Telemundo Streaming Studios and Underground to develop "Cathedrals" for HBO Max

Underground, the Buenos Aires-based division of Telemundo Streaming Studios, will adapt the thriller “Cathedrals” (“Catedrales”) by award-winning noir author Claudia Piñeiro for HBO Max Latin America. The deal marks the first time Telemundo Streaming Studios is producing a series for the Warner Bros. Discovery streamer. Silvina Fredjkes and Alejandro Quesada will oversee the adaptation of the intrafamily drama, while Pablo Cullel will serve as executive producer of the project.

“We are delighted to announce the development of ‘Catedrales’ for HBO Max in Latin America, exactly the type of fresh and culturally relevant content that today’s audiences expect,” said Juan Ponce, senior VP and General Manager of Telemundo Streaming Studios.

“Adapting this moving story about the search for justice, told with great courage – without skipping facts nor minimizing nor exaggerating the outcome – will be a wonderful challenge. We hope the series will resonate with its audience just as the novel has with its readers,” Tomas Yankelevich, Chief Content Officer, General Entertainment, Latin America & US Hispanic, Warner Bros. Discovery, added.

Acquired by NBC Universal Telemundo Enterprises in 2019, Underground is the first Hispanic media studio committed to serving Latino streaming audiences in the U.S. and worldwide. It has continued to ramp up production as streaming giants Netflix, Amazon, HBO Max, Apple TV+, and other direct-to-consumer platforms grow their presence and, with it, their insatiable demand for premium content. “‘Cathedrals’ is a captivating domestic drama, with a good dose of thriller elements, that makes us reflect on such hot-button issues as religious fanaticism, abortion, and hypocrisy in the society we live in,” Sebastian Ortega, Director of Development for Telemundo Global Studios, said.

Piñeiro will serve as a literary consultant. Winner of the Dashiell Hammet award in 2021, “Catedrales” is described as a noir novel that shows the hypocrisy of religion and the atrocities that happen because of it. The story revolves around the mystery behind the brutal murder of 17-year-old Ana Sardá, a devout Catholic who had a strong bond with her family. Some 30 years later, her sister Lia has broken off all ties with her family and the church; the mother remains heartbroken and depressed while the father pushes to re-open the case.