Coral lines up next Lat Am novela

With a raft of Latin American hit series in the bag, Miami-based Spanish-language producer and distributor Coral is developing a new telenovela in conjunction with sister outfit, Venezuelan channel RCTV.

Dubbed Mujer Con Pantalones (She Wears The Trousers) (120×60'), the new show features a dominant woman and is currently in the pre-production phase.

This is latest effort from the Coral stable which has already chalked up four new telenovelas this year.

My Sweet Fat Valentina (Mi Gorda Bella) (120×60'), about an overweight woman who finds comfort in food after her mother’s death, has been a primetime ratings winner since debuting on RCTV.

Meanwhile, Juana’s Miracle (Juana la Virgen) (120×60') story of a single mother, has achieved a 44% audience share in Venezuela. The show has also scored top ratings in Chile, Ecuador and Colombia. Coral has also sold Juana's Miracle to Mexico, Costa Rica, Panama, Spain (Canal Sur and Canarias Telecom), Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

Other new offerings for 2003 include Designs of Love (Trapos Intimos) (120×60'), featuring a widower in love with his dead wife's evil twin, and Wife of Judas (La Mujer de Judas) (120×60'), the story of crime and passion.

Production on Designs Of Love and My Sweet Fat Valentina is due to wrap in June and July respectively.

The roll-out of Hispanic channels in the US has secured a wider audience for Coral's output. Having signed an exclusive ten-year deal with Univision's US net Telefuturo two years ago, Coral's back catalogue and future productions are guaranteed transmission in the US for the rest of this decade.