Skip to main content

Pablo Escobar’s brother seeks $1 billion in ‘Narcos’ compensation from Netflix

narcos season 2 roberto escobar huddle
Netflix
One of the last surviving members of Pablo Escobar’s notorious Medellín cartel has a bone to pick with Netflix over the streaming giant’s popular original series Narcos — and it’s potentially a very expensive one. Roberto Escobar, the older brother of the late drug kingpin whose life inspired the series, is seeking $1 billion in compensation from Netflix and the chance to review season 2 before it becomes available to subscribers, reports Newsweek.

Escobar laid out his concerns in a letter obtained and published by TMZ on Wednesday, claiming there were “mistakes, lies, and inaccuracies” in the first season, which premiered in August 2015. He argued that as one of the cartel’s leaders and Escobar’s family member, he should be given “the rightful opportunity to review this material.” Additionally, he wrote that he registered successor-in-interest rights over his brother and family name in California in 2015.

Recommended Videos

Although Escobar called the letter a “friendly request,” he told Newseek that he would take legal action against the company if necessary. “If they decline my offer, we have attorneys ready to proceed with necessary actions,” he said.

Please enable Javascript to view this content

Among the more specific grievances that Roberto Escobar had with season 1 was how his role was altered. Olof Gustafsson, who co-founded Escobar, Inc. with Roberto and serves as CEO, explained in an email to Newsweek that Roberto Escobar served as his late brother’s accountant and doubled as head of his hit men; season 1, however, featured an accountant who was fired from his post and claimed to be a CIA informant.

Beyond that, Escobar was not impressed with Wagner Moura’s portrayal of Pablo. “Does he have any real experience in acting? Does he have any real experience in making cocaine transactions? Has he laundered billions of dollars? Or is he sucking on his thumb and drinking his mother’s breast milk to this date?” said Escobar. “I believe it is the latter.”

It remains to be seen whether Escobar’s request will have any impact on the series moving forward. If all goes according to Netflix’s plan, Narcos season 2 will be available for streaming on September 2.

Digital Trends has reached out to Netflix for comment but has yet to hear back.

Stephanie Topacio Long
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Stephanie Topacio Long is a writer and editor whose writing interests range from business to books. She also contributes to…
3 reasons why Squid Game is still the best Netflix show to watch
Workers in red uniforms with black masks standing in formation in a scene from Squid Game.

When it premiered on Netflix in 2021, Squid Game was nothing more than another South Korean, foreign language series. However, it only took a short period of time before the it became Netflix’s most-watched series ever, attracting 1.65 billion viewing hours in its first month. Fourteen Primetime Emmy nominations and six wins later, including one for Lee Jung-jae for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Squid Game has struck a chord for many reasons.

It tells the story of desperate people being recruited for a secret contest. They just need to play a series of children’s games. The last person standing of 456 players wins the prize pot of 45.6 billion won, or about $36 million dollars. But there’s a catch: surviving the game is literal. Losers are killed in the most heinous, twisted ways, often at the hands of other competitors willing to do whatever it takes. Squid Game, however, is about a lot more than terrifying games and mass murder, and it's definitely more substantial than the reality show spin-off, Squid Game: The Challenge, that premiered on Netflix in November. There are many reasons Squid Game is still the best Netflix show to watch.
It’s topical social commentary

Read more
Netflix is about to release Shadow and Bone season 2 — here’s when you can watch it
shadow and bone season 2 when you can watch netflix show 1

One of 2021's breakout hits was Netflix's Shadow and Bone, a big-budget fantasy series that appealed to fans of the Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Twilight franchises. Adapted from Israeli American author Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone young adult novel, the eight-episode series told the story of Alina Starkov (Jessie Mei Li), a young orphan raised in Ravka who discovers she is a Grisha, which means one who has special abilities. She must eventually combat the ominous threat of Aleksander Kirigan (Ben Barnes), who is also known as The Darkling.

The first season of Shadow and Bone was a bit hit with critics and audiences alike, becoming only the third show on Netflix to remain at #1 in the ratings for 12 straight days. Naturally, a second season was quickly ordered, and last year, production commenced on the highly anticipated follow-up season. Fans know Shadow and Bone season 2 is just around the corner, but when exactly will it be released? And what additional information is out there about the season? Digital Trends has all the answers for you.

Read more
Netflix’s The Witcher has found its Vesemir: Killing Eve’s Kim Bodnia
Kim Bodnia

THE WITCHER | MAIN TRAILER | NETFLIX

Netflix has announced another cast member for the upcoming season two of its hit show The Witcher: Kim Bodnia will be playing Geralt's father figure Vesemir.

Read more