(L to R) Emiliano Zurita, Delfina Chaves, Enzo Vogrincic, Marleyda Soto, Marco Antonio Caponi star in Netflix’s upcoming dystopian series “The Future is Ours.”
Alan Roskyn/Netflix
A new dystopian sci-fi series with a stellar multinational cast, creative and technical team from Latin America and Spain is set to mark another milestone for Spanish-language science fiction. The Future is Ours stars Uruguay’s Enzo Vogrincic (Society of the Snow), Mexico’s Emiliano Zurita (No One Saw Us Leave), Argentina’s Delfina Chaves (Máxima), Colombia’s Marleyda Soto (One Hundred Years of Solitude) and Argentina’s Marco Antonio Caponi (Yosi, the Regretful Spy).
Netflix has kicked off production on the eight-episode limited series, which follows the global success of the groundbreaking The Eternaut, another Spanish-language sci-fi series it produced in Argentina that showcased the region’s technical expertise and production capabilities.
The Future is Ours is based on Philip K. Dick’s 1956 novel The World Jones Made, which has never been adapted for the screen and also marks the first Spanish-language adaptation of the author’s work. The novel tells the story of a man with prophetic abilities who becomes a demagogue in a future society. It explores themes of fate versus free will, political systems, and humanity’s hunger for belief and purpose. The Latin American adaptation dispenses with the author’s post-nuclear war apocalypse, instead focusing on ecological collapse.
Dick’s novels have inspired numerous landmark screen adaptations including Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, A Scanner Darkly and The Man in the High Castle.
“We have approached Philip K. Dick’s work with great respect and admiration, finding themes that are powerfully relevant today,” says Francisco Ramos, Vice President of Content for Latin America at Netflix. “Without a doubt, the challenge is immense, but we are proud to tell a story that will show Latin America as a force of resistance in the new order. It will be an unprecedented production of the highest ambition in Latin America that will demonstrate that these types of stories can also be told from our countries, in Spanish and with exceptional quality.”
Additional cast members include Fernán Mirás, Alfredo Castro, Antonia Zegers, Angela Rodríguez, María Gracia Omegna, Rallen Montenegro, Juan Palomino, Ilay Perales and Paloma Contreras.
What the series is about
Set in 2047, The Future is Ours imagines a world where ecological collapse has led to the creation of FedSur, a coalition of South American countries applying extreme measures to protect nature and counteract prevailing hunger and violence.
A new and captivating voice emerges on the internet, one far more powerful than any other because it can predict the future. Police officer Hugo Crussí (Vogrincic) discovers that behind the voice is a young preacher named Jonás Flores (Zurita), but his arrest transforms Flores into the spiritual leader of the continent overnight.
Forecasting the fall of FedSur and victory over climate change, Jonás inspires the Latin American people and rallies many to join his reactionary revolution. Meanwhile, Crussí, now pursued as a member of the resistance, embarks on a suicidal mission to end the tyrant, who has foreseen the assassination and will be waiting for him.
“Mateo’s adaptation of the novel is inventive and bold while retaining the essence of the original,” states Isa Dick Hackett, the author’s daughter and executive producer. “I have long believed that the rich culture and incredible talent in Latin America provide an extraordinary setting for this sort of ambitious project, and the passion expressed by the entire team is truly inspiring.”
Behind the camera
Mateo Gil (Pedro Páramo, The Minions of Midas) serves as showrunner, with Brazilian directors Vicente Amorim (Senna) and Daniel Rezende (The Son of A Thousand Men) alongside Argentine director Jesús Braceras (Barrabrava) directing episodes.
The production brings together some of Latin America’s most recognized talent behind the camera, including cinematographers Adrián Teijido (I’m Still Here) and Luis Sansans (Narcos, Narcos México), production designer Carlos Y Jacques (Pedro Páramo), and art director Julián Romera (The Eternaut). The writing team includes Laura Santullo, Camila Brugés Gómez (One Hundred Years of Solitude) and Kyzza Terrazas working alongside Gil.
Producers Micky Buye, Matías Mosteirín, Diego Copello, Emiliano Torres and Analía Castro, who previously collaborated on The Eternaut, are producing through K&S Films alongside Electric Shepherd Productions, the production arm of the Philip K Dick estate.
Argentina’s K&S Films has built international prestige with titles including the Oscar-nominated Wild Tales and BAFTA winner for Best Foreign Language Film. Its recent Netflix series The Eternaut, starring Ricardo Darín, was No.1 on the platform’s Global Top 10 list. The company also produced El Reino and División Palermo, winner of the International Emmy Award for Best Comedy, both for Netflix.
Electric Shepherd Productions was founded in 2007 by Isa Dick Hackett with a mandate to expand Philip K. Dick’s work to new platforms and champion diverse perspectives and contemporary stories for a global audience. The company’s television projects include The Man anthology series Electric Dreams, and the upcoming Blade Runner 2099.