The anticipated new TV drama 'Queen of the South' makes its debut Thursday night. The series is based on the global best-selling novel "La Reina Del Sur", and tells the tale of Teresa Mendoza, a woman who is forced to run and seek refuge in America after her drug-dealing boyfriend is unexpectedly murdered in Mexico. Teresa then becomes a force to reckon with in her own right.
The series takes after the novel by internationally acclaimed Spanish author Arturo Pérez-Reverte.
The novel was also adapted into a top-rated series, La Reina del Sur, that aired on Telemundo, USA Network's sister station (both are part of NBC Universal).
"Mendoza teams up with an unlikely figure from her past to bring down the leader of the very drug trafficking ring that has her on the run", according to the show's release.
Mendoza, the main character, is played by Brazilian actress Alice Braga, who is known for her roles in City of God and Lower City. The Brazilian actress has won multiple awards for her acting in both the US and Brazil. She is also the niece of the famous Brazilian actress, Sonia Braga.
Many noted Latino actors star in the new series. “Everybody is phenomenal in this cast, everyone is Latino”, said actress Justina Machado, who plays Brenda Parra in the series, in a recent interview with NBC Latino.
“It has a Little bit of everything you know, it has revenge, it has love, it has hatred, it has survival, it has action, so it’s a good story. The characters are endearing, even though they’re criminals, most of them. I think when you have a good story people will connect”, said actress Veronica Falcón.
“All of the actors are from different backgrounds, one is from the Dominican Republic, I’m from Brazil, there’s one from just the border of Tejas, [and] a Puerto Rican, and that’s something I think is very important nowadays, for us to have so many Hispanics who live in the U.S. We have such a big Latin community, that just to be part of a show like this is very special”, Alice Braga told NBC News in a recent interview.
USA Network's new series, 'Queen of the South' is set to debut Thursday June 23 at 10 pET.
