The official trailer has been released for Chupa. Set to arrive on Netflix on April 7, 2023, the fantasy adventure film picks up with a teenage boy named Alex visiting family in Mexico when he happens upon a young chupacabra hiding out in his grandfather's shed. Naming the cub "Chupa," Alex and his cousins team up for the "adventure of a lifetime" to keep the mythological creature safe from nefarious scientists. You can watch the trailer below.
Jonás Cuarón (Desierto) directs the film. It was written by Sean Kennedy Moore, Joe Barnathan, and Marcus Rinehart, with the story by Moore, Barnathan, Rinehart, and Brendan Bellomo. It is produced by Chris Columbus, Mark Radcliffe, and Michael Barnathan. Bellomo executive produced with G. Mac Brown and Anna Barnathan Barry.
The offical synopsis for Chupa is as follows:
Shy 13-year-old Alex (Evan Whitten) flies from Kansas City to Mexico to meet his extended family for the first time. There he meets his grandfather and former lucha libre champion Chava (Demián Bichir), energetic, wrestling-obsessed cousin Memo (Nickolas Verdugo), and fearless, hip cousin Luna (Ashley Ciarra). 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 (Christian Slater) 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.
Netflix's Chupa Draws Upon the Classic Myth
Director Jonás Cuarón drew upon his own childhood for inspiration, remembering how stories of the chupacabra fascinated him as a child. Still intrigued by the mythological creature to this day, Cuarón found inspiration in bringing that story to life in the form of a family-friendly adventure film.
"As a kid, those things were exciting," the director told USA Today. "There was a frightening element about it but there's also so much curiosity and excitement about something magical being around you."
Star Demián Bechir added, "It's fascinating how Latin American culture works and how easy prey we are. That creature never existed, are you kidding me? That's exactly why I think it's brilliant, that we took that crazy time of our history and converted it into a beautiful fantasy."
Chupa will premiere on Netflix on April 7, 2023.