Alumnus Alexis Gambis’s ‘Son of Monarchs’ Premieres on HBO Max

Tuesday, Nov 16, 2021

‘Son of Monarchs’ poster

‘Son of Monarchs’ poster

Earlier this year, WarnerMedia OnFifty secured the U.S. rights to Alexis Gambis’s Sundance-winner Son of Monarchs, and it is now officially streaming on HBO Max.

The semi-autobiographical film by Gambis follows Mendel, a Mexican biologist working at a lab in New York who is called back home for his grandmother’s funeral in his hometown of Angangue, a butterfly forest town set near the stunning Monarch butterfly reserves of Michoacan, Mexico. Once back home, he embarks on a personal journey where he faces the traumas of his past and his own mixed identity.

“I am thrilled that our Monarch/human tale has found a home with OneFifty and HBO Max,” Gambis told Variety, “who understand the necessity to tell hybrid, cross-cultural stories, and support bold storytelling as a means to elevate and give voices to all species.”

“This film exemplifies what WarnerMedia OneFifty is all about: It is a powerful, unique, and bold vision from a talented creative team and an innovative filmmaker that perfectly juxtaposes, art, science and culture,” said Axel Caballero, VP, WarnerMedia, artistic and cultural innovations, and head of WarnerMedia OneFifty, adding: “A film that so beautifully presents an allegory of identity, immigration and environmentalism through the visuals of the amazing monarch butterflies is exactly what OneFifty content brings to HBO Max.”

Read more at Variety.