{
 "id": "epc1q18ked",
 "slug": "narcos-vs-zombies",
 "title": "Narcos vs Zombies",
 "updated": "2026-11-01",
 "topic_path": [
  {
   "id": "culture",
   "label": "Arts and culture",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance",
   "label": "Screen and stage",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen",
   "label": "Film and television",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series",
   "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted",
   "label": "Unscripted, reality, and web-native series",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_unscripted"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native",
   "label": "Web-native and streaming-original series",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native"
  },
  {
   "id": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.horror_thriller_scifi_webseries",
   "label": "Genre web series: horror, thriller, science fiction, and mystery",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.horror_thriller_scifi_webseries"
  }
 ],
 "geo": [
  {
   "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series",
   "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean · 2021 and later: Series and fictional screen worlds",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series",
   "path": [
    {
     "id": "geo.latam",
     "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021",
     "label": "Latin America and the Caribbean · 2021 and later",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture",
     "label": "Arts and culture",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance",
     "label": "Screen and stage",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen",
     "label": "Film and television",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series",
     "label": "Series and fictional screen worlds",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.latam.t2021.culture.performance.screen.series"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "excerpt": "Narcos vs Zombies, also known as S.O.Z: Soldados o Zombies (Soldiers or Zombies), is the original announced title of a 2021 Mexican Prime Video series: drug lord Alonso Marroquín escapes prison as a failed U.S. military experiment creates mutant zombies; 8 episodes, created by Nicolás Entel and Miguel Tejada-Flores.",
 "snippet": "Narcos vs Zombies, also known as S.O.Z: Soldados o Zombies (Soldiers or Zombies), is the original announced title of a 2021 Mexican Prime Video series: drug lord Alonso Marroquín escapes prison as a failed U.S. military experiment creates mutant zombies; 8 episodes, created by Nicolás Entel and Miguel Tejada-Flores.",
 "node": "culture.performance.screen.series.series_web_native.horror_thriller_scifi_webseries",
 "markdown": "# Narcos vs Zombies\n\n**Narcos vs Zombies** is the original working title of *S.O.Z: Soldados o Zombies* (S.O.Z: Soldados o Zombies), a [Mexican Spanish](https://www.edgepedia.org/mexican-spanish)-language action-horror streaming series released on Amazon Prime Video on 6 August 2021. When the project was first announced, Prime Video promoted it under the literal name Narcos vs Zombies; the creators later rethought the title and released it as S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies, keeping the same story of a drug trafficker, a failed military experiment, and mutant zombies.<sup>[1](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | Announced as Narcos vs Zombies, later retitled S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies<sup>[1](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)</sup> |\n| Premiere | 6 August 2021, Prime Video; season 1 of 8 episodes released that day<sup>[2](https://es.kotaku.com/la-serie-que-mezcla-narcos-y-zombies-sigue-siendo-una-rareza-en-streaming-una-historia-donde-nada-encaja-y-funciona-2000039626)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.epguides.com/SOZSoldadosoZombies/)</sup> |\n| Creators | Nicolás Entel and Miguel Tejada-Flores; directed by Rigoberto Castañeda<sup>[1](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)</sup> |\n| Premise | Drug lord Alonso Marroquín escapes a Mexican prison; a failed U.S. Army experiment creates mutant zombies that infect the police unit pursuing him<sup>[5](https://thetvdb.com/series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup> |\n| Lead cast | Sergio Peris-Mencheta as Alonso Marroquín; Horacio Garcia Rojas as Comandante Rafael Becerril; Nery Arredondo as Lucas Marroquín<sup>[3](https://www.epguides.com/SOZSoldadosoZombies/)</sup> |\n| Production | Filmed in Durango, Mexico over 10 weeks (8 on location, 2 in Mexico City), about one week per episode<sup>[4](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)</sup> |\n| Status | One season; listed as canceled/ended<sup>[6](https://next-episode.net/narcos-vs.-zombies)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise\n\nThe story begins with a prison break. To avoid extradition, the charismatic and unpredictable drug lord Alonso Marroquín escapes from a high-security Mexican prison with his son Lucas and hides in the desert, taking shelter at Paradiso, a remote drug rehabilitation facility on the United States side of the border.<sup>[5](https://thetvdb.com/series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup> Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, a [United States Army](https://www.edgepedia.org/united-states-army) experiment at a military base goes wrong; wounded soldiers, left for dead near the border, revive as a new breed of mutant zombies with special abilities.<sup>[5](https://thetvdb.com/series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup>\n\nThe zombies then converge on the fugitive: the Mexican police unit sent after Marroquín becomes infected, and the Army and the new zombie species end up at his hideout, where the battle for survival begins.<sup>[5](https://thetvdb.com/series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup> Writer Miguel Tejada-Flores described the show as packing politics, a jailbreak, narcos, government corruption, and evil researchers into one story, calling it \"not your average Walking Dead\".<sup>[7](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexico-living/soldads-o-zombis-creators-mix-social-commentary-zombie-fun/)</sup>\n\n## Title change and development\n\nThe title *Narcos vs Zombies* was the name under which Prime Video first announced the production. The creatives reconsidered the name and retitled it S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies, though the plot remained the same.