Mary Aviles
Spanish Language Editor | Mom of three
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This Hispanic Heritage Month, studios need to recognize that Latino representation has gone mainstream.
Latino Heroes Win at the Box Office and with Families
This Hispanic Heritage Month, studios need to recognize that Latino representation has gone mainstream.
Topics:
Quality Media
Common Sense News
What do two of Netflix's most successful series in recent years—Wednesday and One Piece—have in common? They both star Latinos: Jenna Ortega, an actor of Mexican descent, and Iñaki Godoy, who was born in Mexico City.
These examples illustrate an important reality: Films and shows of all genres that have Latino leads can be wildly successful and pay off financially. Wednesday surpassed the fourth season of Stranger Things as the most-watched English-language series on Netflix. And the live-action, big-budget adaptation of One Piece was ranked number one in 84 countries around the world during its first weekend.
In the past, Latino characters were stereotyped or secondary, often with exaggerated accents and irrelevant backstories. But by now it's crystal clear that Latino performers can and should play a wider array of roles, including characters outside their own ethnicity. And that's exactly what's happening.
Recent breakout performances prove that Latino actors can headline all kinds of media and attract massive mainstream audiences.
As Wednesday Addams, Jenna Ortega stepped into a role previously played by Christina Ricci, a portrayal that seemed almost impossible to beat. And Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán had to measure up to the iconic version of Gomez Addams embodied by his late compatriot, Raul Julia. Both Ortega and Guzman succeeded.
Meanwhile, Iñaki Godoy is magnificent as Monkey D. Luffy in the live-action take on the legendary One Piece anime saga. That's right—a Latino actor is starring in an anime-based series!
Another standout is Chile's Pedro Pascal, star of HBO's adaptation of the video game The Last of Us, which was a runaway success: 8.2 million viewers tuned in to HBO's streaming platform for the first season's finale. Pascal—who is also the star of The Mandalorian—has become one of Hollywood's hottest names, helping debunk the myths that only Anglo leading actors can fuel hits and that Latinos should only play Latinos.
Joining Pascal's helmeted hero in the Star Wars franchise are Mexico's Diego Luna, the lead of Andor, and Puerto Rican/Afro-Latino actor Rosario Dawson, who stars in Ahsoka. Total domination in galaxies both near and far, far away!
These highly visible roles are translating to fantastic entertainment for all kinds of mainstream audiences, with an extra layer of importance for Latino and Spanish-speaking families.
For Latino characters, portrayals and storylines with dimension and depth are more true to reality and have a positive impact on the kids who are watching them.
This year, we had the first major movie dedicated exclusively to a Latino superhero: Blue Beetle, which is part of the DC Extended Universe. (Mexican actor Salma Hayek previously played Ajak, the leader of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Eternals ensemble.) Unlike many other superheroes, while Blue Beetle's physical powers may come from super enhancements, a huge part of his strength comes from his loving, supportive family.
Other examples include the 2022 version of Father of the Bride, starring Andy García and Gloria Estefan, which hit the #1 spot on HBO Max worldwide in the first four days of its release. Set in Miami, with a good dose of "Spanglish" and lots of "familia," it won over everyone equally. And, back to Wednesday: The Netflix version confirmed a truth we had long suspected—the Addams family has Latino ancestors, specifically Mexican. (And they celebrate the Day of the Dead, of course!)
More recently, A Million Miles Away debuted on Amazon Prime. Based on the true story of Latino astronaut José Hernández, who worked picking crops in California as a child, this feel-good story is reminiscent of Hidden Figures and reminds us of minorities' many contributions to science and the arts that are still waiting to be brought to light and told.
One factor that drives authentic storytelling is who's behind the camera. Data from UCLA's Hollywood Diversity Report 2023 shows that, in 2022, just over 1% of theatrical film writers and directors were Latino. The numbers were only slightly better for streaming films. We can do better.
We're hopeful that, with the recent success of Latino-led productions, we'll begin to see sustained upward movement in these numbers. Not only will that drive views and ticket sales, but it's also better for kids. As we emphasized in our research report The Inclusion Imperative, when representations of their culture or race are authentic, children around the world feel more included and celebrated—and this boosts their mental well-being.
