HBO Max drama Catedrales finds new home on Prime Video as setting moves to Chile

The Catedrales novel was set in Buenos Aires but the series moves the action to Santiago

Amazon’s Prime Video will be the final home for Catedrales (Cathedrals), a drama series originally greenlit by HBO Max and based on the novel of the same name by Argentine author Claudia Piñeiro.

The project, produced by Telemundo Studios-owned prodco Underground, will now arrive as a Chilean production exclusively on Prime Video this year and will screen worldwide.

Catedrales was announced as the first production of the then Telemundo Streaming Studios for HBO Max in 2022, coinciding with the opening of Underground’s new offices in Buenos Aires.

However, changes in leadership and strategy at Warner Bros Discovery halted the project. Once back in the hands of the production company, the adaptation found a new home on Prime Video.

The change of setting also comes with a substantial redesign. While the novel is primarily set in Buenos Aires, the series will be set in Santiago, Chile, and will feature a mostly Chilean cast.

The adaptation continued under Silvina Fredjkes and Alejandro Quesada, while the directors were Pepa San Martín (Rara) from Chile and Fabiana Tiscornia (Cromañón) from Argentina. Tiscornia serves as executive producer alongside Sebastián Ortega and Pablo Culell, who also acts as showrunner.

Part of the filming took place in Uruguay, with production services provided by Cimarrón (The Mediapro Studio). Its co-founder, Santiago López, is also listed as an exec producer.

Described as a dramatic thriller told across two timelines, Catedrales follows the deeply religious Sardá family, haunted for decades by the unsolved murder of their youngest daughter, Ana. When Lía returns to Santiago to be with her dying father, the search for the truth unearths family secrets intertwined with religious extremism, forbidden love and a web of lies.

Javiera Balmaceda, head of original content for Latin America, Canada and Australia at Amazon MGM Studios, said Catedrales will generate “conversations long after the credits appear.”

“With an exceptional cast and the bold vision of directors Pepa San Martin and Fabiana Tiscornia, this series brings Claudia Piñeiro’s acclaimed novel to life and continues our commitment to adapting Latin America’s most compelling literary voices to the screen,” she added.