Spencer director Pablo Larrain and streaming giant Netflix have started production on a black comedy titled, El Conde, Variety reports. The film will follow bloody Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet as a 250-year-old vampire. The Chilean filmmaker has by far directed eight feature films including the likes of No, Jackie and Neruda.
For the director’s last release Spencer, based on Princess Diana’s life, Kristen Stewart bagged various award nominations including Oscar consideration for Best Actress for her portrayal. Larrain’s work brilliantly features the titular characters and their power dynamics. Per Netflix, El Conde, the historical black comedy revolves around Augusto Pinochet who is not dead but an aged vampire who, after 250 years in this world, has decided to die once and for all, due to ailments brought about by his dishonor and family conflicts. The director said in an official statement,
“We are very happy as Netflix is a place where directors whom I greatly admire have made really valuable movies. Using black comedy we want to observe, understand and analyze the events that have occurred in Chile and the world in the last 50 years. We have total confidence that we’ll do a good job and it will undoubtedly be an adventure: a demanding shoot, but very inspiring and meaningful.”
Francisco Ramos, Netflix vice president of content for Latin America said, “Pablo is one of the most interesting and significant voices in Latin American cinema in the last 20 years; his view on Chile and Latin America are essential to understanding our continent.” Further adding, “I have no doubt that El Conde will continue on the path Pablo has blazed with No and Neruda. Continuing to put our faith in Fabula is vital to our growth process in a country as rich and diverse as Chile.”
Larrain will share screenwriting credits with long-term writing partner Guillermo Calderón. The duo previously collaborated on the biographical drama Neruda, and Berlin Grand Jury Prize winner The Club, the movie which persuaded Natalie Portman to play the lead in the Larraín-directed Jackie. El Conde is produced by Juan de Dios Larraín at Fabula, the Larraín brothers’ Chile-based film-TV production house.
The movie stars Jaime Vadell (Tres tristes tigres, No) and Gloria Münchmeyer (La luna en el espejo, 42 días en la oscuridad) as well as Larrain regular Alfredo Castro (Tony Manero, Tengo Miedo Torero) and Paula Luschinger (Ema, La Jauría).
El Conde will premier on Netflix sometime in 2023.