In radio dialogue with Fernando Bravo, Ricardo Darin confirmed a new installment of the miniseries ““The Eternaut” produced by Netflix. After the resounding success of the first season, the adaptation of the comic strip created by Hector Germán Oesterheld and Solano Lopez will return to the small screen again. “There will be a second season, without a doubt. We cannot leave people on tenterhooks,” confirmed the actor and, when asked when filming would begin, he anticipated: “We are working until the last moment.”
“The story does not end there. We have to finish telling the story,” concluded the interpreter of notable films of Argentine cinema such as “Nine Queens” and “The Secret of Your Eyes”. It is taken for granted that the casting of the series will be maintained, as well as the direction by the filmmaker Bruno Stagnaroresponsible for carrying out a project of dazzling dimensions for the local audiovisual industry. A challenge that the director shone by taking the risk of directing content of enormous proportions, compared to his other productions such as the series ““Squatters” and the film “Pizza, beer and faso.”
Netflix confirmed that the story of “The Eternaut” did not end with the first installment and the second season was announced shortly after this year’s successful premiere. The local production company is already working on scripts and a shooting plan, while the creative core defines deadlines and locations to carry out the sequel. The news of the renewal made it clear that what was initially intended as a miniseries, achieved enough narrative and commercial success to become a long-term television saga.
The phenomenon around “El Eternaut” was immediate and global. In its debut week, the series entered Netflix’s Top 10 worldwide, achieved tens of millions of views and was among the most viewed productions on the platform in multiple countries, becoming the Spanish-language series with the best performance of its premiere on the platform during that period. The impact on audiences was also reflected in approval ratings on the main portals – Rotten Tomatoes showed a high rate of favorable reviews – and in a constant flow of international coverage that treated it as one of the most notable fiction premieres of the year.
The main international media reacted with reviews that ranged from admiration for the technical ambition to warning about the adaptations necessary for a contemporary audience. Critics from newspapers with global weight celebrated the staging and the commitment to locally made science fiction, but, at the same time, they did not hide reservations. Columnist Mike Hale of The New York Times praised the technical solvency and direction work, although he advised approaching the original comic first to better understand certain creative decisions.
International critics highlighted, in general terms, three pillars of the product: the performances; directing and building atmosphere (photography, sound design and editing); and the visual effects that recreate the toxic snow and the antagonists known as “cascarudos”. In turn, several analyzes pointed out that, for a non-Argentine audience, the series manages to translate the essentials of the story into contemporary television language. Simultaneously, the concepts of the graphic novel, such as collective terror, solidarity and resistance, were captured on the screen in a satisfactory way.
What stands out most compared to the original work is, precisely, the intention to preserve the spirit of the comic – the feeling of catastrophe, loneliness and solidarity – while expanding the dramatic universe: the series introduces new subplots, characters and psychological nuances that were not in the comic, and updates period and context elements to dialogue with contemporary audiences. That decision to “open up” the source material drew both praise and criticism from purists who would prefer a more literal adaptation.
In economic and production terms, the numbers released by the press and by Netflix give dimension to the scale: according to journalistic reports, the first season required an investment of around 15 million dollars and logistics that included 148 days of filming, more than 50 locations and dozens of virtual sets; On the other hand, the company itself reported that the production contributed more than 41,000 million pesos to the Argentine economy between direct and indirect expenses, a recurring argument to justify the commitment to high-budget local fictions. These amounts explain the use of advanced technologies—including massive visual effects and makeup work—and the hiring of a large staff both in front of and behind the camera.
On the other hand, the national impact was more complex. The series not only revived the debate about the adaptation of a classic with a historical and political charge – also considering the tragic personal history of the Oesterheld family during the 1976 dictatorship – but also became a cultural symbol in demonstrations and public readings; Social movements and analysts highlighted El Eternauta’s ability to speak of collective resistance, while critical sectors raised tensions about the commercialization of a cultural canon. In that sense, fiction stopped being mere entertainment to become an element of public conversation about memory, politics and audiovisual culture.
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