Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado Trailer Foretells Good Omens

A beloved astrologer’s spiritual and sexual influence is lovingly recounted in Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado.

“Love is the essence of everything,” we read in the first Mucho Mucho Amor trailer, and the new Netflix Original Documentary has nothing but love for the iconic astrologer Walter Mercado. Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado will hit the streamer globally on July 8.

The documentary was directed by Cristina Costantini (Science Fair) and Kareem Tabsch (The Last Resort), and produced by Alex Fumero (I Think You Should Leave with Tim Robinson). They got “unprecedented access to Walter during his post-fame seclusion” and were invited into “his home and interior world,” according to the press release. The documentary captures the psychic entertainer’s final two years, “when the pioneering icon grappled with aging and his legacy, as he prepared for one last star-studded spectacle.”

During his long career, the psychic astrologer mesmerized 120 million Latinx viewers with his extravagance, glamour, and artistry every day for decades. “For many, Walter Mercado has been a household name for generations,” according to the press release.

Mercado died of kidney failure at the age of 87 on Nov. 2, 2019, at the Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in San Juan, Puerto Rico. But his message endures.

“He was that optimistic/larger than life character that came into everyone’s household via television,” reads the press release. “For some he was even bigger than Oprah and uber flamboyant like that of Liberace. But he was always full of love, life, and inspiration! We need some Walter right now.”

You can watch the trailer here:

“We grew up with him,” Lin-Manuel Miranda says in the trailer. “I can’t think of an English language astrologer that would command the attention of millions of households.”

The Puerto Rican spiritualist was sexually ambiguous, joking away questions about whether or not he was gay. But gay Latinos were empowered. Walter was recognized as a healer from his childhood, but his transformation from farm boy to flamboyant showman, complete with sequined capes and ornate outfits, was nothing short of miraculous.

Besides his daily readings, Mercardo was known as an actor, dancer, and writer. He studied classical and modern ballet and was one of the most prolific dancers in Puerto Rico. In fact, he was the dancing partner of comedian Velda González before she went on to become a member of the Senate of Puerto Rico.

Mercado starred on Puerto Rican telenovelas Un adiós en el recuerdo (A Farewell to the Memory) and Larga distancia (Long Distance). Mercado began his regular astrology segment on Puerto Rico’s variety show El Show de las 12 in 1970. His astrological predictions aired in Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the U.S. He also had a dramatic arts school called Walter Actors Studio 64.

Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado will stream globally on Netflix beginning July 8.