The trailer of Loving Pablo is out, starring Javier Bardem as the late Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar. The film also stars Penelope Cruz as news anchor Virginia Vallejo and Peter Sarsgaard as Neymar. The film, directed by Fernando León de Aranoa, is based on Vallejo’s bestselling memoir Loving Pablo, Hating Escobar.
The trailer features Escobar and Vallejo’s first meeting, their affair, and the mayhem that Escobar’s cartel unleashed in the years he was known as ‘The King of Cocaine’.
Escobar has always been a fascinating character, especially considering the fact that he started from nothing. Growing poor, Escobar worked his way up the ladder in the drugs business, earning billions of dollars in 1990s. The chase to nab him, which took years and resulted in several people losing their lives, is an equally fascinating saga.
In pop culture, he has emerged as a cult figure over the years. He has been the subject of several books including one by his brother, Robert Escobar, and one by Pablo’s son, Juan Pablo Escobar.
On screen, there were two feature films – Escobar (2009) and Killing Pablo (2011) – but the latter was never made. Another film, American Made, a 2017 American biographical film based on Barry Seal was out while not extensively focusing on Escobar.
On television, Netflix’s popular show Narcos, starring Brazilian actor Wagner Moura as Escobar, has been the most popular depiction of the drug lord’s life. The show has an IMDb rating of 8.9/10 and has several fan-made videos and parodies, and memes, inspired from the show and the show’s theme music. There are a couple of Spanish version as well.
