¡García! Explained

Creator:
  • Sara Antuña
  • Carlos de Pando
Director:Eugenio Mira
Country:Spain
Language:Spanish
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:6
Executive Producer:
Cinematography:Unax Mendia
Network:HBO Max

¡García! (or García!) is a Spanish television series based on the graphic novel by Santiago García and Luis Bustos. Created by Sara Antuña and Carlos de Pando for HBO Max, it stars Francisco Ortiz and Veki Velilla. Eugenio Mira directed the 6 episodes.

Premise

Set in a version of current-day Spain on the verge of societal collapse, the fiction follows Antonia, a reporter who accidentally unravels a decades-old plot concerning a super-agent created in the 1950s by the Francoist secret services, García, who was subsequently cryogenized. The latter, defrosted by Antonia, finds himself dazed and confused in current-day Spain.[1] [2] [3]

Production

Created and written by Sara Antuña and Carlos de Pando (showrunners of The Neighbor), ¡García! is an adaptation of the eponymous graphic novel by Santiago García and Luis Bustos. The series is produced by García La Serie, S.L. (an ad-hoc production company linked to Zeta Studios) for WarnerMedia Original Programming.

The project, billed as a "satirical thriller with sci-fi elements",[4] was greenlighted in May 2021. Miguel Salvat, Steve Matthews and Antony Root are credited as executive producers,[5] whereas Eugenio Mira was charged with the direction of the 6 episodes comprising the season, set to feature a running time of around 60 minutes.[6] is the cinematography director.[7] Shooting in Madrid had already begun on 7 May 2021.[8]

Still in production, the project was showcased together with other HBO Max originals (Todo lo otro, Venga Juan and Sin novedad) at the 69th San Sebastián International Film Festival in September 2021.[9] [10] On 25 October 2021, HBO Max released a teaser video, announcing an intended release date for 2022.[11]

Release

The first two episodes made their world premiere at the Fantastic Fest in September 2022.[12] [13] They also screened at the 55th Sitges Film Festival.[14] [15] HBO Max released the first two episodes in 4K along with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos on 28 October 2022.[16] A free-to-air release of the first episode on Spanish channel DMAX was also programmed for 28 October 2022.[17]

Reception

Raquel Hernández Luján of HobbyConsolas rated the show with 80 points ("very good"), praising its "agile storytelling, the committed cast, and its boundless aesthetic and musical ambition".[18]

Pere Solà Gimferrer of La Vanguardia highlighted "an impeccable execution that knows how to recreate the adventurous spirit of Indiana Jones and the sense of action of the classic James Bond without renouncing to have its own identity".[19]

In the United States, Deciders Johnny Loftus also wrote a positive review for the series, concluding: "Garcia! offers a gleeful riff on spy movies, and a grip of chase and fight scenes right out of the Indiana Jones adventure handbook. But it also has something to say about the shifting tides of contemporary politics, between democracy and fascism, and that push and pull isn’t exclusive to contemporary Spain."[20]

Accolades

|-! rowspan="5" | 2023| 28th Critics' Choice Awards || colspan = "2" | Best Foreign Language Series || || align = "center" | [21] |-| rowspan="2" | 10th Feroz Awards| colspan = "2" | Best Drama Series| | rowspan="2" | [22] |-| Best Supporting Actor in a Series| Emilio Gutiérrez Caba| |-| rowspan = "2" | 31st Actors and Actresses Union Awards || rowspan = "2" | Best Television Actor in a Minor Role || Luis Rallo || || rowspan = "2" | [23] |-| Arturo Querejeta || |}

