Netflix has released the first-look photos for its forthcoming supernatural fantasy movie titled Chupa, which hails from director Jonás Cuarón. It will be available for streaming on April 7.
“I was a small kid when the legend started. When the idea came of turning [the myth] on its head and using it to tell a family adventure, I was immediately excited,” Cuarón explained in an interview with Tudum. “I’ve always been a huge fan of E.T. and believe that stories like that are so powerful because they play on the idea of kids being misunderstood by adults. Chupa might be a monster but he’s the only one that truly understands what Alex is going through. The bond between a boy and a creature is so pure, like with a pet, it transcends language.”
The Chupa photos give a first look at the movie’s leading cast, including Demián Bichir, Christian Slater, and Evan Whitten, who portray the respective roles of Chava, Richard Quinn, and Alex. The film centers around a young boy as he forms an unlikely bond with a mythological creature.
Check out the Chupa photos below:
Chupa. Evan Whitten as Alex in Chupa. Cr: Netflix © 2023 
Chupa. Christian Slater as Richard Quinn in Chupa. Cr. Tony Rivetti Jr./Netflix © 2023 
Chupa. (L-R) Ashley Ciarra as Luna, Demián Bichir as Chava , Evan Whitten as Alex and Nickolas Verdugo as Memo in Chupa. Cr. Tony Rivetti Jr./Netflix © 2023 
Chupa. Director/writer Jonás Cuarón on the set of Chupa. Cr. Tony Rivetti Jr./Netflix © 2023
Chupa is directed by Jonás Cuarón from a screenplay written by Sean Kennedy Moore, Joe Barnathan, and Marcus Rinehart. The film stars Demián Bichir, Evan Whitten, Christian Slater, Ashley Ciarra, Nickolas Verdugo, Adriana Paz, Gerardo Taracena, and Julio Cesar Cedillo.
The project is described as a nostalgic journey through myth, memory, and the making of one’s own personal legend. It is produced by Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, and Michael Barnathan, with G. Mac Brown, Anna Barnathan Barry, and Brendan Bellomo serving as executive producers.
“Shy 13-year-old Alex flies from Kansas City to Mexico to meet his extended family for the first time,” reads the synopsis. “There he meets his grandfather and former lucha libre champion Chava, energetic, wrestling-obsessed cousin Memo, and fearless, hip cousin Luna. But just as Alex begins to get his bearings, he discovers a mythical creature living under his grandfather’s shed: a young chupacabra cub, which he recognizes from stories of the feared, full-grown chupacabra, fabled to feed on farmers’ livestock.
“Alex soon learns that his new friend ‘Chupa’ has a secret history with his family, and that dogged, dangerous scientist Richard Quinn is hunting the misunderstood creature to try and harness his powers. To protect Chupa from impending danger, Alex sets off on the adventure of a lifetime, one that will push the bonds of his newfound family to the brink, and remind him that life’s burdens are lighter when you don’t have to carry them alone.”
