SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, Ariz. (KGUN) — A major TelevisaUnivision production is transforming Southern Arizona into the backdrop of a primetime telenovela, bringing millions of dollars in economic impact to the region.
Filming for the project, a remake of a popular 1970s telenovela called "Hermanos Coraje," is taking place at ranches in Tubac and in downtown Tucson. The story focuses on love, family and rivalry. It is being produced and directed by Mexican director, José Alberto Castro.
"I play Jerónimo. He is one of three brothers that fights for the love of one girl," Brandon Peniche said.
Peniche, a Mexican actor and main cast member, said it is a special opportunity to bring a traditionally Mexico-based production to a new setting.
Some of the filming sites include the Historic Shankle Ranch, the Pima County Historic Courthouse, downtown Tucson, the Scottish Rite Cathedral and Rancho de los Cerros.
"I love to be filming here in Arizona. It's our first time. It's very difficult to film a soap opera out of Mexico. So, it's like a good thing for us," Peniche said.
Other cast members include Sofia Castro, who plays Clara; Emilio Osorio, acting as Lalo; and Emmanuel Palomares, who plays Juan.
"This project has a lot of amazing people that are working in it," said Peniche.
Film Tucson, the film office for the City of Tucson and Pima County, has been helping with production since late 2025. Mónica López, production manager at Film Tucson tells me that they helped find the right locations, arranged film permits with the city, county, Arizona State Parks, Arizona Department of Transportation and the Arizona State Land Department.
López said the project is generating millions of dollars in local economic impact, which includes about 3,500 total hotel nights for the eight-week production, as over 100 crew members traveled to Arizona from Mexico.
"This project is a good size. They are relying on several local businesses, the catering, the locations are private. They did hire some drivers and PAs," López said.
She notes that Monsoon Production Services serves as the local production company, partnering with TelevisaUnivision to ensure the eight-week production runs smoothly.
The director, Castro, said he visited different locations in Arizona for about a week before deciding where he wanted to film. He says our region stood out as something hard to replicate.
"I’m going to be honest. I fell in love with it. It has a lot of potential to do a lot of things around here. Not only [stories] on the way of seeing cowboys and horses. Tucson is beautiful," Castro said. "In both cities, Tucson and over here in Tubac, they have received us very kindly. So, we're very, very happy of being here.
He also discussed the impact the production has on local communities who grew up watching telenovelas.
"For all the Latin people, telenovelas are really special in our identity, because it's a thing of family, a family tradition. So, it's been great that we can bring that to be close to the people that are now here for the second or third generation, that they spend some time with their grandmothers or with their moms watching these novelas at night," said Castro.
Castro said the TV and movie industry in Mexico have filmed absolutely everywhere, and that he was searching for a fresh look. He added that finding authentic, working ranches to film at was important to him.
"For example, yesterday we were shooting with...400 heads of cattle, no? If I wanted to do that in Mexico, we have to go to different places to set it up, all the cattle around. And the facilities are not as set as this one, because the people live over here," Castro said. "And most of the ranches that are working ranches in Mexico, most of the people, they have their ranches, but they live in the city. So, it's more like a--how can I explain it? It's more like an industrial way of seeing it. And over here, it's more in a natural way. So, that's why we decided to come over here."
López said productions like these are becoming more common due to incentives, local crews and unique landscapes.
"We've seen a growth in film productions for sure. Arizona is lucky enough to have film incentives in place now. So, that's been bringing more independent cinema or documentaries or episodics to our region," López said.
While López ensures film production is growing in our area, Castro also tells me that he would be happy to return to the Old Pueblo to film more projects in the future.
The title of the telenovela is still a work in progress, but the show is expected to air in the United States later this year.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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Jacqueline Aguilar is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born and raised in Yuma, AZ., she is no stranger to the unforgiving Arizona heat. Now this U of A wildcat is excited to be back in Tucson and is looking forward to involving herself in the community. Share your story ideas with Jacqueline by emailing jacqueline.aguilar@kgun9.com or connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