Hollywood needs to recognize the box office influence of Latino audiences.
Latino audiences—both Spanish- and English-speaking—show up at the movies and are big drivers of box office revenue. For example, Latino moviegoers were outsize contributors to the success of The Super Mario Bros. movie. Though they represent only 20% of the U.S. population, they contributed 41% of the box office for the video game-based film.
What's more, one out of every four children in the United States is Latino, which represents a huge opportunity for studios and streaming producers. For example, according to Nielsen , in the U.S. 43.6% of Latinos' total TV viewing in July 2022 was attributed to streaming platforms—significantly outpacing the streaming appetites of all other ethnic groups. Latino communities are hungry for better representation, so in addition to having more Latino actors in bigger roles, we also need more stories that feature Latino actors in a wide variety of storylines.
Common Sense Media is helping guide families to entertainment that features Latinos.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month last year, we launched our Spanish-language movie and TV show ratings and reviews with more than 100 titles. A year later, we have reviewed more than 1,000 titles in Spanish to help Spanish-speaking families find the best content for their kids.
This year, we've also added several curated lists for Hispanic Heritage Month, from Best Latino Family Movies and Great TV Shows with Latino Characters and Leads to Guillermo del Toro for Kids. And, recognizing the nuances within Latino culture, we've also created lists such as Movies with Cuban and Cuban American Characters and Leads, Movies with Mexican and Mexican American Characters, and Movies with Puerto Rican Characters and Leads.
Along with these curated lists and our "diverse representations" ratings, we recognize exceptional Latino entertainment through our Common Sense Selection seal program, which honors high-quality, age-appropriate media that has the potential to spark family conversations, entertain families of all types, and have a positive and lasting impact on society.
Looking at the big picture, it seems that perhaps we've found a formula for success: Tell stories that resonate across cultures, with powerful scripts, characters who transcend borders, and convincing performances. Let's hope that examples like the ones above, which have multiplied since Coco, continue on the small and big screen for the entertainment and benefit of all.
The numbers are in our favor. Let's keep it going.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 19, Mary will join a free discussion with the Children's Media Association around Hispanic representation on the big and small screens in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Register here.
What do two of Netflix's most successful series in recent years—Wednesday and One Piece—have in common? They both star Latinos: Jenna Ortega, an actor of Mexican descent, and Iñaki Godoy, who was born in Mexico City.
These examples illustrate an important reality: Films and shows of all genres that have Latino leads can be wildly successful and pay off financially. Wednesday surpassed the fourth season of Stranger Things as the most-watched English-language series on Netflix. And the live-action, big-budget adaptation of One Piece was ranked number one in 84 countries around the world during its first weekend.
In the past, Latino characters were stereotyped or secondary, often with exaggerated accents and irrelevant backstories. But by now it's crystal clear that Latino performers can and should play a wider array of roles, including characters outside their own ethnicity. And that's exactly what's happening.
Recent breakout performances prove that Latino actors can headline all kinds of media and attract massive mainstream audiences.
As Wednesday Addams, Jenna Ortega stepped into a role previously played by Christina Ricci, a portrayal that seemed almost impossible to beat. And Puerto Rican actor Luis Guzmán had to measure up to the iconic version of Gomez Addams embodied by his late compatriot, Raul Julia. Both Ortega and Guzman succeeded.
Meanwhile, Iñaki Godoy is magnificent as Monkey D. Luffy in the live-action take on the legendary One Piece anime saga. That's right—a Latino actor is starring in an anime-based series!
Another standout is Chile's Pedro Pascal, star of HBO's adaptation of the video game The Last of Us, which was a runaway success: 8.2 million viewers tuned in to HBO's streaming platform for the first season's finale. Pascal—who is also the star of The Mandalorian—has become one of Hollywood's hottest names, helping debunk the myths that only Anglo leading actors can fuel hits and that Latinos should only play Latinos.
Joining Pascal's helmeted hero in the Star Wars franchise are Mexico's Diego Luna, the lead of Andor, and Puerto Rican/Afro-Latino actor Rosario Dawson, who stars in Ahsoka. Total domination in galaxies both near and far, far away!
