Sofia Vergara cast as drug queenpin in upcoming Netflix series from Narcos creators

Netflix seems to be making the most of the widespread popularity that Narcos and Narcos: Mexico, is receiving. The streaming giant recently announced another series based on the infamous Colombian drug trade and this one will feature Sofia Vergara in the lead. The upcoming mini series will be based on the life of drug trafficker Griselda Blanco.

According to reports in The Hollywood Reporter, the limited series, titled Griselda, will also feature Vergara as an executive producer. Several members of the team behind Narcos and Narcos:Mexico such as Eric Newman, Doug Miro, Andrés Baiz and Carlo Bernard will also executive produce the show. Ingrid Escajeda, known for her work on Justified and Empire, will be the showrunner.

Blanco had gone down in infamy as one of the most powerful drug lords in Columbia, becoming a billionaire in the process. Getting into cocaine trafficking in the 1970s, she had become the head of one of the most powerful cartels in Miami in subsequent decades. Her notoriety earned her the nickname ‘the Black Widow’. She was murdered in 2012 at the age of 69.

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Vergara had described the queenpin as a “larger-than-life character”, while expressing her excitement to bring Balnco’s intriguing story before audiences.

The drug queenpin has previously been emulated onscreen by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the 2017 film Cocaine Godmother. Jennifer Lopez will play Blanco in the upcoming film titled The Godmother, which is currently in development.

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Griselda will air in six episodes on Netflix, each roughly 50 minutes in length. A release date for the series is yet to be announced.