Netflix Greenlights ‘Narcos’, A Series About Drug Lord Pablo Escobar

Two weeks after announcing a new series starring Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin, Netflix has picked up its second new series of 2015. The premium distribution platform will host Narcos, a ten-episode series about Colombian drug kingpin Pablo Escobar.

Narcos will star Wagner Moura as Escobar, who ruled the Colombian underworld in the late 80s and early 90s until his death in 1993. Narcos will show the worldwide influence of Escobar’s Medellin Cartel. “Our idea is to tell the true story of how cocaine became such a huge problem in the U.S. and Europe – and how it all started here in Medellin,” said Jose Padilha, the series’ director.

Narcos will reunite Moura and Padilha, who worked together on the award-winning 2008 film Elite Squad. If that movie is any indication, we can expect Narcos to feature a frank depiction of violence and South American drug trafficking.

Narcos joins Netflix’s growing lineup of original series. In addition to Fonda and Tomlin’s Grace and Frankie, it also joins two other planned 2015 debuts: Superhero series Daredevil and the third season of House of Cards. “Jose and Wagner together created one of the most sophisticated and chilling portraits of criminality and official corruption ever in their Elite Squad movies,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “Their version of the Escobar saga will be like nothing ever seen before.”

Escobar was a criminal mastermind who manipulated his way to the top. In that sense, he shares a lot in common with Frank Underwood, whose political machinations Netflix users have watched in great numbers. As far as Netflix is concerned, any comparison to House of Cards is a good one–and the presence of a talented cast and crew is icing on the cake.