News of a kidnapping, is the new venture by Prime Video that premiered in 240 countries and is translated into 90 languages. The series directed by Andres Wood and Julio Jorquera, produced by Maria Wood Producciones and Invercine, has risen great impact as it is based on the homonymous book of the Colombian Nobel, Gabriel García Márquez.

“We were looking for a partner who had the same interest as us in producing a premium series, and that was Prime Video by choosing this project to be the first original series for the Colombian market” Maria Elena Wood (Maria Wood Producciones)   “It’s an important story that needs to be told. We worked every detail to achieve a high quality tv show, with incredible casting. We carried out a very nice synergy with the Colombian crew that welcomed us very well” Macarena Cardone (Invercine)

We invite you to immerse yourself in the vision and creative process of this series by the hands of the producers, Maria Elena Wood and Macarena Cardone.

The streaming giants have their eyes on Chile and we saw this, after the success of the latest Chilean productions on the most recognized digital platforms worldwide.

The series that premiered a few days ago has 6 episodes, being its greatest winning hand the participation of the executive producer Rodrigo Garcia, son of Garcia Marquez.

Taking as inspiration real events that occurred in Colombia, the tv show embodies the 90s’ when a series of kidnappings begin to take place, under the decision of the Colombian government to fight against drug trafficking.

The previous process of this great show was included in the CinemaChile tv catalog during 2021.

What was the feedback obtained after the first days of the premiere from Prime Video?

Macarena Cardone:  It is a current story and it will connect very well. We are already in the top 10 tv shows on Amazon Prime.

The reception has been huge and overwhelming. We felt the admiration of so many people who loved the series, and personally, what touched me the most is the reaction of the families of the victims who felt represented in the story.

How do you make a series for Prime Video?

María Elena Wood: It has to be a good story that fits the agenda that the platform is looking for at the moment. You must have an initial development of attractive and quality content, in addition to having an experienced creative and production team.

What led you to produce and bring to tv a novel so historically and socially recognized as News of a kidnapping?

Macarena Cardone: Mainly that it is an important story to tell, of social relevance, based on real events and inspired by the book News of a Kidnapping by Gabriel García Márquez.

How many people worked in the show?

María Elena Wood: We worked with two filming units: One directed by Andrés Wood and one by Julio Jorquera, each with an average of 150 people.

How was the previous research process from the production and along with the team?

Macarena Cardone: The process flowed very well with the entire creative team,  where there were dramatic lines that were maintained and others that were discarded, and it was decided to finally focus on the victims and their families.

In addition, it is important to highlight the Chilean team that was behind this, as executive producers in addition to Mane and myself. There were Matías Cardone and Patricio Pereira, as well as directors Andrés Wood and Julio Jorquera, also director of photography Miguel I. Littin-Menz, production design Rodrigo Bazaes, editing director Andrea Chignoli, original soundtrack José Miguel Miranda and José Miguel Tobar, technical producer Eduardo Ramírez, post production coordinator Álvaro Asela, VFX supervisor Tomás Roca, the Atomica team and Garage.

What do you feel Rodrigo Garcia brought to the series?

María Elena Wood:  Rodrigo was the team leader. He actively participated in all creative processes and supported the production team whenever it was necessary. He gave clear guidelines, trusted the team and gave freedom to director Andres Wood. A privilege to work with him for his professional and humane quality.

Rodrigo García

How long did it take them to shoot and produce all the episodes?

Macarena Cardone:  The process was long, it took 7 months, counting the pre-production and filming.

How did you manage the entire production process?

María Elena Wood: The first thing was to put together a team of writers to develop the content and write the pilot. Then we held several meetings in Bogota, Colombia and then in Los Angeles, US, with potential stakeholders.

We were looking for a partner who had the same interest as us in producing a premium series and that was Prime Video who chose this project to be the first original series for the Colombian market.

How do you think the story will connect with audiences worldwide?

Macarena Cardone: It is a very humane series, realistic and brutal, which allows you to experience quite closely the pain of the victims and perpetrators of the kidnapping. It’s told from both sides, and you get deeply involved in understanding why they do what they do, where they come from and that’s heartbreaking; so they’re very powerful characters, with a strong dramatic power.

What elements of the book were essential during the writing of the script?

María Elena Wood: All of them. And each reading gave more light to the creation process. A story focused on the victims of drug trafficking, and not on the perpetrators. A story of love and families who do everything to rescue their loved ones alive.

How have you seen the growth of serialized content productions at Invercine? What other projects do you have planned for the future?

Macarena Cardone: We are very happy about the increase of content for Invercine. We started by generating local content for open television, and a couple of years ago we focused on generating content for platforms.

We are currently working on the tv show Enigma Guadalupe, an original for HBO Max, and a local project with Mediapro for next year, in addition to several other projects under development with partners in Spain, Argentina and Mexico.

What do you think of  the growth of tv content productions for Wood producciones?

María Elena Wood: News of a kidnapping, is the fourth series produced by Invercine and Wood. Their other tv shows were Mary&Mike ; Dignity; and Los Jaivas.

It is a great achievement for a national production company to have all its series on international platforms and to have generated the first co-production of a Chilean project with Germany. We must continue to work hard as always