Benedicte Desrus/USA Network
The USA Network drama will see Natalie Chaidez take over for Scott Rosenbaum.
USA Network is keeping its Queen around for another season, but with a new king.
The NBCUniversal-owned cable network has renewed drama Queen of the South for a second season and replaced its showrunner, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
Based on best-seller La Reina Del Sur, the Alice Braga starrer will be back for a second season and see Natalie Chaidez (Syfy's Hunters, 12 Monkeys) take over showrunning duties for Scott Rosebuam (Gang Related).
The drama, which has previously been adapted at USA corporate sibling Telemundo, centers on Teresa Mendoza (Braga), who takes over after her drug-dealing boyfriend is murdered and seeks refuge in America as she plots her revenge. (The character is inspired by late drug lord Griselda Blanco, who will be played by Jennifer Lopez in an upcoming HBO movie.)
Since debuting in June, the drama has averaged 2.26 million total viewers with seven days of DVR with about half of that among the advertiser-coveted adults 18-49 metric. Both are off slightly from USA's critical darling Mr. Robot, which has already been renewed for a third season.
Chaidez will exec produce the drama alongside M.A. Fortin and Joshua John Miller, who penned the pilot. David T. Friendly and Pancho Mansfield also exec produce the series, which is a co-production between Fox 21 and Universal Cable Productions. Rosenbaum has a deal with 20th Century Fox TV, while Chaidez has a history with UCP having produced Syfy's one-and-done drama Hunters as well as season one of 12 Monkeys. Chaidez, who returns to USA following runs on Necessary Roughness and In Plain Sight, is repped by UTA.
Queen of the South is part of the cabler's rebranding to dark and edgier dramas after USA ditched its former "Blue Skies" branding in favor of fare a la Mr. Robot. Its drama roster includes recent additions Falling Water andEyewitness as well as Colony, Suits and the twice-delayed Shooter re-do.
USA Network
