Prior to losing the movie to Amazon, Netflix was developing I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, an adaptation of Erika L. Sánchez’s novel of the same name that is a funny contemporary YA about losing a sister and finding yourself amid the pressures, expectations, and stereotypes of growing up in a Mexican American home.
UPDATE: As of February 2024, it has been announced that I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is no longer in development at Netflix and will be developed by Amazon MGM Studios with their Orion Pictures company instead.
The rest of the article as published in May 2022: The film will be directed by award-winning actor, director and producer America Ferrera, whose directing credits include Superstore and Real Women Have Curves. Ferrera commented on the project in a statement:
“Years ago, I fell in love with Erika L. Sánchez’ stunning novel, I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter. The depth, wit and searing intelligence of her writing, and her young Latina heroine, struck me to my core and left me wanting so much more. I am truly honored and humbled to direct Linda Yvette Chávez’s beautifully adapted screenplay. The opportunity to direct the work of these two incredibly talented Latina writers is a dream come true. I can’t wait to share this film with the many fans of the novel, and to introduce this funny, profound, and resonant story to the world.”
Producing are Anonymous Content’s Doreen Wilcox Little, MACRO’s Charles D. King and Poppy Hanks, and Aevitas Creative Management’s David Kuhn. Here’s what else we know about Netflix’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter:
What is the plot of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter?
As mentioned above, the series is an adaptation based on Erika L. Sánchez’s novel of the same name. The official synopsis for the book reads as follows:
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family. But Julia is not your perfect Mexican daughter. That was Olga’s role. Then a tragic accident on the busiest street in Chicago leaves Olga dead and Julia left behind to reassemble the shattered pieces of her family. And no one seems to acknowledge that Julia is broken, too. Instead, her mother seems to channel her grief into pointing out every possible way Julia has failed.
But it’s not long before Julia discovers that Olga might not have been as perfect as everyone thought. With the help of her best friend Lorena, and her first kiss, first love, first everything boyfriend Connor, Julia is determined to find out. Was Olga really what she seemed? Or was there more to her sister’s story? And either way, how can Julia even attempt to live up to a seemingly impossible ideal?
Here’s the story logline for the movie from Netflix:
The story follows Julia Reyes, the precocious and strong-willed teenaged daughter of first-generation Mexican immigrants. She often clashes with her more traditional parents, who wish she were more like her sister Olga, the platonic ideal of a Mexican daughter. However, when Olga is killed in a tragic accident, it is up to Julia to hold her family together.
Who is cast in I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter?
As of May 2022, the cast for I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter hasn’t been revealed yet, but since filming will commence in the coming months, we expect Netflix to make the announcement sooner rather than later.
What’s the production status of I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter?
Filming for Netflix’s I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is currently set to begin in October 2022. Filming is to take place in Chicago, US according to Production Weekly.
What’s the Netflix release date for I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter?
Netflix hasn’t announced a release date for I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter, but considering its October 2022 filming start, we can likely expect mid to late 2023 release date on the streamer.
