(Photo: ABC)
Edward James Olmos on Board as Executive Producer
Multi-platinum-selling recording artist/songwriter Luis Fonsi is taking a major career leap into the acting realm. Last week he signed on as the romantic lead in Nancy De Los Santos‘ romantic comedy The Answer to my Prayer, which is scheduled to begin shooting later in 2022.
Answer to My Prayers follows the romance travails of three Latina friends whose destinies are changed by an ancient prayer given to them by one of their abuelita. The prayer to St. Anthony promises to help them find true love. Fonsi plays the character of Rafael Reza in this romantic comedy with a Latina heart. Casting is currently underway.
Back in the early 90’s putting together a project like this was what Latino indie filmmakers dreamt about — a day when they had enough industry clout to come together and tell the stories Hollywood still refuses to tell. The accomplished production team for The Answer to my Prayer, collectively have produced projects that include some of Hollywood’s biggest hits like Selena, Stand and Deliver, Mi Familia My Familia, American Me, Filly Brown, and The Bronze Screen:100 Years of the Latino Image in Hollywood Cinema.
Actor/producer Edward James Olmos who is currently starring on FX’s Mayans M.C. and whose credits both as an actor and producer are legendary, is on board as executive producer, with award-winning director Patrick Perez Vidauri whose last three films have been romantic comedies (Divorce Bait, Townhouse Confidential and In Other Words) will direct from de Los Santos’s script. Cristina Nava who has worked alongside Vidauri as producer on two of his films will lead the production with Texas-based Roberto Treviño and Eileen Kret (Selena) as co-producers.
Vidaurri and Nava are fast becoming the go-to duo specializing in romantic comedies with Latinos in the lead. Producing under their banner of Migrant Filmworks this husband and wife team have produced In Other Words which starred Edy Ganam, Natasha Esca, Byran McClure and streamed on HBO. Their most recent film Divorce Bait stars Vannessa Vasquez and Justin Berti, has been acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films and is set for a 2022 fall release.
“The mission of our company is to tell stories with universal themes and to promote Latinx roles in front and behind the camera,” said Nava. I can’t wait to share this fun rom com full of comedy of errors, love triangles, and heart!”
The story is set in San Antonio, Texas where the city’s natural beauty, eclectic collection of public art, and historic architecture will add to the richness of the story making it a great setting for romance.
“Nancy’s script has exactly the elements I look for when I take on a new project,” Perez told us. “With a warm, humanity-filled, and gut-busting hilarity that goes along with a unique look of our beautiful Texican and Latinx culture.
Fonsi’s casting as the lead character was inspired by his leading man looks and his numerous music videos performances as well as some television credits. That and the fact that he is known the world over for his 2017 record-breaking song Despacito played a major part. In 2020 his song broke six Guinness World Records by selling more than 11 million records and the music video was the most-watched YouTube video of all time until November 2020, with over 7 billion views.
The casting also follows the template of the recent boxoffice hit Father of the Bride which cast singer/songrwriter Gloria Estefan in the lead role of Andy Garcia‘s wife in Father of the Bride which attracted the largest audience of any HBO Max movie that has streamed exclusively on the platform thanks in part to being among the top 5 movies in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Argentina according to box office stats.
The possibility of an acting career was something Fonsi had thought of in the past. Back in 2011 in an on-camera interview with Acceso Total he was asked if he ever considered an acting career, “If tomorrow, I’m asked to do a role in an interesting TV show or a movie, of course, I’m not going to turn it down if I feel I can do it”. And just like that, eleven years later, Fonsi has found “the” interesting project that could launch his acting career.
“This is my dream team. Cristina, Patrick, and Mr. Olmos are filmmakers dedicated to elevating the Latina and Latino images by presenting realistic images of our community,” said de Los Santos. “Patrick brings his extensive experience as a rom-com director. His incredible ability to tell a story visually, adding insight and imagery to the script, is a gift.”
Fonsi and Olmos are represented by CAA; Nava and Vidauri are both repped by Citizen Skull Productions.
