‘El Señor de los Cielos’ Season 9 Will Ramp Up War on Narcos, Telemundo EVP Says (Exclusive Video)

Karen Barroeta also teases the Fernando Colunga-led retelling of “The Count of Monte Cristo” ahead of Upfronts

“El Señor de los Cielos” will ramp up even more of the war on narcos as the Telemundo series enters its ninth season.

“This is a narco series, however, it deals with a bunch of things happening to the family in relationships [and] in the family ties, but people want to see more of the narco world, so we’re gonna make sure we bring more of that,” Telemundo Global Studios production and development EVP Karen Barroeta told TheWrap. “The war on the narcos between Colombia and Mexico is going to be coming back.”

As the series spotlights the narco world even more than before, audiences might recognize El Cabo, who makes his triumphant return for the full ninth season.

Protagonist Aurelio (Rafael Amaya) also returns better than ever for the next chapter in the series with a new lease on life, settling back into his beloved persona as a true ladies man and giving audiences what they want to see, according to Barroeta.

“In the eighth season, since he was coming from the dead, we wanted him to reflect on his life, and he was trying to see if there was a way out of the narco, finding peace for his family and for himself,” Barroeta said. “But he’s realizing that’s not possible — once you go in, you’re never getting out. So he’s gonna be his strong character going back to the violent behavior, because he realizes that’s the only way that he’s going to be able to protect his family. He’s gonna let himself just be what he’s always been.”

The official logline is as follows: “In the ninth season, Aurelio will have no other option but to return to the violent nature that runs in his blood, accepting, once and for all, that the Casillas family will never live in peace. After his son Ismael gets arrested, Aurelio’s wrath awakens and unleashes a wave of violence in the country in an attempt to seek revenge and defend his family. With new and old enemies to neutralize, the legendary drug lord will show no mercy and let out the beast that made him the infamous Lord of the Skies.”

In addition to “El Señor de los Cielos,” ahead of Upfronts, the network unveiled several new scripted series as part of their 2023-2024 programming slate, including romantic drama “Vuelve a Mi,” period drama “El Conde: Amor y Honor,” thriller series “Mujer de Oro,” drama “Atrapada en la Jaula Azul” and romantic drama “Secretos de Sangre.”

“El Conde: Amor y Honor” features a stacked cast composed of Fernando Colunga, who makes his anticipated return to the screen, Ana Brenda Contreras, Marjorie de Sousa, Chantal Andere and Sergio Sendel. Based on literary staple “The Count of Monte Cristo,” the period drama follows Alejandro, a young farmer who is wrongly thrown in jail after a conspiracy keeps him from his lover Mariana, and eventually rises from the ashes in a shocking return.

While the series is based on the storied novel, Barroeta teased that the original story will keep viewers on their toes as the series deviates from its predesesscor.

On the unscripted front, reality series “La Casa de los Famosos,” cooking competition series “Top Chef VIP,” competition series “Exatlón Estados Unidos All Stars,” survival reality competition “Paraiso de los Famosos” and competition series “Los 50” join the network’s programming.

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