Despite the not so expressive Latino or Hispanic representation in Hollywood productions, as demonstrated by the “NPR” report in September this year, the issue of diversity in cinema has been expanding recently and has a central place in some adaptations in the cultural industry as a whole.

With important advances in the subject, the Latino community has been gaining more space on screen, as we can see with the NBC streaming list that suggests a special collection of films, series and documentaries with filmmakers, actors or Latin themes.

In this context, we highlight the first musical in the career of the award-winning American filmmaker Steven Spielberg, “West Side Story”, which will premiere on the 9th of this month on cinema screens, according to a report by CNN Brazil. In this remake of the 1957 Broadway musical, all the characters in the Sharks gang are played by actors of Latin American origin, and some dialogues from the movie are totally in Spanish.

Check out the list of suggestions available: 

“Gentefied”

“The hit bilingual comedy series follows the travails of the Morales cousins as they tackle life, love and careers while trying to save their grandfather’s unique taco shop in Los Angeles amid gentrification. America Ferrera is one of the show’s creators”.

“Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It”

“A 90-minute documentary about the extraordinary life and career of Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner Rita Moreno, directed by the Latina filmmaker Mariem Pérez Riera. The film shares a closer look at the Puerto Rican icon’s remarkable 70-year career in Hollywood, and it’s narrated by Moreno herself”.

“Narcos: Mexico”

“Set in the 1990s, the latest and last season goes beyond the war on drugs and the eternal battle for control among cartels and takes a closer look at the globalization of the drug business. Scott McNairy, José María Yazpik and Alejandro Edda are joined by new cast members Luis Gerardo Méndez, Luisa Rubino and the music superstar Bad Bunny”.

“Tick, Tick … Boom!”

“Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his feature film directorial debut with the story of the late composer Jonathan Larson and his groundbreaking and acclaimed Broadway show ‘Rent’ Trivia bit: Miranda played the role of Larson in a 2014 production”.

"Pose"

“Co-created by the Afro Latino screenwriter Steven Canals, ‘Pose’ is a story about New York City’s Black and Latino LGBTQ ballroom community as it battles poverty, addiction and the devastating AIDS crisis in the late 1980s and early ’90s”.

"Cobra Kai"

“In a show set 30 years after the iconic ‘Karate Kid’ movie franchise, rivals Daniel LaRusso and Johnny Lawrence are now the sensei teaching their karate philosophy. The first three seasons are available, all of which feature Miguel Diaz, played by the Latino actor Xolo Maridueña, who is of Mexican, Cuban and Ecuadorian heritage — a highlight of the ensemble cast”.

"Luis Miguel: The Series"

“Starring Diego Boneta and co-executive produced by Luis Miguel himself, this biographical drama gives unique insight into the life and career of the Mexican superstar”.

“Halston”

“A miniseries that follows the intense career and tragic life of the American fashion designer and ’70s icon, it stars Ewan McGregor as Halston, Krysta Rodríguez as Liza Minnelli and the Venezuelan newcomer Gian Franco Rodríguez as Halston’s love interest, Victor Hugo”.

"Jane the Virgin"

“A spinoff of the Venezuelan telenovela ‘Juana La Virgen’, this popular comedy follows the story of Jane Villanueva, an aspiring writer (played by Golden Globe winner Gina Rodriguez) who learns that she is pregnant because of an artificial insemination mix-up”.

"Dynasty"

“The Carringtons and the Colbys feud for control over their fortune —and their children — in this updated reboot of the classic prime-time soap. Starring Elizabeth Gillies and Rafael de la Fuente, who is Venezuelan”.

“A six-episode documentary about two Cuban American childhood friends who go from high school dropouts to become the most powerful drug kingpins in South Florida: Augusto “Willy” Falcon and Salvador ‘Sal’ Magluta, also known as ‘Los Muchachos’.”

“The Mexican actress Kate del Castillo shares the story of her encounter with Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, the world’s most-wanted drug lord. The three-part docuseries uses never-before-seen footage and exclusive details — and it is narrated by Del Castillo herself”.

“The hit seven-part miniseries that swept the awards circuit tells the story of a chess prodigy and her struggles with addiction. Starring Golden Globe winner Anya Taylor-Joy — who is of Argentinian heritage — as the complex chess master Beth Harmon”.

“A coming-of-age story that follows the lives of a group of Black and Latino high school teens and their daily struggles living in South Central Los Angeles. Co-created by Eddie Gonzalez, "On My Block" stars Sierra Capri; Jason Genao, a Dominican American; Diego Tinoco, who is of Colombian and Mexican heritage; and Brett Gray”.