<sup>[1](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)</sup> Nicolás Entel, the showrunner and a founding partner of Red Creek Productions, wrote the script years earlier; as a \"risky, novel and counterintuitive story for Latin America\", it attracted interest from networks and platforms, and MTV and YouTube held the rights at different times, but the series was never produced until Amazon stepped in and Dynamo joined as co-producer.<sup>[4](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)</sup>\n\nThe title is unrelated to the Netflix crime drama *Narcos* (2015–2017), which dramatizes the real-life story of Colombian drug lord [Pablo Escobar](https://www.edgepedia.org/pablo-escobar) and the law enforcement campaign against him in the late 1980s.<sup>[8](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80025172)</sup> The shared word \"narcos\" refers to the general drug-trafficking subject matter, not a crossover with that series.\n\n## Production\n\nThe series was shot in the state of Durango, Mexico, whose desert stands in for the border setting. The location raised costs because equipment, technicians, costumes, props, and talent all had to be brought from Mexico City.<sup>[4](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)</sup> Production took 10 weeks in total: eight weeks in Durango on location and two in Mexico City, mostly in the studio, at roughly one week per episode. Entel contrasted this with American productions such as *Fear the Walking Dead*, which filmed in Mexico with much more money and about twice the time.<sup>[4](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)</sup>\n\nSpecial effects were handled by the Mexican studio Ollin VFX, which created completely digital zombie animals among other effects.<sup>[4](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)</sup> Director Rigoberto Castañeda, whose earlier credits include the film *Kilómetro 31* and the Netflix series *[Diablero](https://www.edgepedia.org/diablero)*, described the zombies as a new species rather than ordinary undead, each with its own personality and name; filming in the Durango desert at times involved as many as 25 zombie performers on set with 7 a.m. calls.<sup>[9](https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/espectaculos/zombies-combaten-al-narco-en-tv/)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[1](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)</sup> According to SensaCine, the series was the first original Mexican action production from Prime Video.<sup>[1](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)</sup>\n\n## Reception and style\n\nThe eight-episode season was released at once and runs about 28 to 30 minutes per episode, which reviewers noted gives it a brisk pace with little filler.<sup>[2](https://es.kotaku.com/la-serie-que-mezcla-narcos-y-zombies-sigue-siendo-una-rareza-en-streaming-una-historia-donde-nada-encaja-y-funciona-2000039626)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[10](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup> Commentary has focused on the series' deliberately exaggerated tone, which mixes action, thriller, horror, and melodrama rather than aiming for realism.<sup>[2](https://es.kotaku.com/la-serie-que-mezcla-narcos-y-zombies-sigue-siendo-una-rareza-en-streaming-una-historia-donde-nada-encaja-y-funciona-2000039626)</sup> Tejada-Flores reported that more than half of the audience reviews on Prime Video loved the show, with viewers asking for a sequel.<sup>[7](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexico-living/soldads-o-zombis-creators-mix-social-commentary-zombie-fun/)</sup> The series has remained listed under both names in streaming catalogs: [JustWatch](https://www.edgepedia.org/justwatch) and IMDb index it as S.O.Z: Soldiers or Zombies under the URL \"narcos-vs-zombies\", and databases such as TVDB list \"Narcos Vs Zombies\" as an alias.<sup>[10](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://thetvdb.com/series/narcos-vs-zombies)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies, SensaCine México](https://www.sensacine.com.mx/series/serie-24816/)\n2. [La serie que mezcla narcos y zombies sigue siendo una rareza en streaming, Kotaku en Español (9 April 2026)](https://es.kotaku.com/la-serie-que-mezcla-narcos-y-zombies-sigue-siendo-una-rareza-en-streaming-una-historia-donde-nada-encaja-y-funciona-2000039626)\n3. [S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies (a Titles & Air Dates Guide), epguides](https://www.epguides.com/SOZSoldadosoZombies/)\n4. [Red Creek: S.O.Z. Soldados o Zombies was made with a fraction of the budget and in less time than in one of the US, PRODU (25 August 2021)](https://www.produ.com/ushispanic/noticias/red-creek-s-o-z-soldados-o-zombies-was-made-with-a-fraction-of-the-budget-and-in-less-time-than-in-one-of-the-us/)\n5. [S.O.Z: Soldados o Zombies, TheTVDB.com](https://thetvdb.com/series/narcos-vs-zombies)\n6. [Narcos vs. Zombies TV Show Air Dates & Track Episodes, Next Episode](https://next-episode.net/narcos-vs.-zombies)\n7. ['Soldados o Zombies' creators mix social commentary and zombie fun, Mexico News Daily](https://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexico-living/soldads-o-zombis-creators-mix-social-commentary-zombie-fun/)\n8. [Narcos, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80025172)\n9. [Zombies combaten al narco en tv, El Universal (8 November 2019)](https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/espectaculos/zombies-combaten-al-narco-en-tv/)\n10. [S.O.Z: Soldiers or Zombies - streaming online, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/uk/tv-series/narcos-vs-zombies)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Web-native and streaming-original series › Genre web series: horror, thriller, science fiction, and mystery*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
 "same_as": [],
 "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies",
 "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies.md",
 "license": {
  "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0",
  "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license",
  "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.",
  "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0"
 },
 "credit": "\"Narcos vs Zombies\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Narcos vs Zombies](https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies](https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies\">Narcos vs Zombies</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies\">https://www.edgepedia.org/narcos-vs-zombies</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "Narcos vs Zombies, also known as S.O.Z: Soldados o Zombies, is the original announced title of a 2021 Mexican Prime Video series: drug lord Alonso Marroquín escapes prison as a failed U.S. military experiment creates mutant zombies; 8 episodes, created by Nicolás Entel and Miguel Tejada-Flores."
}