Adrian Arredondo & Myrna Perez Prepping Doc ‘Take It Away’ On Tejano Singer & TV Host Johnny Canales
Johnny Canales Rodrigo Varela
EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Canales, the famed Tejano singer and Mexican American TV host who passed away on June 13, is the subject of Take It Away, a new feature doc from Adrian Arredondo and Myrna Perez that has entered production.
In a moment when Latino music and artists like Peso Pluma, Grupo Frontera, and Bad Bunny are dominating the charts, the film explores the origins of Latin music’s rise through The Johnny Canales Show — a space where, beginning in the 1980s, every Latino in America felt seen, free to be unapologetically themselves, and part of a larger movement.
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Ushering in the golden age of Tejano music and the “Decade of the Hispanic,” Canales and his TV show became a microcosm of the Latino experience in America.
The film will be exec produced by Texas Monthly and Trojan Horse Productions, as well as Arredondo and Perez. CAA Media Finance reps worldwide distribution rights.
Explained Arredondo and Perez in a joint statement to Deadline, “This is a bilingual story of the American Dream. Take It Away is an incredible look into migrant communities and the beauty they’ve created over decades in America. The Rio Grande Valley has so much joy to share with the world, and we’re proud Johnny Canales paved the way for us to do so with our music, which today is once again at the top of the charts.”
Texas Monthly President Scott Brown remarked that “this is an international story that orbits around a trailblazing Texan, and Texas Monthly is thrilled to partner with Myna, Adrian, and Trojan Horse to bring it to a wide audience.”
Shared Texas Monthly executive producer Megan Creydt, “We were immediately struck by Myrna and Adrian’s vision and access to the world of Johnny Canales and the Tejano movement. This is an undeniable story that doesn’t just shine a light on the past but gives us greater appreciation for the moment we’re in today.”
Trojan Horse’s Alex Fumero and Kareem Tabsch added, “At Trojan Horse, we are always drawn to stories and characters that are larger-than-life, bold, and unapologetically themselves. Johnny Canales was all that and more. Throughout his life and career, he dedicated himself to championing Tejano music and culture, and in doing so helped generations of folks see themselves reflected on screen and in the music.”
The duo went on to say that they are “proud to be collaborating with and supporting the creative vision of Adrian and Myrna as they celebrate the story of this Mexican-American icon; the story of a proud Texan and the people who his life’s work always held up.”
Initially connecting with the Canales family while exec producing Netflix’s Selena: the Series campaign, Perez is an Emmy-nominated producer dedicated to championing diverse narratives. Previously, she’s produced two seasons of Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi for Hulu, A Great Day with J Balvin, and Season 2 of Leguizamo Does America for Peacock, among other projects.
A critically acclaimed filmmaker who tells stories of immigration, discovery, and cultural integration through music, Arredondo was previously a senior creative producer at Spotify, where he led development of bilingual films and podcasts for Spotify Studios. He’s also the executive producer of LOUD: The History of Reggaeton, a chart-topping narrative podcast hosted by Ivy Queen, and the founding creative director of Lantinx media company BESE.
Chronicling life in the Lone Star state since 1973, Texas Monthly has in recent years established a footprint in television, film, and podcasts, with a first-look deal for scripted television with HBO and Max. Most recently, they’ve executive produced Richard Linklater’s acclaimed Netflix pic Hit Man and the Max limited series Love & Death, both based on Texas Monthly storytelling. Texas Monthly has dozens of projects in development for film and TV, including Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming Land Man series, based on their podcast Boomtown.
Based in Los Angeles and Miami, Trojan Horse was founded in 2022 on the heels of Fumero and Tabsch’s success with the Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado.
Texas Monthly is represented by CAA.