Going Global with Entertainment Translations

When it comes to entertainment—comedy, drama, action—different cultures have very different perceptions, which is why entertainment translations are so valuable. A joke that makes an American giggle might make a Russian laugh out loud; a scene that breaks Brazilians’ hearts might leave Japanese people scratching their heads. So it’s a pleasant surprise when a television show hailed as a “cultural phenomenon” in one country makes the successful transition to another.

It seems that the success of Sony Pictures Television’s show, “Breaking Bad”—the tale, originally written for the U.S. market, of schoolteacher Walter White’s descent into evil—is about to see a repeat in Central America. On June 8^th, “Breaking Bad” will be reborn as “Metastásis” on Spanish-speaking television channels all over Latin and North America. The new show is said to be a near shot-for-shot remake of the original but some big changes have been made to truly adapt it for its new market – it’s going to become a telenovela.

CSOFT’s Alma Rosa Gomez Palacios, a native of Puebla, Mexico, explained, “[The telenovela is] a TV-series that is very – even overly-dramatic. There are all sorts of intrigue, affairs, conspiracies, and twists. They usually play an episode a day and people watch it continuously, Monday to Friday, to see what kind of drama is going to unfold next.” The original “Breaking Bad,” which certainly had its share of dramatic turns and cliffhanger endings, ran once a week for 13 consecutive weeks (give or take) every year for six years. “Metastásis” will run its course in just 3 months so the Latin American audience can enjoy the program in the pattern with which they’re most familiar.

A host of minor changes have been made to the show. In the Latin American version, the main characters use a rickety bus as their mobile hideout, as opposed to something practically unheard of outside North America – an RV. Walter White has been renamed Walter Blanco and his family’s swimming pool—common in the original story’s backdrop of Albuquerque, New Mexico—is absent from the new Bogotá setting where the weather is far too chilly. Hank, a good-natured Drug Enforcement Administration (D.E.A.) officer, is now Henry, a member of the national police force. Shady lawyer Saul Goodman has become Saúl Bueno and instead of marketing his services on late-night infomercials, he’s the host of his own legal advice talk show.

Some of the modifications are much more significant. Diego Trujillo, the actor who portrays Walter Blanco, explained that Latin American viewers expect more movement and vocal expressiveness so the subtle performances of the original have been ramped up. The soundtrack, too, has taken on added notes of drama, soaring and swooning at key moments where the American original opted for subdued silence.

At CSOFT International, high-quality entertainment translations and in-country supported cultural localization are our passions but we’ve also got an artistic side. Whether or not “Metastásis” proves to be a commercial success, the fact that there are those willing to take the risk to bring popular culture to international markets is encouraging; sharing art is a way to share ideas and ultimately form powerful bonds. We hope the obvious attention and consideration behind this adaptation can remind us all: when going global, remember the importance of going local.

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