“Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue from some items through these links.”

It’s an unseasonably warm and sunny Halloween, and the spirits (believe it or not) don’t want Salma Hayek Pinault and I to talk to each other.

Our scheduled phone call to discuss the actor and producer’s latest project, a new reimagining of the beloved Mexican book and 1992 film Like Water to Chocolate— fell three times. Most A-list promotional teams would have rescheduled because they didn’t want to deal with the hassle, but Hayek Pinault was determined to discuss the new six-episode series, which she executive produced. After all, it is a project that took six years to implement.

It is impossible to describe the plot Like Water for Chocolate in a concise, easily digestible way. Set in Mexico in the early 1900s, the film tells the story of Tita, whose mother, Mana, refuses to allow Elena to marry and insists that, as the youngest daughter, Tita must take care of her until her death. Mama Elana manipulates Tita’s lifelong love, Pedro, into marrying her other daughter, Rosaura; this is a match that Pedro agrees to only to stay close to Tita.

Tita bakes custard pies, quails, cakes and more to keep busy and escape heartbreak, but she injects her emotions with a surreal twist into everything she makes. If she’s upset, one bite of cake will cause the entire wedding party to burst into tears. If he’s feeling jittery, a spoonful of mole sauce will get guests at the dinner table hot and bothered. Desire, sensuality, sisterhood, family trauma and tragedy, all of it Like Water to Chocolate a timeless story that resonates with women across generations and cultures.

For Hayek Pinault, the original film also represented a formative period in her life and career.

“The weird thing about this movie for my life was that I had just moved to the United States with a dream and was rejected everywhere,” says Hayek Pinault. Harper’s Bazaar. “And suddenly it turns out One This film is the first Spanish-language film based on a Latin American novel that was a huge success in the United States. It doesn’t seem like anything… but you don’t To know what it meant to me and (other Latinos at the time). For the first time I felt like people cared about us and respected us; “There was a cultural appreciation I haven’t experienced since I went to the United States.”

Like Water to Chocolate It caused a cultural shift when it was released in 1992. It became the highest-grossing foreign film of the period in the United States and was nominated for a Golden Globe. It happened even after decades turned into ballet.

These days, as Hayek Pinault points out, it’s not uncommon for American audiences to become emotionally involved with television or movies set in a foreign setting or told in a foreign language. “Now we are telling (this story) to new generations in a different format – a format that is in a different time – it has become a habit for many people to watch projects from different cultures and different languages. “They use subtitles or translation,” he says. “And now we can take this Latin American literary gem and export it around the world.”

Shifting the story from a feature film to a six-episode limited series was an easy decision for Hayek Pinault because it would allow for the chance to add more depth to the characters.

“I think the show really suits the times; “especially because it is the story of women struggling to create and take control of their own destiny,” she says. “We also have an incredible fear of disappointing our parents, as well as the political situation of the Mexican Revolution… It’s a story about change, but it’s also about family and traditions. I come from a different generation and there are so many traditions we have lost that it really pains me; sitting together, cooking and sharing food. We order everything now! But this is a story about my favorite subjects: love, food, and magic. “It’s about the power of intention in the little things we do.”

When it came time to cast for the series, Hayek Pinault knew that her two lead lovers would not only have to look perfect for each other, but that they would also be able to hold their own against veteran actors Irene Azuela and Ángeles Cruz, who play Mama Elena. Nacha is the family cook on my mother’s side.

“They are a force of nature; “There is a very strong presence to Nacha’s character and the mother’s character and their respective acting styles,” she shares. “We needed a young man who could stand with the forces of nature and hold his ground. I needed someone who I knew the audience would never tire of watching, and that’s a quality you either have or don’t have. I believe Azul (Guaita) is a superstar; He’s fascinating.”

According to the actor, there was some magic on set too. Hayek Pinault shared that some of the love and passion that went into completing the production may have translated into real life. He revealed that the two leads playing Tita (Azul Guaita) and Pedro (Andrés Baida) are now dating.

“Our Pedro and Tita fell in love in real life too!” he exclaims. “We didn’t make a mistake (in casting); “That’s for sure.”

With Like Water to Chocolate Premiering this Sunday, Hayek Pinault hopes audiences will have the opportunity to reconsider how they feel about certain characters in the story, especially the allegedly malevolent ones.

“It’s very interesting for me to see how the new generation interprets the classic characters,” he adds. “It was important for me not to compete with the film, which is so important in my life, but to have the capacity to see the characters in a new way. Rosaura’s character; I always hated him. But in the series, you almost feel it now. The mother, too, could not choose her love, and now, seeing him alone in the revolution with her three daughters, she could not choose her fate. “It was fun to explore all of this.”

I’m watching your last dreams Like Water to Chocolate Sometimes it feels familiar; not because it evokes the memory of the original film, but because it brings to mind Hayek Pinault’s 2002 passion project. Frida. Although Mexican surrealism is present in both projects, this is not the overall similarity. What is clearly present is the dedication and intention to create a project that will be a reference to Mexican history, tradition and creativity for years to come.

“The actors, the directors behind the cameras, and everyone on the set knew we had to do something special,” says Hayek Pinault. “Being able to see the talents of all these people who gave their best to me and knowing the circumstances in which they had to come together, it was so amazing to see all of that and it really touched me. “I knew the story, I knew the script, I knew every word, but it still moved me.”

And while the premise Like Water to Chocolate Although quite complex, Hayek Pinault’s perspective on why this particular Mexican story has stood the test of time is simpler.

“It makes you want to eat and make love,” she laughs. “And that’s what I want to watch on TV.”

You may also like