Mandoki to Direct Crime Thriller “Tesoro”

Luis Mandoki has discovered a new treasure…

The 62-year-old Mexican filmmaker is set to direct the crime thriller Tesoro, written by actress and producer Sandy Baumann.

Luis Mandoki

Tesoro is the touching story of a Mexican woman who risks her life to cross the U.S. border so she can earn enough money to afford a life-saving operation for her father and then finds her path home blocked by a deadly crime family.

The script was selected as one of 10 nationwide for the Latino Producers Academy and also advanced to the second level of the Sundance Screenwriters Lab, as well as the Women in Film with Sundance Institute Film Intensive.

The cast will be announced next week.

Mandoki’s film credits include 2001’s Angel Eyes, starring Jennifer LopezWhen a Man Loves a Woman, with Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia; and Trapped.

He has Dancing with Sancho Panza in pre-production.

Bichir Firming Up Post-Oscars Projects

He’s one of Mexico’s beloved actors… And, now it appears Demián Bichir is on the verge of superstardom in Hollywood…

The 48-year-old Mexican actor—who received an Academy Award nomination for his critically acclaimed performance in A Better Life—is lining up his next two English-language projects.

Demian Bichir

Bichir is currently in talks to join the cast of Machete Kills, the follow-up to Robert Rodriguez‘s cult classic Machete. Co-starring Jessica Alba and Mel Gibson, the sequel will find Danny Trejo’s iconic character Machete battle his way through Mexico in order to take down an arms dealer looking to launch a weapon into space.

In addition, Bichir will star in William Friedkin‘s thriller Trapped, where he’ll reportedly play an Israeli agent.

Bichir—who got his start in Mexican telenovelas before crossing over into English-language projects, including an acclaimed recurring role on Showtime’s Weeds, can next be seen in Oliver Stone’s upcoming dramatic thriller Savages, co-starring Salma Hayek and Benicio del Toro