Enfrentados: Marfil (Drawn Together) is the latest adaptation from the Mercedes Ron universe—dubbed The House of Ron by Prime Video—to arrive on the streaming service. But this story has nothing to do with Culpables or Dímelo bajito. Instead, the new movie adapts the first installment of a duology. Its sequel, Enfrentados: Ébano, has already been filmed and will resolve the movie’s cliffhanger.
Ahead of the first movie’s release, we spoke with stars Ester Expósito, who plays Marfil Cortés, and Hugo Diego García, who plays Sebastián Moore, as well as author Mercedes Ron, about the new romance adaptation.
Expósito said the role was a lot of fun: “I think there are characters who are darker, and Marfil is very light and happy. Although she experiences hard moments, I think she is very strong and able to overcome her problems, and she keeps fighting for things to return to normal.”
She also reflected on what she learned from working with García: “Hugo can be very disciplined; he has a great capacity to take action on things and make changes he wants in his life. I have, of course, many things I would like to do—or could do—to take care of myself, not physically, but mentally. But I don’t take action; I don’t do anything, you know? It’s hard for me. But I have learned the importance of taking action in certain ways to take care of your mind and your mental health.”
Enfrentados: Marfil might seem like a typical romance, but it has more thriller elements than most movies in the genre—and that drew García to the project. “It is modern; there is a very classic touch and very cinematic iconography in this film. There is also an interesting mixture of romance, thriller, and action, but in a different way.”
Without spoiling anything, García said the story doesn’t go where you expect.
For Expósito, much of her connection to our communities stems from her work on Elite. “Elite was so successful in Latin America that it brought me closer to that audience and obviously helped them get to know me and connect with me. Since then, they have been super loyal,” she told us. “I thank them with all my love because they are super effusive with me, and I keep them very present. I really love the culture—well, the different Latine cultures.”
Argentinian-Spaniard author Mercedes Ron also noted that, in this story, “Marfil is the daughter of a Colombian father, and her mother is Russian, so in the end, she is the daughter of immigrants.” Ron said that background comes through in how Marfil carries herself.
“Her economic situation is indeed very favorable,” Ron added. “She is a girl who apparently has had everything, and suddenly her life takes a 180-degree turn. The interesting thing is to see how a character like Marfil undergoes a major evolution and goes from being a girl who has everything to having to work on herself, strengthen herself, find her voice, and defend what she thinks is right in a world where almost everyone around her is going to tell her to shut up.”
If you want to see the latest entry in the House of Ron, Enfrentados: Marfil is now streaming on Prime Video.