Alejandro González Iñarritú is known for being able to handily switch genres. The Mexican director, after all, won his first Oscar for the dark, backstage comedy Birdman: or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) and his second for the grueling revenge drama The Revenant. That said, if you’d told us we’d be hearing rumors that classic shows like El Chavo del Ocho and La carabina de Ambrosio would be making appearances in his next film we wouldn’t have believed you. But if the reports from El Universal are true, it seems like Iñarritú’s first film to be shot in Mexico in over a decade (he was there last for a few scenes of 2006’s Babel) is taking the nostalgia route — could we possibly be getting his very own Roma?
While still in preproduction in Mexico City the director was spotted alongside a set that recreated a number of 1970s and 1980s television shows. There was some of Chespirito’s most famous props, including the door to la bruja del 71’s apartment and El Chavo’s very own barrel from El Chavo del Ocho. There was an actor fully dressed as Pájara Peggy from La carabina de Ambrosio. And even a sign from the talk show Cara a Cara next to which sat two cardboard cutouts of former Mexican presidents Carlos Salinas and José López Portillo. Oh, did we mention he was also seen shooting in Mexico City’s famous Castillo de Chapultepec?
While plot details on the film are still scarce and now that film production in Mexico will no doubt be affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, there’s no knowing when the Oscar winner will be able to get back to work. In the meantime, we’ll have plenty more time to wonder what kind of project he and his new cinematographer (Arrival’s Bradford Young) are dreaming up that could include all of these vintage TV shows.