James Franco has been cast as Fidel Castro by the Cuban government “Alina of Cuba,” an independent film about the Cuban revolutionary’s daughter, Alina Fernandez.
This is the latest in a series of live-action movies that the actor has signed up to. It comes after he was accused of sexual misconduct 2018/2019. He was booked last month for a lead role in post-World War II drama “Me, You”Daisy Jacob and Tom Hollander.
Starring Ana Villafañe as Fernandez, “Alina of Cuba”The true story of her exile in Cuba and her eventual return to social activism is told. As previously announced, Mía Maestro will play Natalia “Naty”Revuelta was a Cuban socialite who had an affair with Castro that resulted in their daughter.
Fernandez, who learned of her father’s identity at age 10, eventually became one of his most outspoken critics. She was banned from leaving Cuba after she joined a political dissident group. She fled to Spain in 1993 and eventually settled in the United States.
Alanna de la Rose, Maria Cecilia Botero and Harding Junior will all star.
Miguel Bardem will direct the play from a script by Jose Rivera, and Pulitzer Prize-winning Cuban American playwright Nilo Cruz.
“Alina of Cuba” joins “Me, You”Action-thriller “Mace” as one of Franco’s first onscreen roles since the final season of HBO’s “The Deuce,”In 2019. In 2019, five women accused Oscar-nominated director and actor of sexually exploitative behaviour in Jan 2018. He was later sued for sexually harassing, and even exploiting students at his acting school the following year. He eventually settled for $2.235million.
John Martinez-O’Felan and Joe Lamy will produce for Austin-based indie outfit Mankind Entertainment, along with Celine Rattray and Trudie Styler for Maven Screen Media. Allen Gilmer and Rikki Routing, the founders of Austin’s Redbud Studios, are also producers. Javier Gonzalez will be the executive producer of Jaguar Bite Production Services, Bogota’s production company. He also oversees the Bogota EPs Juan Pablo Solano (Colombia) and Simon Beltran (Colombia). Executive producers for Jaguar Bite will also be Luis Mandoki (Luis Mandoki) and Thaddeus Deus Matula.
Colombian production begins on August 15.
Deadline first reported the news of Franco’s casting.
