How Spanish-Language YA Romances Like Culpa Tuya Became Prime Video Hits

When Argentine author Mercedes Ron first wrote “Culpa Mía” on Wattpad, the first installment of the Culpable trilogy, she had no idea the young adult rollercoaster love series would take her on her own adventurous ride. Fast-forward to today, her books have sold more than 3.3 million copies globally, garnered an audience of a whopping 80 million fans on Wattpad, and film adaptations with Prime Video. 

“It was, for me, a dream come true. I [always] wanted to have a movie about this book, and that’s why I wrote all the races and all the fights [in],” Ron tells Refinery29 Somos during a press junket in Madrid, Spain, for Culpa Tuya, the second installment in the trilogy currently streaming on Prime Video. “Being able to have the opportunity to do a movie and it be a success is amazing.” 

In Culpa Mía, audiences meet 17-year-old Noah Morgan, who has to leave her normal quiet life when her mother unexpectedly marries a billionaire. In her new world, there’s a stepbrother, Nick, a spoiled and arrogant rich kid who introduces her to a suspenseful life of illegal street races and pretentious pool parties. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story.

“People were so happy with [the first] story, they wanted more, so that’s when I decided it was going to be three books,” Ron says, reflecting on penning her hit trilogy at age 19. “So I was thinking, okay, what can I do? Do I make them split up or hate each other? I’m a lover of the enemies-to-lovers trope, so the whole time I was like, okay, I want them to be fighting. That’s the main thing I wanted to try.”

Culpa Tuya takes viewers on a new ride of emotions: betrayal, heartbreak, love, and lust. Spanish actress Nicole Wallace and Spanish-Cuban actor Gabriel Guevara’s love story continues as characters Noah and Nick — respectively — but new challenges arise as Nick starts a new job and Noah begins college. 

“[Noah’s] a very good example of a teenage woman going through life and feeling all the things that you need to feel when you’re that age, but she does it with a lot of strength,” Wallace tells Somos of her character. 

Ron agrees. She’s been involved throughout the production of the film, from writing to casting. The cast is mostly made up of Spanish actors, but there are some Latines present in the films as well, like Guevara, Mexican-Cuban actor Victor Varona (who plays Lion), and Colombian actor Felipe Londoño (Luca).

“I feel a great responsibility and I feel lucky to be able to represent the Afro community [from] Mexico, Afro-Latino, that all Latinos are representing strongly right now in Europe. We are making history right now because I believe that 20 years ago we would [not be able to be here]. We must always raise that so that it is known that there is an Afro-Mex community,” Varona tells Somos on the red carpet of the World Fan Premiere in Madrid. 

Ron hopes the success of the Culpables trilogy and its adaptations could lead to more opportunities for Latine and Spanish writers. “We’re [already] achieving so much with this movie and with the books,” she says. Culpa Mía became the largest non-English original production in Prime Video’s history. Since its premiere, it has ranked among the top 10 most-watched titles in more than 190 countries, including the U.S., UK, Australia, India, Argentina, and France. Though the trilogy’s film location takes place in Spain, more than 75% of its viewership comes from outside of the country. 

The Culpables series ends with Culpa Nuestra, which is slated to be released in 2025. But there’s a lot more from Ron. The original saga will have an English adaptation, My Fault: London (2025), and Ron’s young adult romantic drama “Dímelo Bajito” has also been adapted to film and will premiere on Prime Video this year.

Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here?

Source link