Director Rodrigo Garcia is ready to work with his famous friends on a new project. He is teaming up with the “Three Amigos” for a new drama titled Mother and Child.
Filmmakers Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, and Alejandro González Iñárritu will produce the movie. They are using their production company, Cha Cha Cha, to fund the project.
The film has a budget of $4.5 million. Julie Lynn, the president of Mockingbird Pictures, is also producing the film alongside the trio.
A Story of Interconnected Lives
The story follows three different women. Their lives are separate, but they eventually connect in unexpected ways.
The first character is a 50-year-old woman. The second is the daughter she gave up for adoption 35 years ago. The third is a woman who wants to adopt a baby of her own.
Production is set to begin soon in Los Angeles. The team plans to start shooting in late December or January. This location keeps the production close to home for the filmmakers.
Garcia is known for writing strong stories about women. This new film continues that tradition. It explores similar themes found in his previous dramas, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her and Nine Lives.
Developing the Script
The director has been working on this script for a long time. He said the writing process took more than seven years.
“Alejandro read a nearly finished draft and challenged me to finish it,” Garcia said. He credits his friend for giving him the push he needed.
Writing the script was a challenge. “It all takes place in the present, but it was difficult to write because it explores 30 years in the lives of these three women,” Garcia explained. The story has to show a long history without using flashbacks.
Garcia is currently looking for actors to play the lead roles. Casting is underway to find the right women for these complex parts.
Support from the Three Amigos
It is often hard to find money for serious drama movies. Garcia knows he is lucky to have support. He credits his friends at Cha Cha Cha for getting the movie off the ground.
Iñárritu previously served as an executive producer on Garcia’s film Nine Lives. This new project strengthens their working relationship.
“If it wasn’t for those three guys, I’m sure I’d still be shopping it around with extremely little luck,” Garcia admitted. “Hard-nosed realistic dramas” are facing a tough market right now.
Upcoming Releases
Before Mother and Child, Garcia will make his debut with a big movie studio. He directed the supernatural thriller Passengers for Sony Pictures.
That film stars Anne Hathaway and is also produced by Julie Lynn. It is set for release this month.
Cha Cha Cha has a busy schedule ahead. Their first movie to be released is a soccer drama called Rudo y Cursi. That film stars Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna.
Editor’s Note: The film was eventually released in 2009 starring Naomi Watts, Annette Bening, and Kerry Washington.
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