Carmen Sandiego is getting an animated makeover, with Gina Rodriguez lending her voice to the character. Beginning her life as part of an educational computer game in 1985, Carmen Sandiego is a master thief who travels the world and (always) evades the authorities. The object of the original game was to solve clues in order to track Carmen down, mixing puzzles and logic games with geographic and historical information. In 1991, the game show Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? was created for PBS based on the same model, with several sequels following the series and game.
For several generations of kids, the Carmen Sandiego games and shows hold a certain place in their heart, making the character/franchise rife for a fresh adaptation. Back in 2011, there were even talks of a live-action Carmen Sandiego film produced by Jennifer Lopez. While those plans ultimately fell apart, it looks like a new version of the Carmen Sandiego character will instead be coming to life in animated form, thanks to Netflix.
Tracking Board is reporting that the streaming service is producing an animated series based on the Carmen Sandiego property that features the voice of Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez as the one and only Sandiego. With most incarnations of the franchise focused on those tracking the thief, it will be interesting to get Carmen’s perspective on matters. The report states the order will be for 20 episodes, with education still remaining the focus of the TV series.
Rodriguez’s star has continued to rise thanks in no small part because of Jane the Virgin, The CW series that she has starred in for the past few years. She’s begun nabbing more and more starring roles too, with one of her bigger roles coming in the form of a key role in last year’s Deepwater Horizon. Ahead of Carmen Sandiego, Rodriguez’s voice can also be heard in the upcoming animated film Ferdinand starring John Cena. Fans online have also made a push for Rodriguez to play Ms. America Chavez in a Marvel Cinematic Universe film - something that Rodriguez herself says she is very much game for.
As for the Carmen Sandiego property, it’s a natural fit for modern media. With the rise in technology, an interactive game show could manifest in a number of ways utilizing apps and the Internet. There’s no word yet on whether any element of that will factor into Netflix’s series, but expect there to be some portal for audience participation given the nature of the franchise. There’s no word yet on when Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego series is expected to arrive, so stay tuned for updates on that.
Source: Tracking Board
