'El Chapo' Film a Big Hit in the Mexican Box Office? [Details]

Prison breaks almost always make a good story. Although not all escapees tattooed their exit route on their body a la Michael Scofield, big names can add additional hype to the story.

This is the case with Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, whose escape from a top-security prison was thwarted with the help of celebrity journalist Sean Penn. Of course, considering his criminal notoriety, it comes as to no surprise that the film was made in an attempt to interpret his escape.

"Capo, The Leak of the Century" is now a big hit in Mexico, and yes, it is about how the drug kingpin escaped from his high-security prison. According to The Straits Times, the film depicts how El Chapo planned and executed his escape from a maximum security prison to a safehouse 1.5 kilometers away. The film brought in about $63,100 on its opening day.

The film's distributor, Dragon Films, said that "El Capo" was released in 128 theaters in Mexico, with over 18,000 viewers all in all. A spokesman for the company said that every screen was supported by a strong advertising campaign, drawing over 154 viewers per screen.

Director Axel Uriegas said that watching the film will help audiences get to know the people involved in the drug lord's escape, from "the political level to his personal life." Even the authorities said that they were able to capture those who helped in El Chapo's escape, many of them working in the prison themselves. 

When asked about the official version of El Chapo's road to freedom -- at least for a few months -- the director said that he'd "rather invite you to see it and reach your own conclusions."

El Chapo's film is said to include reenacted footage of how he supposedly escaped -- through a tunnel by his prison shower, as reported by Mirror UK.

"Chapo: The Leak of the Century" stars Irineo Alvarez as the Sinaloa Kingpin, and is directed by Axel Uriegas. "Leak of the Century" is the first of a four-movie saga. Borderland Beat cited Dragon Films rep Carlos Olivares saying, "It will be a series of four movies telling 'El Chapo's' life in reverse. The first is about his escape, his human side, and Mexico's political situation."

As for real updates regarding the actual criminal, TeleSur TV said that El Chapo's lawyers have said that their client will not be able to have a fair trial in the US due to the influence of GOP candidate Donald Trump. Thus, they argued that the Sinaloa Cartel leader should not be extradited to the US, but rather, have his trial in Mexico.