Legendary DONA BARBARA, Starring Acclaimed Actress Edith Gonzalez, Comes To Telemundo Monday, August 4

Telemundo is proud to announce the premiere of "DONA BARBARA," starring acclaimed Mexican star Edith Gonzalez, and a top-notch cast that includes Christian Meier, Genesis Rodriguez, Roberto Mateos, Paulo Quevedo and Arap Bethke. The tale of passion, immortalized in a classic book and later in film, arrives for the first time to U.S. Hispanic television on Monday, August 4 at 9 PM/8c on Telemundo.

The story takes place in a land far removed from civilization where men are untamed, yet they fear one woman: DONA BARBARA (Edith Gonzalez).

Barbara Guaimaran grew up happy, beautiful and wild, until she suffered a terrible misfortune that led her to seek revenge from any man who comes near her. As part of her evil plans, she decides to seduce landowner Lorenzo Barquero (Roberto Mateos) in a plot to take away his home and land. After bearing him a daughter, Marisela (Genesis Rodriguez), she evicts both from their ranch and keeps everything for herself. Dona Barbara's cruelty and coldness knows no limits, and she becomes a powerful woman. But one man will set foot on her land and will make her waver between love and hate with equal, unbridled passion.

Santos Luzardo (Christian Meier) is a handsome and brilliant lawyer who returns to the family plantation, "Altamira," to take care of some business. From the moment Dona Barbara meets Santos, she sets out to conquer him, but he refuses to give in to her game of seduction. Santos' rejection leads her to unleash a war to win his love at all cost, as she will commit the most atrocious actions in order to get her way.

"Dona Barbara" is a co-production between Telemundo and Sony Pictures Television International, developed by RTI. The novela has a first-rate cast that includes Edith Gonzalez, Christian Meier, Genesis Rodriguez, Roberto Mateos, Paulo Quevedo, Arap Bethke, Luis Fernando Velazco, Andres Ogilvie and James Bernal, among others, plus special appearances by Maritza Rodriguez and Jencarlos Canela. Production takes place at the RTI studios in Bogota, with location shooting in Honda, one of Colombia's oldest towns, located in the outskirts of Bogota. With beautiful, natural scenery, historic buildings and cattle and horse ranches, this municipality stands out for its gorgeous colonial architecture.

"Dona Barbara" is based on the novel by Romulo Gallegos, immortalized in film by the legendary Maria Felix in 1945. The adaptation of "Dona Barbara" for Telemundo was done by Valentina Parra; with scripts by Consuelo Garrido and Roberto Stopello. The novela is directed by Mauricio Cruz and Agustin Restrepo, with Hugo Leon Ferrer as executive producer.

For access to exclusive content, including behind-the-scene videos, in-depth interviews with cast members, photos and character profiles, viewers can visit http://www.yahootelemundo.com/donabarbara. In addition, all viewers will have the unique opportunity to view a full chapter of the production one day after transmission.