Freeform has cast Brandon Larracuente (Bloodline), Emily Tosta (The Last Ship), Niko Guardado (The Goldbergs), and Elle Paris Legaspi as the Buendia siblings Emilio, Lucia, Beto and Valentina in the network’s Party of Five reboot pilot, according to Variety.
Larracuente will play Emilio, “an aspiring musician and the oldest son of Gloria and Javier Buendia.” Per the report, Emilio is the reason the parents crossed the Mexican border into America some two decades ago in search of a better life. He is also the least responsible of the bunch. Tosta is set to play Lucia, a straight-A student whose plans to go to college are cut short when her parents run into trouble with immigration. The situation forces her to change her outlook on life and become more aggressive towards authority figures. Guardado will play Beto, the second oldest brother of the family, and the one who takes charge during the family turmoil. He struggles socially, but finds himself adept at his new role as a parent. Finally, Legaspi will play ten-year old Valentina, the precocious and resourceful youngest sister.
The new iteration of Party of Five is a modern twist on the original series, following the five Buendías children as they struggle to survive together as a family after their parents are deported to Mexico.
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Original series creators Christopher Keyser and Amy Lippman wrote the pilot with Rodrigo Garcia (The Affair) set to direct. Keyser and Lippman will also serve as executive producers. Michael Zebede serves as co-executive producer and writer.
“Twenty-five years ago, we imagined a story about five kids navigating the world after the untimely death of their parents,” said executive producers Amy Lippman and Christopher Keyser. “Today, stories of families being separated, children having to raise themselves in the wake of their parents’ deportations, don’t require any imagination; they are everywhere. This new iteration of ‘Party of Five’ isn’t a retread of the original; it’s a whole new look at kids trying to parent each other in the wake of circumstances beyond their control, yet learning a similar lesson: that families persist no matter how great the obstacles.”
“From the moment we heard that Amy and Chris were updating their iconic series with this timely and powerful twist, we knew we had to have this pilot. We’re honored to be the home for the next, brilliant iteration of their vision,” said Karey Burke, Freeform’s executive vice president of Programming and Development.
The original Party of Five aired on FOX for six seasons from September 12, 1994 to May 3, 2000. The series starred Scott Wolf as Bailey, Matthew Fox as Charlie, Neve Campbell as Julia, and Lacey Chabert as Claudia Salinger.
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