‘Fridamania’ Returns as Netflix Reveals Plans for Kahlo-Riviera Drama

Frida Kahlo 1907-1954, Mexico Follow +

A series dramatising the lives of legendary Mexican artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera is in development at Netflix, the streaming platform announced on Friday.

The yet-to-be titled project will be based on the bestselling novel by French author Claire Berest, Rien n’est noir (Nothing is black), and will follow the story of the couple’s tempestuous relationship.

Though no official timeline or casting decisions have been announced, Carolina Leconte, content vice president at Netflix Mexico, told Variety: “It’s a daring proposal that takes us into the most intimate spaces of two figures we feel have been exhausted by myth, but whose true story we have not yet dared to face directly. 

“At Netflix, we believe in local stories, and few are as Mexican, as overflowing, as the love—and toxicity—between Frida and Diego.”

Kahlo, who lived and worked from 1907 to 1954, enjoyed moderate success in her lifetime. Her husband Diego, in comparison, was considered to be Mexico’s most famous contemporary artist.

Since her death, Kahlo has become one of the world’s most famous artists, and her image one of the most merchandised. The placing of her self-portrait onto objects—socks, water bottles and phone cases—has been labelled “Fridamania”.

Kahlo’s popularity has resulted in her artworks selling for record prices. Last November, her self-portrait El sueño (La cama) sold for £41.8 million, becoming the most expensive work by a female artist to ever sell at auction.

Her work is also in demand among institutions. In June 2026, the Tate Modern will host an exhibition titled Friday: The Making of an Icon, which will display 36 works by the painter. 

The show comes just over 20 years since the gallery’s last Kahlo exhibition, which in 2005 showcased over 50 artworks.

Current celebrity owners of Kahlos include American pop legend Madonna, who purportedly owns five works, including My Birth and El Venado Herido.