Oscar-nominated actress Yalitza Aparicio (Roma) has been cast in AppleTV+’s first-ever Spanish-language series Familia de Medianoche (Midnight Family). The series is based on the 2019 award-winning documentary of the same name about a family of paramedics who runs a private ambulance business.
According to Deadline, the show, which is currently in production in Mexico City, will also star Joaquín Cosío (Narcos: Mexico), Óscar Jaenada (Cantinflas), Renata Vaca (Dale Gas), Diego Calva (Narcos: Mexico), and Mariana Gómez (The Queen of Flow), among others. Natalia Beristáin (Luis Miguel: The Series) will serve as the showrunner and director of the series.
Although Aparicio’s role has not been revealed yet, Familia de Medianoche will follow a medical student named Marigaby Tamayo, who goes to medical school during the day and works on the family’s ambulance at night.
In a 2019 review, Remezcla called the original documentary “as thrilling as any action movie” and “as quiet as an intimate family drama.” The doc explains that in Mexico City, which has a population of 9 million people, the government operates less than 45 emergency ambulances. Because of this, many people have created their own emergency services to meet demand.
Since landing an Oscar nomination for Alfonso Cuarón’s 2018 drama Roma, Yalitza Aparicio has not starred in another feature film or TV series, although her first one post-Roma is already in the can. The horror movie is called Presences and is directed by Mexican filmmaker Luis Mandoki (Angel Eyes). She has also been serving as a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations’ UNESCO and even co-hosted the Latin Grammys.