‘I Wanted Soledad Villamil for the Lead From Day One,’ Says Harlan Coben About the First Latin American Netflix Adaptation of One of His Novels, ‘Caught’ (EXCLUSIVE)

variety.com:

Anna Marie de la Fuente In an exclusive interview with Variety, bestselling author Harlan Coben sat down alongside director-showrunner Miguel Cohan (“No Return”) to drill down on the first Latin American Netflix adaptation of one of his multiple novels, “Caught,” (“Atrapados”).

Speaking on Zoom from Buenos Aires, Coben was full of praise for the work Cohan and his team had done on the mini-series adaptation for Netflix, set to debut worldwide on March 26. “What I love about this project is the idea of taking a novel by an American author and blending it with Argentine sensibilities – especially their incredible talent and unique settings,” he said.

He took a hands-off approach to the re-version, trusting them implicitly on their ability to adapt his work to an Argentine backdrop. “I did not feel the need to interfere all that much but I did really want Soledad Villamil for the lead from day one,” he noted of the actress who caught the world’s attention with Argentina’s 2010 Oscar-winning drama “The Secret in Their Eyes.” The series is produced by Vanessa Ragone of Haddock Films, one of the producers of the acclaimed drama by Juan José Campanella.

Transporting his story, originally set in New Jersey, to Argentina’s San Carlos de Bariloche, renowned for its pristine glacial lakes and awe-inspiring Patagonian mountains, was a masterstroke, in his opinion. “Bariloche is a fantastic location, offering both stunning beauty and a sense of isolation that makes it perfect for a thriller,” he pointed out.