In an exclusive interview with Variety, bestselling author Harlan Coben sat down alongside director-showrunner Miguel Cohan (“No Return”) to drill down on the first Latin American Netflix adaptation of one of his multiple novels, “Caught,” (“Atrapados”).
Speaking on Zoom from Buenos Aires, Coben was full of praise for the work Cohan and his team had done on the mini-series adaptation for Netflix, set to debut worldwide on March 26. “What I love about this project is the idea of taking a novel by an American author and blending it with Argentine sensibilities – especially their incredible talent and unique settings,” he said.
He took a hands-off approach to the re-version, trusting them implicitly on their ability to adapt his work to an Argentine backdrop.
“I did not feel the need to interfere all that much but I did really want Soledad Villamil for the lead from day one,” he noted of the actress who caught the world’s attention with Argentina’s 2010 Oscar-winning drama “The Secret in Their Eyes.” The series is produced by Vanessa Ragone of Haddock Films, one of the producers of the acclaimed drama by Juan José Campanella.
Transporting his story, originally set in New Jersey, to Argentina’s San Carlos de Bariloche, renowned for its pristine glacial lakes and awe-inspiring Patagonian mountains, was a masterstroke, in his opinion.
“Bariloche is a fantastic location, offering both stunning beauty and a sense of isolation that makes it perfect for a thriller,” he pointed out.
Cohan agreed: “Bariloche captures the same spirit and emotions evoked by the novel, even if the setting isn’t an exact match. It organically becomes its own universe – a small city that isn’t quite a town but not a metropolis either. It’s the kind of place where everyone seems to know each other, yet strangers still cross paths without truly meeting.”
“The city itself feels almost enclosed by nature, nestled between the forest and the lake. We wanted a setting that felt authentic – different from how Patagonia has often been portrayed – while still preserving its inherent sense of mystery,” he added.
The six-part mini-series centers on journalist Ema Garay (Villamil) who rises to prominence by exposing criminals who evade justice. Her latest investigation takes an unexpected turn when Leo Mercer, a respected social worker, becomes the prime suspect in the disappearance of a 16-year-old girl. As Ema pursues the truth, she is forced to confront her own demons.
“The script and casting always end up being the fundamental building blocks upon which everything in the work is built. In this case, the series. So, it’s important to approach it with a lot of calm, seriousness and an open mind,” said Cohan who adapted the novel with his sister Ana Cohan, and co-wrote the screenplay with her as well as María Meira and Gonzalo Salaya. Hernán Goldfrid (“Thesis on a Homicide”) also directed some episodes.
Cohan had already worked with Alberto Ammann, who plays Leo Mercer, so he was one of the casting options that came up fairly early on. To find the younger talent in the series, he looked to Buenos Aires’ venerable theatre arts scene and acting schools for new faces.
“Caught” follows the success of “Missing You,” the hit limited series based on another Coben novel, which premiered earlier this year and debuted at No. 1 in Netflix’s Global Top 10 for English-language series.
The upcoming mini-series expands Netflix’s collection of Coben’s works already produced in the U.K., Poland, Spain and France. It’s one of 13 Coben titles set for screen adaptation under his creative deal with Netflix, which includes major hits like “Fool Me Once” (2024), “Hold Tight” (2022), “The Innocent” (2021), “Stay Close” (2021), “Gone for Good” (2021), “The Stranger” (2020), “The Woods” (2020) and “Safe” (2018).
According to Coben, they’re currently filming the adaptation of “Runaway,” another one of his novels, in England with Minnie Driver, James Nesbitt and Ruth Jones.
“Production is also about to start in two to three weeks on the feature “I Will Find You” with Sam Worthington for Netflix U.S. So those two are also part of my overall deal with Netflix,” said Coben, who writes an average of one book a year.
“I’ve had a wonderful career and part of the joy for me is that I get to expose local talent to the entire world,” he mused.
“The scale and intensity may vary, and in this case, the scale was enormous,” said Cohan of adapting Coben’s novel, adding: “It was a major undertaking in terms of production – filming in Bariloche, working extensively on location, adapting Harlan’s novel and rising to the challenge. So yes, I believe this was undoubtedly one of the biggest challenges of my career.”
