Amid Hollywood's Call for Diversity, Where Are the Latinx Movie Stars?
by Mia Gallupo
Despite an audience that goes to the movies more than any other demo ("a sure thing," notes one studio exec), insiders say onscreen representation won't improve until Hollywood sheds some prejudices and takes a chance — "like they do all the time for white actors."
When trying to find funding for an East Los Angeles-set Latinx superhero movie, veteran filmmaker Joe Carnahan took meetings with all of the usual studios, production companies and financiers. Carnahan, whose directing credits include The Grey, Smokin' Aces and Narc, wrote El Chicano on spec with longtime stunt performer Ben Hernandez Bray — making his feature-directing debut on the project — and teamed with Lorenzo di Bonaventura and actor Frank Grillo as producers. "Everyone passed," says Carnahan, who remembers one studio note in particular: "If you could figure out a Caucasian influence, that will help its prospects."
Carnahan and team instead turned to Canada to find funding with first-time financiers. "It took a bunch of Canadian hockey fans to get behind an all-Latino movie set in East L.A.," Carnahan says of the $8 million project, which stars Raúl Castillo and George Lopez. Tom Ortenberg will distribute the film via his Briarcliff Entertainment to roughly 1,000 theaters during Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Go to The Hollywood Reporter site for full article.
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