Movies of War

Mar 12, 2026 7:04am PT Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera Netflix Series in the Works (EXCLUSIVE) Patricia Riggen (‘Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’) and Gabriel Ripstein (‘Narcos’) will direct the series about the legendary Mexican artists. 'Amores Perros' producer Monica Lozano is producing the series By Anna Marie de la Fuente Plus Icon Anna Marie de la Fuente @adelafuente1 Latest Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera Netflix Series in the Works (EXCLUSIVE) 1 minute ago ‘Frankenstein’ Lead Oscar Isaac, ‘La Llorona’ Director Jayro Bustamante Push for Guatemala Film Law 6 days ago James Schamus, Fabula Co-Produce Gerardo Naranjo’s ‘The Son-in-Law’ for Netflix, Which Drops May 1 (EXCLUSIVE) 1 week ago See All Patricia Riggen (Credit: Amanda Lopez /Netflix) and Gabriel Ripstein (Maria Medina/Netflix) A Netflix series on the tempestuous relationship between iconic Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is in the works, with Patricia Riggen (“Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan”) and writer-director-producer Gabriel Ripstein, known for “600 Miles” and “Narcos,” on board to direct. The still untitled show will delve into their lives and explore how shifting political, social, and artistic upheavals shaped their relationship and oeuvre. Produced by Mónica Lozano of Alebrije Producciones (“Amores Perros,” “Instructions Not Included”), it is an adaptation of French writer Claire Berest ‘s novel “Rien n’est noir,“ translated to “The Award-Winning Novel About the Colorful and Captivating Life of Frida Kahlo.” Related Stories Broadway Across America's 2026 Conference Finds Elton John Championing 'Devil Wears Prada' as John Legend, TLC and More Make Their Pitch Writer-actor María Renée Prudencio, whose credits include “Los Adioses” and “Club Sandwich,” serves as head writer. Popular on Variety Said Carolina Leconte, content VP, Netflix Mexico: “The ambition of this project is unprecedented. We want to show a real Frida – a Frida who seems to step out of the screen and take you by the hand so you can live her story alongside her, during one of the most significant eras in this country: a Mexico that Frida and Diego placed on the world map.” “It’s a daring proposal that takes us into the most intimate spaces of two figures we feel have been exhausted by myth, but whose true story we have not yet dared to face directly. At Netflix, we believe in local stories, and few are as Mexican, as overflowing, as the love – and toxicity – between Frida and Diego. It is a privilege to work on this series alongside Patricia Riggen and Gabriel Ripstein to create a Frida and a Diego who unsettle, seduce and feel more alive than ever.” The new project dovetails with the objectives of the streamer which last year announced a $1 billion investment in production over the next four years in Mexico. It also comes as Mexico has finally announced a landmark 30% film production incentive to boost national and international projects. It complements the existing 16% VAT recovery option and the Jalisco state’s incentives. Salma Hayek, who stood beside Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum to announce the news, produced and starred in the Oscar-winning 2002 biopic, “Frida.” Riggen first broke out with her 2007 migrant drama “Under the Same Moon,” which sparked a bidding war at Sundance. She is among the few women of color directors in the biz, and the first Latina director to helm such mainstream action thrillers as “G20” and “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.” Residing in Los Angeles, she has also worked on such films as “The 33,” about the headline-grabbing rescue of Chilean miners who were buried underground for 69 days, and some episodes of “Dopesick,” starring Michael Keaton. “Returning to film in Mexico after so many years working abroad is deeply meaningful to me, and I couldn’t imagine a better project to come back to,” said Riggen. “I’ve been a fan of Frida since I was a child – of her courage and of the way she turned pain into strength. I want to tell her relationship with Diego from a feminine and Mexican perspective, but also with a global lens, exploring their love, their conflicts and their artistic life together in a way that feels modern, intimate and powerful for new generations.” Ripstein, who grew up on the sets of his legendary filmmaker father Arturo (“Principio y Fin”) and grandfather Alfredo Ripstein Jr., producer of Hayek’s career-launching “Midaq Alley,” made waves with his 2015 directorial debut “600 Miles,” snagging the best first feature award at the Berlinale. He’s also produced, alongside Michel Franco, such gems as 2015 Venice Golden Lion winner “From Afar” by Lorenzo Vigas and Franco’s “Chronic” and “April’s Daughter.” “One of the aims of this series is not to repeat the obvious – the things everyone already knows about Frida and Diego. What interests me is truly humanizing them, with their brilliance but also with the worst in each of them. The series is a deconstructed, mischievous and at times wild narrative, but always emotional and deeply respectful. It is built around two fundamental axes: their complex love relationship and their shared artistic life, and it is told through a modern, transgressive cinematic language that brings them into the present and connects them with today’s audience,” said Ripstein. Among the new Mexican projects from Netflix are: “The Dead Girls” (“Las muertas”), the first series from Luis Estrada (“Herod’s Law”), and romcom series “Love 9 to 5,” both of which debuted a few months ago. Other upcoming projects are the Mexican Revolution period series “Mal de amores,” based on the novel by Ángeles Mastretta; “Santita,” starring Gael Garcia Bernal; “I’m Not Afraid” (“No tengo miedo”) and “El circulo,” adapted from the novel Los Corruptores. Six other new titles announced in January include: “Alicia’s Law,” starring Fernanda Castillo; “Takedown,” a feature film starring Alfonso Herrera and Noé Hernández; a documentary about Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez; the reality competition show “Physical 100 Mexico” and the series “El otro padre,“ starring Manolo Cardona, Erik Hayser and Silvia Navarro. Netflix’s first live event in Latin America, “Supernova: Genesis,” is also forthcoming. 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