By Luis Reyes
Two new big budget studio films, Miss Bala and Alita: Battle Angel are produced by predominantly Latino filmmakers starring Latinas Gina Rodriguez and Rosa Salazar, in the title roles respectively, as new kinds of cinema icons, Kick Ass, Action Heroines.
With Roma leading the way forward, we will have to wait and see if Miss Bala and Alita: Battle Angel mark a new cinematic era for complex fully realized Latina lead roles and the opportunity for Latina actresses to portray them in major motion pictures.”
From Virgin to Badass?
Golden Globe award-winning actress Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin) stars as Gloria in Sony Pictures Miss Bala opening nationwide on February 1. Miss Bala an English language remake and refashioning of the critically acclaimed 2011 Mexican film of the same name directed by Gerardo Naranjo.
Rodriguez portrays Gloria, a young Mexican-American makeup artist who discovers an inner strength in a dangerous world of cross border crime when she tries to rescue a friend who becomes involved with a violent drug cartel and disappears after winning a beauty contest. Ismael Cruz Cordova (Ray Donovan) a Puerto Rican actor co-stars as Lino, the charismatic drug cartel leader. Aislinn Derbez plays Isabel. If the last name sounds familiar, the actress is the daughter of famed Mexican actor/producer/director Eugenio Derbez (Latin Lover). The film also stars Anthony Mackie (The Avengers) and features the additional talents of Ricardo Abarca, Matt Lauria, Christina .
Pablo Cruz (Cesar Chavez) who produced the original film under his production company Canana in Mexico partnered with Kevin Misher (The Scorpion King: Book of Souls) on the remake which shot on location in and around Tijuana, Baja California Mexico. They brought Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight Sagas) to put the new spin into action.
Pablo Cruz (Cesar Chavez) produced the original film and for the remake partners with Kevin Misher shot the remake under the direction of Catherine Hardwicke (Twilight Sagas) on locations in and around Tijuana, Baja California Mexico. Graciela Mazon(The Mask Of Zorro) served as costume designer for the film.
Battle Angel
Alita: Battle Angel starring Rosa Salazar (Maze Runner, Divergent) in the title role is a $200 million Twentieth Century Fox production directed by Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Spy Kids) and a collaboration of a script with James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic) who also produced is producer on this highly anticipated film which opens nationwide in 3D on February 14th.
Christoph Waltz, Jennifer Connelly, Marshashala Ali and Jackie Earle Haley also star in this epic adventure of a female cyborg who must rediscover her past that is based on a popular Japanese Anime/Manga based on Yukito Kishiro graphic novel series “Gunnm”. David Valdes (The Green Mile, Unforgiven) produced along with Cameron and John Landau at Rodriquez’s Troublemaker Studios in Austin Texas.
In a recent interview by Mia Galuppo in The Hollywood Reporter’s, Salazar (who is of Peruvian descent) talked about being aware of the star-making a movie like Alita can have, “I’m always grateful to be hired, especially as a Latin woman in the business.” She added, “And I’m always grateful when the most essential part of my character isn’t that she is Latin.”
While Miss Bala and Alita Battle Angel are movies for action and Sci-Fi movie fans, both have particular appeal to the under served Latino audience, (which makes up 25% of the movie going audience according to the MPAA) the industry’s most loyal and fastest growing young demographics.
2017 and 2018 demonstrated that diversity sells tickets with such multi-cultural and multi-ethnic films as Coco, Crazy Rich Asians and Black Panther which smashed box office records, not only domestically but also worldwide. On the other end of the spectrum, just two of 2017’s top 100 grossing films featured Latino actors in lead roles
According to USC’s Annenberg inclusion imitative annual report on female and minority film representation. None of 2018’s top 100 films featured a Latina actress in a lead role.
In a just broadcast NPR interview Rodriquez remarked on her trailblazing lead role in Miss Bala, “ It’s about an ordinary woman who becomes an extraordinary woman and really solidifies her power and finds her strength. If this film is a success, they [the Studios] will make more.”
These two new films arrive hot on the heels of the ten Oscar nominations for Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma including Best actress Yalitza Aparicio and Best Supporting actress Marina de Tavira.
With Roma leading the way forward, we will have to wait and see if Miss Bala and Alita: Battle Angel mark a new cinematic era for complex fully realized Latina lead roles and the opportunity for Latina actresses to portray them in major motion pictures.