Chart-Topping Chilean Podcast ‘Caso 63’ Gears Up for Season 2—And Announces an English-Language Adaptation
Since its release in November 2020, Spotify Original podcast Caso 63 has been topping charts and taking on new markets. The 10-episode Chilean science fiction story has become the most-listened-to scripted Original podcast in Latin America and was even adapted for Brazilian and Indian listeners as well. To continue this tale’s captivating hold, Spotify will be releasing an English-language adaptation of this story in the United States, premiering in late 2021. But perhaps the most exciting news for fans and could-be fans is that the team behind Caso 63 will be releasing a second season later this year, with creator Julio Rojas at the helm.
Season one of Caso 63 centers on the interactions between fictional psychiatrist Elisa Aldunate and her client, “Patient 63.” Each episode marks a new “session,” and as the story progresses, time, space, and reality begin to blur. Over the course of 10 episodes, this thought-provoking mystery plays with listeners’ minds and causes them to question what is and isn’t real.
Caso 63’s popularity with listeners has helped the show reach a new milestone within podcasting: This is the first time a non-English-language Spotify Original podcast has been adapted to multiple languages. The Chilean show, which stars actors Antonia Zegers and Néstor Cantillana, received so much buzz that, less than a year after its release, Spotify adapted the thrilling mystery into a Portuguese-language version, Paciente 63, featuring Brazilian actors Seu Jorge and Mel Lisboa. And earlier this month, Spotify India created a Hindi-language adaptation of the podcast called Virus 2062, starring Bollywood actors and husband-and-wife duo Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal. Now, casting is underway for the English-language adaptation.
But even before breaking a Spotify record, its large following was also reflected in the charts with Caso 63 ranking number one on Argentina’s and Mexico’s Top Podcasts charts for nearly a month following its premiere. It also reached number one on the Trending Podcasts charts in Chile, Colombia, Argentina, Mexico, and the U.S.
Non-Spanish speaking listeners are loving the show just as much. In India, the adaptation, Virus 2062, reached number one on Spotify’s local Trending chart and landed on the top five on Spotify’s local Top Podcasts charts. The Brazilian adaptation, Paciente 63, ranked number one on Brazil’s local Trending Podcasts chart the day after it premiered and stayed there for over two weeks. It also reached the top spot on Brazil’s Fiction charts and stayed there for over a month.
Creator Rojas has long credited the show’s appeal to its format. He says the audio-only medium calls back to the way stories have been handed down for centuries, inviting listeners to fill in the blanks with their imaginations.
“The LATAM team on the ground, led by [Spotify’s] Javier Piñol, created a universal story that transported listeners into their own imaginations alongside the lead characters. The adaptations in both Brazil and India, and soon the U.S., utilized local teams and talent to reimagine the story for new audiences,” said Courtney Holt, Global Head of Podcasts and New Initiatives at Spotify. “The success we’ve seen in all the market adaptations thus far has reinforced Spotify’s mission to provide creators with the opportunity to develop stories and expose audiences worldwide to the best storytelling narratives, regardless of origin.”
Ready to tap into your imagination and start your session with Dr. Aldunate? Catch season one below. And stay tuned for the English-language adaptation of the global podcast phenomenon, coming soon.
