Pablo Escobar's Brother Demands $1 Billion From Netflix
Pablo Escobar's brother is taking further legal steps to obtain $1 billion from Netflix for unauthorized content usage.
Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria, 71, wrote a letter to the streaming service in 2016 to demand $1 billion in royalties for using his brother's story on the TV show "Narcos." Gaviria recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter and he threatened to have the program closed if Netflix will not meet his demand.
"Right now, we are in discussions with them through our attorneys Browne George Ross LLP to obtain our $1 billion payment," said Gaviria. "If we don't receive it, we will close their little show."
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Gaviria's interview comes in the wake of "Narcos" location manager Carlos Muñoz Portal's fatal shooting while scouting for the show's fourth season. Portal, 37, was found dead last week in Mexico with multiple gunshot wounds.
His body was discovered in a remote area near San Bartolo Actopan, which is believed to have a high number of drug-related homicide cases. An investigation on Portal's death is still ongoing.
The Escobar Inc. founder went on to advice Netflix to hire a team of assassins to ensure the safety of their TV crew. "If you have the intellect, you don't need to use weapons. If not, you have to. In this case, Netflix should provide hitmen to their people as security," he continued.
Reports note that Gaviria sounds like he knows exactly what he is talking about. After all, he previously served as Escobar's longtime accountant. At one point, he became the chief of the Medellín Cartel's group of hitmen.
After shedding light on the rise and fall of the Cali cartel, season 4 of the hit Netflix crime drama is expected to explore the origins of Mexico's Juarez cartel. The incident involving Portal has led fans to doubt whether Netflix will continue to shift its focus to another location.
The fourth season of "Narcos" is expected to premiere Fall 2018 on Netflix.
