Just in time for Halloween, the musical stop-motion Ambriz Borthers series Frankelda’s Book of Spooks has made its English-language debut on streaming platform Max. The title is a retooling of the popular Spanish-language Max Original that premiered on HBO Max in 2021.
Directed, written and produced by Arturo and Roy Ambriz, the re-release features new dialog and songs re-recorded in English as the story explores Frankelda’s darkest secrets, alongside her book, her faithful companion, with eerie and entertaining stories. The show’s distinct look is created with a blend of stop-motion animation and digital touches.
“Stating that we are thrilled about this release in the U.S. would not be enough to describe how we feel,” said the Ambriz Brothers. “Finally we are able to share this piece of our heart and soul with the American audience. This series is created for those who love monsters, musicals and the art of storytelling.
“Our fascination with creating worlds and characters drove us to Frankelda, a Mexican horror writer of the 19th century. Just like her, we have felt the deep frustration that comes from being ignored, rejected, and from being told ‘no’ on innumerable occasions. As her, we have felt the need to continue writing, imagining and desperately creating at all costs. We hope that Frankelda, our wonderful ghost writer, will enthrall you with her spooky stories.”
In 2011, the Ambriz Brothers founded Cinema Fantasma, an animation, film and art studio specializing in stop-motion animation in Mexico City. Together they have directed, written and produced projects for Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and Adult Swim, and their medium-length film Revoltoso was selected in hundreds of festivals. They are currently directing and producing two new stop-motion feature films, Frankelda and the Prince of Spooks and Ballad of the Phoenix.
