Televisa checks into Gran Hotel

The US arm of Mexican media giant Televisa is working on a local version of Spanish period drama Gran Hotel set in 1950s Havana.

The English-language programming department of Televisa is working with showrunner Stephen Kronish (24, Kennedys) on the adaptation of the hit series.

Set in 1905, the original Gran Hotel began airing on Antenna 3 in Spain in 2011 and follows a young man who is determined to discover the truth about his sister’s disappearance from the hotel that employed her.

The format is distributed by Germany’s Beta Film and was brought to Televisa USA’s attention by scripted format sales company Pomodoro Stories. It has previously been adapted in Italy by pubcaster Rai.

Televisa USA and Dominican Republic-based coproduction partner Lantica Media are moving the action forward four decades and transplanting the story to Cuba.

The series will be shot at Lantica’s Pinewood Dominican Republic Studios, with an original script adapted to pre-Castro Havana by Emmy winner Kronish.

It marks the beginning of a partnership between Televisa USA and Lantica that will see the pair co-develop and co-finance multiple projects.