HBO Original Series "LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE" Begins Filming Its Second Season

The HBO Original series LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE has begun filming its second season, which will continue to tell the story of love and struggle, rich in traditional flavors, set during the Mexican Revolution. Based on the celebrated novel by Laura Esquivel, in its first season, the HBO Original series LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE became the most-watched Latin American content on Max globally and was among the top three most-watched series on the platform during its premiere month.

"LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE is a series that we are very proud of," said Mariano César, SVP, General Entertainment and Programming Strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America and U.S. Hispanic. "The success of the first season shows how an authentically Mexican story can also resonate with a global audience, deeply connecting with its universe of flavors and passions. This success drives us to take the second season even further, betting on the high quality of its production and the magnificent team of artists and creators that make this story a truly magical production."

"This will be a season of change and growth for many of our characters, particularly Tita," said executive producer Salma Hayek Pinault, founder of Ventanarosa Productions. "We are proud to partner with Max and Endemol again for this new season, which will be an intense journey, full of dramatic but also romantic, magical events. I can't wait for the audience to experience how our story concludes."

"The start of production on season two is a fantastic moment and an extraordinary testament to the power of collaboration and the incredible synergy between Endemol Shine North America, our visionary partners at Ventanarosa, the tremendous team at Warner Bros. Discovery, and the exceptional production prowess of EndemolShine Boomdog," said Lisa Fahrenholt, EVP, Scripted Development at Endemol Shine North America. "Season one reminded us of the impact of Laura Esquivel's novel, which transcends borders and emotionally connects with viewers, and why we love television - pure, captivating stories, beautifully brought to life. We are thrilled to continue this journey and deliver even more of the recipe audiences have embraced."

"We are very excited to be back in production to complete our adaptation of this iconic novel," said Alejandro Rincón, CEO of EndemolShine Boomdog. "We have an enormous responsibility and are backed by a very talented team. We are confident this second season will go even farther, with more mature characters, and deeper and more complex relationships that are the engines for the drama in this fascinating story of love, food, and magic realism."

The first season of LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE received critical acclaim, with TIME calling it "a melodrama in the best possible sense of the Word - a larger-than-life historical epic of love and lust, birth and death, duty and destiny," noting "HBO's version justifies its existence, three decades after the release of an excellent big-screen adaptation that became in U.S. history, by embracing that melodrama, with all the intensity and sensuality it brings."

Returning cast includes Irene Azuela as Mamá Elena; Azul Guaita as Tita; Ana Valeria Becerril as Rosaura, Tita's sister and love rival; Andrea Chaparro as the brave Gertrudis, Tita's half-sister; Andrés Baida is Pedro Múzquiz, Tita's eternal lover; Ángeles Cruz as Nacha, the cook and Tita's mentor; Francisco Angelini as Dr. Brown; Louis David Horné as the battle-hardened Juan Alejandrez; Mauricio García Lozano as Don Pedro Múzquiz; and Ari Brickman as Don Felipe Múzquiz.

Season two is directed by Julián de Tavira, with Ximena Amann serving as director of photography. Jerry Rodríguez serves as showrunner. Head writer is Silvia Ortega Vettoretti with script assistance from Check cinco. Production design by Antonio Muño - Hierro, costume design by Annaí Ramos, and makeup design by María Paz Robles.

The HBO Original series LIKE WATER FOR CHOCOLATE is a production of Ventanarosa Productions with Salma Hayek Pinault, José Tamez, and Siobhan Flynn serving as executive producers for Ventanarosa, along with Sharon Levy, Lisa Fahrenholt, and Flavio Morales for Endemol Shine North America; and Alejandro Rincón, Clara Machado, and Jerry Rodríguez for EndemolShine Boomdog. The executive production of Warner Bros. Discovery is led by Mariano César, Vanessa Miranda, and Anouk Aarón.