Screen Grab from Facebook/Narcos
Pablo Escobar’s brother Robert de Jesus Escobar Gaviria offered his counsel to Netflix last week, saying the studio should employ hitmen to protect its staff.
READ: Pablo Escobar’s brother says Netflix should employ ‘hitmen’ after location scout’s death
Now, the 71-year-old living descendant of arguably the most notorious drug dealer in history is suing Netflix for allegedly using his brother’s name and story without his permission.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Escobar’s former chief accountant and right-hand-man is seeking up to $1 billion from the internet-television giant for its portrayal of Escobar in the hit crime-drama series “Narcos.”
“Netflix are scared,” he told the news outlet. “They sent us a long letter to threaten us. Right now, we are in discussions with them through our attorneys Browne George Ross LLP to obtain our $1 billion payment. If we don’t receive it, we will close their little show.”
Gaviria even left a menacing threat to the Netflix brass.
“You see, we own all the trademarks to all of our names and also for the Narcos brand. I don’t play around with these people in Silicon Valley,” he said.
“They have their phones and nice products. But they don’t know life and would never dare to survive in the jungle of Medellin or Colombia. I have done that. Their mothers should have left them in the womb. That is what we tell people like this if they come to Colombia.”
Meanwhile, Olof Gustafsson, the CEO of private investment company Escobar Inc., further explained the status of their ongoing battle with Netflix.
“At first, they refused to acknowledge us. After we registered all the trademarks and we’ve been granted some of them, they sent us a cease-and-desist letter,” he revealed.
“After that our attorneys and their attorneys have come to an agreement that basically they need to pay us something. Now it’s a matter of determining how much that something is.”
He also explained why Netflix should accept their terms or risk rebranding the show entirely.
“At the end of the day, if we don’t take a deal, then we own the trademarks,” he said. “They would have to rebrand their entire show. They know this. This is why they’re talking to us. Otherwise they would never entertain any discussions with a drug cartel family.” Khristian Ibarrola /ra
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