“A two-part series about the short life and enduring musical legacy of Tejano music queen Selena Quintanilla and her family members. ‘The new show is at its core a story about the Quintanillas, a tight-knit Mexican American family from South Texas striving for a better life’, NBC News reported. All episodes are available to stream.

“Sony Pictures Animation’s first animated musical follows the adventures of Vivo (voiced by Lin-Manuel Miranda), a musically gifted kinkajou who spends his life playing music in the streets of Havana alongside his human friend, Andrés (Juan de Marcos González), until an unexpected tragedy takes him to Miami”.

“The story follows the life of young Mateus, who takes a job at a junkyard in São Paulo but realizes he is trapped in a dangerous human trafficking operation. Directed by Alexandre Moratto, the film stars the Brazilian actors Christian Malheiros, Josias Duarte, Cecilia Homem, Rodrigo Santoro and Vitor Julian”.

“The Mexican director Jorge Gutiérrez, the creator of ‘The Book of Life’, pays homage to his culture in this animated adventure about a Mesoamerican warrior princess who embarks on a special journey to recruit three fighters to help save humankind. The cast includes the Mexican actor Diego Luna, Stephanie Beatriz, Zoe Saldana and Gabriel Iglesias, among others”.

“A 1929 novel adaptation by Nella Larsen, ‘Passing’ stars the Afro Latina actor Tessa Thompson, who plays Irene “Reenie” Redfield, a woman from Harlem who encounters an old friend who has been pretending to be white”.

“Directed by the Costa Rican writer, comedian and actor Hernán Jiménez, ‘Love Hard’ is a comedy that follows Los Angeles journalist Natalie Bauer and her misfortunes in love — until she swipes right on a dreamy guy from the East Coast.

“Written and directed by the Mexican director Alfonso Cuarón, the Academy Award-winning movie ‘Roma’ is an emotional story about Sofía, a mother of four, and Cleo, the family’s nanny, inspired by the two women who raised the director”.

“Written and directed by the Mexican director Guillermo del Toro, this award-winning fantasy story follows the life of a young girl named Ofelia and how her deep passion for fairy tales creates an imaginary world that allows her to escape the realities of the Spanish Civil War”.

“A bilingual comedy series starring the Mexican actors Eugenio Derbez, Enrique Arrizon, Fernando Carsa and Damián Alcázar and the Colombian American actor Camila Perez. The show depicts the glamorous life at a famous luxury resort in 1980s Acapulco, Mexico”.

“The comedy about a struggling English Premier League soccer team features a lovable cast, including the Mexican actor Cristo Fernández as Danny Rojas, who has won the hearts of fans around the world with his catchphrase ‘fútbol is life’.”

“The hit show's last two seasons tackle tough topics: #MeToo, sexual and gender issues in the workplace and the Covid-19 pandemic, all in the cutthroat world of morning television news. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass and the Cuban American actor Nestor Carbonell. All episodes, including the Season 2 finale, are available”.

“The show features a magical town where every person acts as if they're part of a 1940s musical. The best part? The Mexican actor Jamie Camil co-stars as Doc López. The first season is available”.

“The Latino actor and Broadway star Anthony Lee Medina joined Season 2 of ‘Truth be Told’, a show that follows a true crime podcaster played by Octavia Spencer and her pursuit to solve all the mysteries surrounding each criminal case.

“Set around Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, the Oscar-winning Disney film tells the story of an aspiring musician, Miguel, who finds himself in the colorful Land of the Dead looking for his great-great-grandfather, a legendary singer. Starring the Mexican actors Anthony Gonzalez, Gael García Bernal and Jaime Camil and the Peruvian American actor Benjamin Bratt”.

“The sci-fi-adventure series from the ‘Star Wars’ franchise, which is set between ‘Return of the Jedi’ and ‘The Force Awakens’, stars Pedro Pascal, who is Chilean, as the title character”.

“Watch the young Cuban American and future president of the U.S. Elena Cañero-Reed go through the ups and downs of middle school. Created and written by Ilana Peña, the show stars Tess Romero and Gina Rodriguez, who directed two episodes”.

“The documentary filmmaker Jim Aikman follows the journey of the environmental scientist Preston Sowell in his search for the lost temple of Ausangate, a sacred mountain of the Inca Empire in Peru, and his campaign to protect it from environmental devastation”.

“Lin-Manuel Miranda’s original production, based on the life of Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, is still available for streaming on Disney+”.

“Follow the animated adventures of teenage Princess Elena of Avalor and how she saves her magical kingdom from an evil sorceress. Elena is voiced by Dominican actress Aimee Ortega, and Princess Isabel, Elena’s sister, is voiced by Jenna Ortega, who is of Mexican and Puerto Rican descent”.