Anhelo, the film production company forged by Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron and partner Jorge Vergara, has unveiled three international projects in the pipeline.

Cuaron and Vergara initially launched Anhelo to produce the Cuaron-directed international hit Y Tu Mama Tambien which is currently in the running for a best screenplay Oscar. They have since announced their objective to produce three to four films a year.

Slated to shoot in May is Cronicas, a $3.5m suspense thriller written and directed by Sebastian Cordero (Ratas, Ratones, Rateros) from Ecuador. Cronicas will shoot on location in Babahoyo, Ecuador and will feature a cast led by Spanish actors Daniel Gimenez Cacho and Paz Vega and Mexico's Damian Alcazar. Cronicas relates the story of a Miami reporter who tracks a serial killer of children but whose search for the perfect story stands in the way of justice.

Also in pre-production is the $6m The Assassination Of Richard Nixon to be directed by Niels Mueller (Tadpole ) with Sean Penn attached to star as the lead character Sam Byck. After Sam loses his job and his wife, he finds the perfect scapegoat in president Richard Nixon and takes steps to kill him. Anhelos is currently in the process of casting for the supporting characters.

A third film in development is the $2.5m Tokyo Boogie, co written and to be co-directed by Uruguayan native Pablo Casacuberta and Japanese-born Yukihiko Goto. Set in the late fifties, a small Uruguayan village is turned completely upside down by the visionary enthusiasm of an old man. Inadvertently, he causes a series of misunderstandings which lead a group of Japanese men to believe that the entire village is a huge film set specially designed for the production of westerns. Tokyo Boogie will be shot on location in Uruguay, and negotiations are underway with co producer's and casting possiblities.

According to Vergara, Anhelo is financing all three films but is on the lookout for potential production partners.

Topics