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Jonás Cuarón has his new Netflix project lined up. The son of revered filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón will be adapting the story of the Chupacabras, the spooky and famous folkrore tale that has haunted the dreams of many Latinos.
The Netflix account Con Todo has released the first set of images from “Chupa,” sharing a brief blurb on what viewers can expect from the film. “Here’s a first look at CHUPA, an adventure-fantasy movie coming to Netflix April 7,” reads the tweet. “The story follows Alex, ateen who discovers a young chupacabra while visiting his family in Mexico. To save it, Alex must embark on the adventure of a lifetime!”
From the description of the film, Cuarón’s tale leans more towards the fantastical vs the horrofic side of the tale, providing a refreshing take on the story. In an interview with People en Español, Cuarón talked about why he decided to adapt the tale of the Chupacabras and what influences he borrowed for his film.
“I grew up in Mexico and out of all the stories that I heard throughout my childhood the one that impressed me the most was the Chupacabras,” he said. “The myth originated in the ‘90s when I was like 12 years old, and I remember that the news spoke about this terrifying creature that was all over Latin America devouring goats and drinking their blood.”
Cuarón said that his new film reminded him of the movies of his childhood, like “E.T.,” “The Goonies,” and “Gremlins.” “A big part of the creative process was learning how to view the world through the eyes of children,” he said.
Aside from the magical and scary aspects of the story, “Chupa” also presents Latino viewers with the opportunity to see themselves and their world onscreen, with Cuarón making it clear that it was important for him to depict the Latin American reality as wholly as possible.
“Chupa” stars Demian Bichir, Alex Whitten, Christian Slater, and more.