Kate del Castillo returns for season 3 of "La Reina del Sur."
TelemundoKate del Castillo returns as Teresa Mendoza for the highly anticipated season 3 of La Reina del Sur, based on Arturo Perez-Reverte's best-selling novel. The series was a hit for Telemundo when it debuted in 2011. It took eight years for the network to make the sequel, returning in April 2019, and another three for the third chapter.
Telemundo today announced the third installment premieres Tuesday, October 18 and will move to 9 p.m. ET/PT, an hour earlier than its prior seasons.
The network also dropped a new trailer to fuel interest among die-hard fans, with the show's star promoting it among her nine million Instagram followers, quickly generating over 100 thousand likes.
Season 3 of La Reina del Sur opens four years after the second season with Teresa behind bars in the U.S. for the murders of three DEA agents. She's once again separated from her daughter Sofia. She's freed in a dramatic jailbreak, leading her back to a covert world powered by alliances and secret deals and taking her on another action-packed adventure as she seeks to end her life as a fugitive and reunite with her daughter.
"This one, the third one [season] has nothing to do with narco trafficking. It has nothing to do with dealing drugs... So I am very, very happy about it because I always said that Teresa Mendoza is Teresa Mendoza regardless of what she does for a living. Knowing that she is a survivor and she doesn't victimize herself - although she was a victim - but she lives in this man's world and she makes the most out of it.... Now she's a mother. She's much a more mature woman in this third one," shared del Castillo during a virtual press tour earlier this month.
"La Reina del Sur reigns supreme as the cornerstone of our Super Series™ franchises, and this epic saga continues filled with action, suspense and adventure, revealing Teresa Mendoza’s new purpose and putting her abilities, grit and cunning to the test,” said Karen Barroeta, EVP, Production & Development, Telemundo Global Studios. “Kate del Castillo remains a big part of why the series continues to broaden its appeal among and beyond our Spanish-speaking viewers. Combined with her star power and an exciting narrative, we are certain this third season of La Reina will be a game-changer that will continue to grow her fandom and influence Spanish-language media for years to come."
Telemundo hopes the return of La Reina del Sur - one of its most popular franchises - will provide the network a primetime ratings lift.
The series’ inaugural season broke viewing records back in 2011 with its finale outperforming all television networks, regardless of language. The second installment ended its run as the No. 1 program at 10 p.m. regardless of language and was awarded an International Emmy Award in the Best Non-English Language U.S. Primetime Program category. Telemundo is currently behind rival Univision from 9 to 11 p.m.
In addition to Kate del Castillo [Bad Boys for Life, Ingobernable, Maya and the Three], the series features Pêpê Rapazote [Queen of the South, Shameless], Humberto Zurita [La Querida del Centauro, La Reina del Sur], Isabella Sierra [La Reina del Sur 2, 100 Días para Enamorarnos], Kika Edgar [La Reina del Sur 2, Mujeres Asesinas], Alejandro Calva [La Reina del Sur, Señora Acero], Tiago Correa [La Reina del Sur 2, La Casa de las Flores], Eduardo Yáñez [La Reina del Sur 2, Falsa Identidad], Lincoln Palomeque [La Reina del Sur, Señora Acero] Antonio Gil [La Reina del Sur 2], Emmanuel Orenday [La Reina del Sur, Señora Acero], Cuca Escribano [La Reina del Sur], Sara Vidorreta [La Reina del Sur], Agata Clares [La Reina del Sur], Dmitry Anisimov [La Reina del Sur], Noe Hernandez, Horacio Garcia Rojas, Ed Trucco, Carlos Valencia, Arturo Ríos, Denia Agalianou, Anderley Palomino, Fernando Solorzano and Victor Rebull, with a special participation by Sofia Lama, Matias Novoa, and Beth Chamberlin.
Kate del Castillo at the Los Angeles premiere of season 3 of "La Reina del Sur."
TELEMUNDO/Alberto RodriguezMore than a decade since Kate del Castillo became Teresa Mendoza, La Reina del Sur [Queen of the South], a huge ratings hit that broke records for Telemundo in its debut season in 2011, the actress is back in the role that brought her international fame. Ahead of the season 3 premiere, she shared how her character evolved from a naive young woman to a powerful narco trafficker.
"Destiny forced her into a world she didn't want, a man's world, where she had to battle many evils and she made margaritas out of lemons," says del Castillo.
"I also think my character, Teresa Mendoza, she's the anti-heroine. She's real, she's raw, she's flawed in so many ways. She has a lot of defects and commits mistakes all the time. So she's real....she can be very tough, but she's also very vulnerable. She's also a mother, she loves like a mother and she protects not only her daughter, but everybody...who's her people."
The third season kicks off with Teresa in prison.
"After four years in total confinement, Teresa is determined to break out of jail to seek justice. We've completely moved away from the narco storyline. It's about her seeking justice. We're also dealing with important issues, such as human trafficking... an amazing story overall," she says.
A behind-the-scenes shot of Kate del Castillo during filming of season 3's "La Reina del Sur."
TELEMUNDO"Add actors and an amazing production and all the values that you will see in this third season is amazing. We are at the same level of any American show...We were number one in the first one [season] in its time slot, regardless of language. So we beat ABC, CBS, NBC, which is amazing for me. That's a real crossover when you do it in your own language, which is really cool."
And to think she almost didn't land the role...
"I was after that role for a long time, when it was initially going to be made into a movie. It passed through many directors and actresses. Everybody wanted to be Teresa Mendoza and nobody would even look at me until they gave up on making a movie and it became a series. I never imagined it would be such a success. It was a huge surprise for everyone."
The once Mexican telenovela actress acknowledges La Reina del Sur impacted her life.
"It was a turning point in my career. I already had a solid career, but this character was loved by everyone and brought me to a much larger, global audience. It changed me as a person and the course of my career."
One that paved a path to other leading roles in Telemundo series, opportunities in Hollywood in television and film, including Bad Boys for Life, two seasons of Netflix's Ingobernable and ‘Til Jail do Us Part, which debuted on Peacock in September, among others. She also started her own production company, Cholawood, to create her own projects.
In the meantime, she celebrates the past success of the last two seasons of La Reina del Sur. She strongly believes season 3 will be another hit.
Be prepared for lots of explosions and action sequences worthy of Hollywood, as well as performances from a stellar cast that includes Pêpê Rapazote [Queen of the South, Shameless], Humberto Zurita [La Querida del Centauro, La Reina del Sur], Isabella Sierra [La Reina del Sur 2, 100 Días para Enamorarnos], Kika Edgar [La Reina del Sur 2, Mujeres Asesinas], Alejandro Calva [La Reina del Sur, Señora Acero], Tiago Correa [La Reina del Sur 2, La Casa de las Flores], Eduardo Yáñez [La Reina del Sur 2, Falsa Identidad], Lincoln Palomeque [La Reina del Sur, Señora Acero] Antonio Gil [La Reina del Sur 2], Emmanuel Orenday [La Reina del Sur, Señora Acero], Cuca Escribano [La Reina del Sur], Sara Vidorreta [La Reina del Sur], Agata Clares [La Reina del Sur] and Dmitry Anisimov [La Reina del Sur].
Season 3 of La Reina del Sur premieres Tuesday, October 18 at 9 pm ET/PT on Telemundo, which holds the exclusive rights in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Netflix has the exclusive rights for the rest of the world for OTT. The streamer has yet to announce when the series will become available on its platform.