Hit Mexican telenovela Marimar to be adapted for African audiences by Aby Media

Marimar was originally produced by Televisa for Mexican network Canal de Las Estrellas in 1994

Ivory Coast- and LA-based indie prodco Aby Media has signed a rights deal with Spanish-language media giant TelevisaUnivision to adapt its Mexican telenova Marimar for African audiences.

Originally produced by Televisa for Mexican network Canal de Las Estrellas in 1994, Marimar starred singer and actress Thalía as a young woman from a poor background who overcomes hardships to reclaim her dignity.

Abidjan-headquartered Aby Media says its African adaptation will revisit the story through a “local and authentic lens,” tackling themes of resilience, social mobility and female empowerment.

The project will enter development in the third quarter of this year. No commissioning broadcaster or platform has been announced at this stage.

Kimberley Azria, MD of Aby Media, said: “Marimar is more than a telenovela; it is a universal symbol of hope and triumph over adversity. To adapt it today for African audiences is to revive a shared emotional legacy, while offering a new interpretation rooted in the continent’s contemporary realities.”