These highly visible roles are translating to fantastic entertainment for all kinds of mainstream audiences, with an extra layer of importance for Latino and Spanish-speaking families.
For Latino characters, portrayals and storylines with dimension and depth are more true to reality and have a positive impact on the kids who are watching them.
This year, we had the first major movie dedicated exclusively to a Latino superhero: Blue Beetle, which is part of the DC Extended Universe. (Mexican actor Salma Hayek previously played Ajak, the leader of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's Eternals ensemble.) Unlike many other superheroes, while Blue Beetle's physical powers may come from super enhancements, a huge part of his strength comes from his loving, supportive family.
Other examples include the 2022 version of Father of the Bride, starring Andy García and Gloria Estefan, which hit the #1 spot on HBO Max worldwide in the first four days of its release. Set in Miami, with a good dose of "Spanglish" and lots of "familia," it won over everyone equally. And, back to Wednesday: The Netflix version confirmed a truth we had long suspected—the Addams family has Latino ancestors, specifically Mexican. (And they celebrate the Day of the Dead, of course!)
More recently, A Million Miles Away debuted on Amazon Prime. Based on the true story of Latino astronaut José Hernández, who worked picking crops in California as a child, this feel-good story is reminiscent of Hidden Figures and reminds us of minorities' many contributions to science and the arts that are still waiting to be brought to light and told.
One factor that drives authentic storytelling is who's behind the camera. Data from UCLA's Hollywood Diversity Report 2023 shows that, in 2022, just over 1% of theatrical film writers and directors were Latino. The numbers were only slightly better for streaming films. We can do better.
We're hopeful that, with the recent success of Latino-led productions, we'll begin to see sustained upward movement in these numbers. Not only will that drive views and ticket sales, but it's also better for kids. As we emphasized in our research report The Inclusion Imperative, when representations of their culture or race are authentic, children around the world feel more included and celebrated—and this boosts their mental well-being.
Hollywood needs to recognize the box office influence of Latino audiences.
Latino audiences—both Spanish- and English-speaking—show up at the movies and are big drivers of box office revenue. For example, Latino moviegoers were outsize contributors to the success of The Super Mario Bros. movie. Though they represent only 20% of the U.S. population, they contributed 41% of the box office for the video game-based film.
What's more, one out of every four children in the United States is Latino, which represents a huge opportunity for studios and streaming producers. For example, according to Nielsen , in the U.S. 43.6% of Latinos' total TV viewing in July 2022 was attributed to streaming platforms—significantly outpacing the streaming appetites of all other ethnic groups. Latino communities are hungry for better representation, so in addition to having more Latino actors in bigger roles, we also need more stories that feature Latino actors in a wide variety of storylines.
Common Sense Media is helping guide families to entertainment that features Latinos.
To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month last year, we launched our Spanish-language movie and TV show ratings and reviews with more than 100 titles. A year later, we have reviewed more than 1,000 titles in Spanish to help Spanish-speaking families find the best content for their kids.
This year, we've also added several curated lists for Hispanic Heritage Month, from Best Latino Family Movies and Great TV Shows with Latino Characters and Leads to Guillermo del Toro for Kids. And, recognizing the nuances within Latino culture, we've also created lists such as Movies with Cuban and Cuban American Characters and Leads, Movies with Mexican and Mexican American Characters, and Movies with Puerto Rican Characters and Leads.
Along with these curated lists and our "diverse representations" ratings, we recognize exceptional Latino entertainment through our Common Sense Selection seal program, which honors high-quality, age-appropriate media that has the potential to spark family conversations, entertain families of all types, and have a positive and lasting impact on society.
Looking at the big picture, it seems that perhaps we've found a formula for success: Tell stories that resonate across cultures, with powerful scripts, characters who transcend borders, and convincing performances. Let's hope that examples like the ones above, which have multiplied since Coco, continue on the small and big screen for the entertainment and benefit of all.
The numbers are in our favor. Let's keep it going.
Tomorrow, Tuesday, Sept. 19, Mary will join a free discussion with the Children's Media Association around Hispanic representation on the big and small screens in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Register here.
