direct the pilot and executive produce along with Oriol and Cartoon’s longtime collaborators Mark Suroff and Marco Valadez. Oriol previously collaborated with Cartoon, Suroff, and Valdez on the documentary “LA Originals,” with Oriol directing and the latter three executive producing.
The series will be a production between STXtv and Amazon Studios. STXtv acquired the spec script over the summer and subsequently took it to market, focusing on streaming and cable outlets.
The series is described as reaching into the deep suburbs of Los Angeles to characterize a Chicano family coming to terms with the falsehoods of the American dream, and their ability to defy expectations.
This would mark the first dramatic TV starring role of Lopez’s career. A well-known stand up comedian, he previously starred in a self-titled ABC comedy series for 120 episodes over six seasons from 2002-2007. He has also starred in shows like “Lopez” and “Saint George” as well as hosting his own TBS talk show, “Lopez Tonight.”
de Montreuil previously directed the feature “Lowriders,” on which Cartoon, Suroff, Valdez, and Oriol were executive producers. He is also known for directing and co-writing the story for the feature “Máncora.”
Cartoon is a legendary L.A. tattoo artist and designer. He has previously tattooed celebrities including Kobe Bryant, Eminem, Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Beyoncé, Snoop Dogg, and many others. He has also created designs for companies like Nike, The LA Clippers, and EA Sports.
Oriol is an internationally celebrated photographer and director. He began his career as a tour manager for Cypress Hill and House of Pain. His work documenting the world of hip hop has been featured in numerous books and galleries, as well as The Smithsonian Center for Latino Initiatives, The Petersen Automotive Museum, and The Museum of Contemporary Art among others.
Connolly is currently an executive producer on the upcoming Amazon anthology horror series “Them” with Lena Waithe. He executive produced “Hemlock Grove” for Netflix and “The Son” for AMC. On the feature side, Connolly co-produces the “How to Train Your Dragon franchise.”
