What is 100 Years of Solitude? Netflix series explained

Jasmine Valentine
A still from the trailer of 100 Years of Solitude

Make way for the book adaptation of the century — here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming Netflix series 100 Years of Solitude.

If anything, original content has had to make way for the humble novel adaptation on all streaming platforms. 2024 is a year that has already been rich with them, ranging from One Day to Ripley.

Now a new title is set to compete to be one of the best of the year, in the form of 100 Days of Solitude. If that’s a title that you think is vaguely familiar, you’re probably right.

But what do we know about this hugely hyped Netflix series so far? Whether it’s plot, cast, or other details about 100 Years of Solitude, we’ve got you covered.

What is 100 Years of Solitude about?

100 Years of Solitude tells the multi-generational story of the Buendía family.

A still from the trailer of 100 Years of Solitude

Netflix‘s official synopsis reads: “Married against their parents’ wishes, cousins José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula Iguarán leave their village behind and embark on a long journey in search of a new home. Accompanied by friends and adventurers, their journey culminates with the founding of a utopian town on the banks of a river of prehistoric stones that they baptize Macondo.

“Several generations of the Buendía lineage will mark the future of this mythical town, tormented by madness, impossible loves, a bloody and absurd war, and the fear of a terrible curse that condemns them, without hope, to one hundred years of solitude.”

We also know that the adaptation is set to tell this story over 16 episodes.

Is 100 Years of Solitude based on a book?

Yes, 100 Years of Solitude is based on the book of the same name by Gabriel García Márquez.

Márquez is considered a titan of Spanish-American literature, having won the Nobel prize back in 1982. His other noted titles include Love in the Time of Cholera, Chronicle of a Death Foretold, and Memories of My Melancholy Whores.

In March of 2024, a novel was released posthumously under Márquez’s name titled Under August.

The series has been written by José Rivera, Natalia Santa, Camila Brugés, María Camila Arias, and Albatrós González.

100 Years of Solitude cast: Who’s in it?

The 100 Years of Solitude case includes Claudio Cataño, Jerónimo Barón, and Marco González.

The confirmed cast so far includes:

  • Claudio Cataño
  • Jerónimo Barón
  • Marco González
  • Leonardo Soto
  • Susana Morales
  • Ella Becerra
  • Carlos Suaréz
  • Moreno Borja
  • Santiago Vásquez

The series is directed by Alex García López and Laura Mora.

Will 100 Years of Solitude be in Spanish on Netflix?

Yes, Netflix’s adaptation of 100 Years of Solitude will be in Spanish.

A still from the trailer of 100 Years of Solitude

This isn’t surprising given that both Gabriel García Márquez is Colombian and that the story itself takes place in a fictional Spanish town, but given how successful translations of the novel have been, it wasn’t a given.

However, the show’s first teaser confirms that 100 Years of Solitude will be in Spanish, with lead cast members receiving famous lines from the novel in Spanish, including “Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.”

Will 100 Years of Solitude be worth watching?

Currently, we don’t know more than the teaser — but if social reactions are anything to go by, 100 Years of Solitude is set to take Netflix by storm.

In the above teaser, we see Aureliano Babilonia reading from the mythical diary of Melquiades, entering Macondo to witness Colonel Aureliano Buendía standing before a firing squad. He remembers a distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.

José Arcadio Buendía and Úrsula Iguarán’s journey in search of happiness then begins, fleeing the curse placed upon their lineage.

“It’s really hard to imagine Marquez being adapted for the screen, but this teaser looks pretty compelling,” one fan commented on Reddit, with a second agreeing: “One Hundred Years of Solitude is the most important book written in Spanish of the past century. It’s also pretty difficult to adapt IMO. That being said, 16 episodes and being filmed in Colombia and in Spanish gives me hope.”

If the wait for 100 Years of Solitude is too much, find even more amazing movies, TV shows, true crime documentaries, and K-dramas to stream this month.

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About The Author

Jasmine Valentine is a TV and Movies Writer at Dexerto. She's the go-to source for all things Young Sheldon, as well as many Netflix originals. Jasmine has also written for the likes of Total Film, The Daily Beast, and Radio Times. You can email her here: jasmine.waters@dexerto.com.