Joshua Parfitt
NETFLIX have announced the comic book El Vecino, from Malaga cartoonist Pepo Perez and screenwriter Santiago Garcia, is set to become a new series.
The digital streaming giant will soon begin producing Perez and Garcia’s graphic novel, which tells the story of struggling artist Javier whose life changes when an alien falls on him and in a dying act passes on its superpowers.
The trouble is that Javier’s new-found abilities initially prove useless as he gets fired from him job and his girlfriend decides she wants to take a break.
The series will be directed by Nacho Vigalondo, director of 2016 science fiction film Colossal, and star actors Quim Gutierrez and Clara Lago.
“Everything has developed really quickly since last February when we sold the rights to Zeta Audiovisual, which in May began working with Netflix,” Perez told the Diario SUR.
The graphic novel was first published in 2004, and the story develops over five volumes as neighbour Jose Ramon teaches Javier to use his superpowers for good—as well as how to hide his secret identity from his girlfriend who begins investigating Javier’s superhero alter-ego, Titan.
“The comic is a situation comedy with this chaotic character who is very normal except for being a superhero,” Perez said.
Filming will start in March, and will most likely launch in 2020, though the date is not yet confirmed.
Writer Santiago Garcia was the translator for Spanish-language series of Spider Man, X-Men and Calvin and Hobbes.
Continuing its investment in local-language production in Europe, Netflix is producing El Vecino as one of five new Spanish-language productions to launch worldwide on the streaming platform in 2020.
There are currently six Spanish Originals series on Netflix, and this recent investment comes after the establishment of the streaming platform’s first European production hub in Madrid.