Notes and References

  1. Web site: '¡García!': HBO Max anuncia su primera serie española, a cargo de los creadores de 'El vecino'. Cinemanía. 20minutos.es. 7 May 2021.
  2. Web site: HBO Max anuncia su primera serie original en España: '¡García!', con producción de Zeta Studios. Audiovisual451. 7 May 2021.
  3. Web site: HBO Max series ¡García! brings fictional Francoist spy to small screen. The Guardian. Sam. Jones. 25 October 2022.
  4. Web site: HBO Max anuncia '¡García!', thriller satírico con elementos de ciencia-ficción basado en un cómic del creador de 'El vecino'. Xataka. 7 May 2021.
  5. Web site: 'Doctor Who' Star David Tennant Joins 'The Amazing Maurice'; HBO Max Greenlights Spanish-Language Original 'García'; Channel 4 Axes 'The Circle' – Global Briefs. Deadline Hollywood. Diana. Lodderhouse. 7 May 2021.
  6. Web site: HBO Max anuncia que ya produce '¡García!', su nueva serie española con sorpresas en el reparto. Vertele!. eldiario.es. 7 May 2021.
  7. Web site: HBO MAX arranca la producción de su nueva serie original, ¡GARCÍA! creada por Sara Antuña y Carlos de Pando. Camera and Light Mag. 7 May 2021.
  8. Web site: Filtradas primeras imágenes del rodaje de ¡García!. msn.com. 7 May 2021.
  9. Web site: HBO Max enseña en el Festival de San Sebastián un avance de sus primeras series originales en España. El Español. 19 September 2021. Daniel. Mantilla.
  10. Web site: HBO presenta sus series originales en el festival de San Sebastián. Fotogramas. 19 September 2021. María. Aller.
  11. Web site: Primeras imágenes y teaser de '¡GARCÍA!', la nueva serie original de HBO Max sobre el superagente franquista del cómic. Cinemanía. 20minutos.es. 2021-10-25. es. 2021-10-25.
  12. Web site: Fantastic Fest Headlined by 'Bones and All,' 'Triangle of Sadness,' and a Park Chan-wook Tribute. IndieWire. 17 August 2022. 16 August 2022. Christian. Zilko.
  13. Web site: Dos películas españolas, 'Cerdita' y 'La piedad', triunfan en el palmarés del Fantastic Fest de Texas. Cinemanía. 27 September 2022. 20minutos.es. Carles. Rull.
  14. Web site: '¡García!', el superhéroe de la actualidad. Hoy Magazine. Gabriela. Bautista Palacios. 21 October 2022.
  15. Web site: HBO Max Reveals First Teaser for 'García!' – Global Bulletin. Variety. 17 August 2022. Naman. Ramachandran.
  16. Web site: Nuevo avance de ¡García!, que llega al catálogo de HBO Max en octubre. 17 August 2022. José Carlos. Pozo. HobbyConsolas.
  17. Web site: DMAX emitirá en abierto el primer episodio de '¡García!', la nueva serie de HBO Max. Vertele!. eldiario.es. 21 October 2022.
  18. Web site: HobbyConsolas. Crítica de ¡García!, una serie única, arriesgada y que podrás ver en HBO Max. 24 October 2022. Raquel. Hernández Luján.
  19. Web site: De Londres al Valle de los Caídos sin dejar de ver buenas series. La Vanguardia. 26 October 2022. Pere. Solà Gimferrer.
  20. Web site: Loftus . Johnny . Stream It Or Skip It: 'Garcia!' on HBO Max, Where An Unfrozen '60s Spy Finds A Contemporary Spain Full Of Its Own Troubles . . 4 November 2022 . 3 November 2022.
  21. Web site: Abbott Elementary Leads TV Nominees for the 2023 Critics Choice Awards. vulture.com. 6 December 2022. Jennifer. Zhan.
  22. Web site: Premios Feroz 2023 Palmarés completo: empatan 'As bestas' y 'Cinco lobitos' en cine y 'La ruta' y 'No me gusta conducir' en series. Cinemanía. 20minutos.es. 29 January 2023.
  23. Web site: Premios Unión de Actores 2023: conoce a los nominados de la XXXI edición. Fotogramas. 31 January 2023. María. Aller.