‘Promised Land’ Creator Matt Lopez Talks Bringing the Richness of the Latino Experience to ABC
Mónica Marie Zorrilla SPOILER ALERT: Do not read if you have not watched the premiere of “Promised Land” on ABC or Hulu. One could say that Matt Lopez was born to be the first to break ground at ABC as the creator of a multigenerational series about a wealthy, interwoven Latino family vying for power and prestige in Sonoma Valley.Armed with the lived experience of the Latino diaspora as the grandson of a Cuban immigrant — along with a keen knack for business affairs, and a background in corporate legalese from his days as an attorney for DreamWorks before he segued into writing via the Disney Writers Program — Lopez has spun a web of immigrant issues and telenovela intrigue in “Promised Land.” While injecting heart and authenticity into a narrative that teeters between “East of Eden” and “Days of Our Lives”-levels of family drama, the creator and executive producer challenges stereotypes made about Latinos in the United States, as well as assumptions about what themes Latino shows “should” tackle. Much of the strength of “Promised Land” lies in its casting, which is almost entirely 100% Latino — John Ortiz, Mariel Molino, Andres Velez, Christina Ochoa, Cecilia Suárez, star, along with Bellamy Young.