Eif Rivera is all set to make his directorial debut with the much-anticipated ‘Killing Castro,’ an upcoming thriller that will take us back to the real-life events of 1960 when Fidel Castro, the Cuban revolutionary leader, was in power. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the film will feature an ensemble of big names, including the likes of Al Pacino, Diego Boneta and Xolo Maridueña.
As mentioned, the story of ‘Killing Castro,’ written by Leon Hendrix, Thomas DeGrezia, and Colin Bateman, will be based on real events, taking place right after Fidel Castro won the Cuban revolution, following Castro as he goes to New York City to deliver his first speech at the United Nations.
However, faced with hostility at his hotel, Castro meets Malcolm X, who extends an invitation for him to stay at the illustrious Hotel Theresa in Harlem. The film will centre on a rookie undercover FBI agent tasked with protecting Castro from assassination attempts by both the CIA and the Italian mafia, who’ll need to do whatever it takes to keep Castro safe.
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Currently, it’s unclear what roles Al Pacino, Diego Boneta and Xolo Maridueña will play and there’s no official release date. Besides the three the ensemble cast will also feature Nicole Beharie, KiKi Layne, Ron Livingston, Alexander Ludwig, Logan Marshall-Green, Kendrick Sampson, and Titus Welliver. Filming for ‘Killing Castro‘ is set to kick off soon, with the majority of principal shooting taking place in Newark, New Jersey.
The film is produced and financed by Brad Feinstein of Romulus Entertainment, and Christina Weiss Lurie of Fourth and Twenty-Eight Films is also on board as a producer. Executive producers include John Takis, Rudy Langlais, Josh Glick, Boneta, Sam Slater, Hendrix, Bateman, Piers Tempest, Joseph Ingrassia, and Nick Ham.
Talking a bit about the project, producer Brad Feinstein told Deadline, “I am honored to be part of telling such an important story that is a piece of history which was largely unknown. Killing Castro perfectly encapsulates the type of stories we strive to tell at Romulus Entertainment, stories that do more than entertain audiences, but create thought-provoking diverse content that bring to light the complexities of real life. We are looking forward to working with the incredible cast led by the inimitable Eif Rivera.”
While Killing Castro will mark Eif Rivera’s first directorial feature, the Bronx-born director gained recognition for creating music videos. Apart from this upcoming feature, his previous directorial credits include BMF as well as TV shows like Force and Power Book III: Raising Kanan. Reflecting on this new venture, the director shared his enthusiasm, stating, “I am excited to bring to life this compelling true story with the help of my remarkable cast and formidable producing team at Romulus Entertainment.”
