Aug 24, 2021

Watch the trailer: Mesoamerican mythology comes to life in Jorge Gutierrez's Maya and 3 People

Some years ago, at a Netflix party, Jorge Gutiérrez was made an alluring proposition: he was asked to picture a project he didn't think would get made anywhere. Thus was born Maya and the Three, a nine-part, four-and-a-half-hour limited series - or, in Gutiérrez's words, a “fantasy, super-epic, crazy movie.” It will launch on the streamer this year.

Watch the first trailer below:

Maya and the Three is set in a legendary Meso-America, which bristles with the mythology the director absorbed as a child in Mexico. Having cast male protagonists in his previous works (The Book of Life, El Tigre: The Adventures of Manny Rivera), Gutiérrez decided to center this series on a warrior princess, who journeys across magical realms to fulfill an ancient prophecy and defend humanity against the gods of the underworld.

Three years in the making, Maya and the Three was animated at the recently shuttered Tangent Animation in Toronto and Winnipeg. Gutiérrez wrote the series with Silvia Olivas, Doug Langdale, and Candie Kelty Langdale, with Jeff Ranjo serving as head of story. The director also executive-produced, and Olivas and Ranjo co-executive-produced. The producer is Tim Yoon.

The voice cast includes Zoe Saldaña, Gabriel Iglesias, Allen Maldonado, Stephanie Beatriz, Diego Luna, Gael García Bernal, Alfred Molina, Kate del Castillo, Danny Trejo, Cheech Marin, Rosie Perez, Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean, Jorge R. Gutiérrez, Sandra Equihua, Isabela Merced, Chelsea Rendon, Joaquín Cosío, Carlos Alazraqui, Eric Bauza, and Rita Moreno.

Last year, Gutiérrez signed an overall deal with Netflix, under which he will write, direct, and produce animated content for children and adults. He will speak at Pixelatl's virtual edition next month. So will Sandra Equihua, his wife and creative partner, who served as creative consultant on Maya and the Three.