Gloria Estefan Thanks Fans As 'Father of the Bride' Remake Breaks Streaming Records
According to press statements released by HBO Max, the romantic comedy became the streamer's most popular title in its first weekend.
Estefan thanked Latino moviegoers by saying "PRESENTE" and "making us #1!" across Father's Day weekend, tweeting that Father of the Bride was one of the top 5 films in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile, and Argentina.
García plays Cuban father and architect Billy Herrera in the new remake helmed by Mexican director Gaz Alazraki. Matt López penned this adaptation based on Spencer Tracy's 1950 original.
In it, Billy finds that his daughter Sofa (Adria Arjona) plans to marry Adán Castillo (Diego Boneta) as he files for divorce from Ingrid (Estefan).
While planning the wedding, family relationships are tested on both sides as characters try to settle generational problems and blend different cultural traditions.
“It’s done with respect and in a way that avoids typical stereotypes for an easy laugh. It focuses on the love and the extended family, and the things that bring us together as different Latino cultures,” Estefan told MSNBC.
Latino audiences have helped movie companies survive the pandemic despite rarely seeing themselves on film.
According to a spring 2022 Hollywood Diversity Report from the University of California, Los Angeles, Latinos held about 7% of the leading acting roles in the top 252 English-language movies of 2021. That was the second year that the pandemic forced film studios to adopt hybrid release strategies.
Meanwhile, nearly 19% of Americans overall are Latino.
In 2021, consumers of color made up a large part of movie box office receipts and home viewing. Over 46% of movies were exclusively available via streaming, according to the research.
Co-author Darnell Hunt said streaming-only releases could "have a long-lasting influence on diversity metrics both in front of and behind the camera."
