Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego? There is finally an answer to that question: on Netflix. The streaming service recently announced that it not only acquired the rights to make a live-action film based on the popular media franchise, but that Jane The Virgin star Gina Rodriguez will also star in the title role.
This news comes shortly after Netflix’s announcement about a new Carmen Sandiego animated series, which will also feature Rodriguez as the voice of the title character. The animated series also features Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard as Player, Sandiego’s partner-in-crime. That TV show is set to premiere on the subscription streaming service in 2019. However, the live-action film will act as a standalone feature, although it is likely that it will follow the same familiar story that existing fans already know. These two new projects join a media franchise that already includes a series of video games, several TV shows, a few music albums, and a series of books.
Related: 15 Things You Didn’t Know About Carmen Sandiego
Rodriguez, who won a Golden Globe in 2015 for her work on Jane The Virgin, is not just portraying the iconic character in the red coat and black hat. Deadline is reporting that she will also produce the film through her I Can and I Will banner, with Kevin Misher and Caroline Fraser likewise serving as producers. Netflix has not yet announced a writer or director for the project but, in the meantime, Rodriguez’s fans can catch her on the big screen in Annihilation, as well as the upcoming Miss Bala and Netflix rom-com Someone Great.
The Carmen Sandiego craze started with a video game in 1985 that focused on using its story to teach children about geography. The franchise eventually extended to teaching language, math, and other subjects too. It then expanded to several TV shows, books, and even a concert series. The story was always the same, though: it followed the A.C.M.E. Detective Agency and its search around the world for the master thief and head of the V.I.L.E. criminal organization, Carmen Sandiego. The video game series is one of the longest running game series in existence, while the television shows have received a total of 45 Daytime Emmy Award nominations (winning eight).
Rodriguez is the natural choice for portraying the live-action Carmen Sandiego, particularly as she will also voice the character in the upcoming Netflix animated series. With her also working behind the scenes on the production, it is also likely that the series will maintain the excellence in diverse representation that the media franchise is already known for.
More: Gina Rodriguez is the Best Thing About Annihilation
We will bring you more details on Netflix’s Carmen Sandiego projects as they become available.
