Widely recognized for portraying DEA agent Javier Peña in Netflix’s Narcos, Pedro Pascal once revealed that the show cannot continue if the safety of the cast and crew is not assured. Amidst the success of the show, news about the tragic murder of a highly regarded scout, Carlos Muñoz Portal shocked many. And demanding security for everyone on the set, Pascal asserted that necessary safety measures are the only way to continue with the hit Netflix show.
When asked about the unfortunate murder of the scout, Pascal told TMZ that everyone is a target and something needs to be done before someone else becomes a victim.
Pedro Pascal refused to do the show amidst safety concerns
Addressing the precarious future of the show, Pedro Pascal once talked about the chilling threats and the tragic event that occurred with a crew member. When Carlos Muñoz Portal, a 37-year-old location scout was working on finding the locations for the fourth season of the Netflix series, he was brutally murdered in a violence-ridden region near Hidalgo state, Mexico.
Furthermore, reportedly, Drug Lord Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, Pablo Escobar’s brother and a former member of his hitmen squad, issued a chilling threat to Netflix, demanding a $1 billion payment. The threat indicated that if the money was not paid, the drug lord would “close their little show down,” even suggesting hiring hitmen for security.
Expressing his grief over the death of Carlos Muñoz Portal, Pablo Pascal said in a candid conversation,
“We can’t do it if it’s not safe. We’re talking about lives. If they want to do it then they’ll figure it out in a safe way.”
Why did Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria demand $1 billion?
Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria issued a warning to the makers of the show for using his brother, Pablo Escobar’s likeliness without the permission of his family. Expressing his dissent with Narcos, Gaviria demanded $1 billion and said,
“I don’t want Netflix or any other film production company to film any movies in Medellin or Colombia that relates to me or my brother Pablo without authorization from Escobar Inc. It is very dangerous. Especially without our blessing. This is my country.”
Narco’s third season was released on Netflix on September 1, 2017. Reportedly the fourth installment of the series was supposed to focus on the origins of the Juarez cartel. However, owing to unfortunate circumstances and a crew member’s tragic death, the fourth season did not go into production.
But on July 18, 2018, the makers announced that the fourth season will instead be released as the first season of a new Netflix series, Narcos: Mexico, set in 1980s Mexico.
Source: TMZ
