Oftentimes the truth is scarier than fiction. In the case of Narcos, the true story of Pablo Escobar continues to unfold in fascinating and terrifying ways. Just a few days ago, a location scout for the hit Netflix show was shot and killed while on the job. His name was Carlos Muños Portal and he was 37.
In a statement, Netflix said "We are aware of the passing of Carlos Munoz Portal, a well-respected scout, and send our condolences to his family. The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate."
Following the shooting, The Hollywood Reporter spoke with the brother of Pablo Escobar, who is now 71. Roberto de Jesus Escobar Gaviria was Pablo's longtime accountant and also managed the Medellín Cartel's cadre of hitmen. In 2016, Gaviria wrote a "friendly" letter to Netflix demanding that the streaming service fork over $1 billion in royalties.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Their conversation is really uh, something. Gaviria begins by advising Netflix to hire a team of assassins to protect the crew shooting the show. "If you have the intellect, you don't need to use weapons. If not, you have to. In this case, Netflix should provide hitmen to their people as security." Somehow, we trust that this guy knows exactly what he's talking about.
The talk then turned to Netflix's ongoing dispute with Gaviria regarding the royalties. "I don't want Netflix or any other film production company to film any movies in Medellín or Colombia that relates to me or my brother Pablo without authorization from Escobar Inc." Gaviria formed Escobar Inc in 2014 in order to manage his deceased brother's likeness. "Netflix are scared. They sent us a long letter to threaten us. Right now, we are in discussions with them through our attorneys Browne George Ross LLP to obtain our $1 billion payment. If we don't receive it, we will close their little show." We will close their little show. Yes, that is definitely a threat. We reached out to Netflix regarding this threat, and they are not commenting on this matter.
A couple of the more hair-raising highlights from the interview are below:
The Hollywood Reporter: Your brother’s character was killed at the end of season two. What did the show get right or wrong about how that was depicted?
Roberto de Jesus Escobar Gaviria: I don't discuss my brother's death. Some people say he is dead. That is all I know. To me he is still alive and my brother.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
THR: How many people do you think you were responsible for killing, both directly and indirectly, while in the service of your brother?
No comment.
You can read the full interview here.
Read These Stories Next: