The announcement of the arrival of El Rey, a new English-language cable network aimed at young Latino audiences and created by Robert Rodriguez, caused a stir at the Univision upfronts in May.
The first two scripted shows touted by the channel, which will launch in December/early 2014, include an adaptation of “From Dusk Till Dawn” that Rodriguez will write, produce and direct, and an action adventure series from “Star Trek” writers Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
Now Deadline has more information on the latter project, which it describes as a 13-episode “Latino James Bond-type series” that will center on a star soccer player/playboy who has a secret life as a spy working for a special branch of the CIA. Orci is writing the script for the pilot, with Rodriguez slated to direct. Deadline has the series pegged at a budget of $40 million, which puts it in firmly into quality drama territory.
While Kurtzman and Orci have “Sleepy Hollow” starting this fall on Fox, the El Rey drama will be their first cable venture. The two projects also represent Rodriguez’s first forays into scripted series — while on the big screen side, the filmmaker has “Machete Kills” set for theaters in September and “Sin City: A Dame to Kill For” the month after.
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