Jan 6, 2009–Alejandro Gomez Monteverde will co-write and direct “Cantinflas,” a biopic about the popular Mexican comedian and actor. Despite his appearance in the Oscar-winner “Around the World in 80 Days” (1956), Cantinflas is not well known in the English-speaking world.
NBC co-chair Ben Silverman will serve as an exec producer on the feature film with Monteverde and TV producer Jay Weisleder producing. Monteverde, whose drama “Bella” won the People's Choice Award at the 2006 Toronto Film Fest, will co-write the script with Jose Portillo.
As the founder and former owner of Reveille, Silverman remains attached as an exec producer on several Reveille features projects, which include the Kurt Cobain biopic at Universal and “Staked Plains” at Focus.
Weisleder worked with Silverman at Reveille and has several TV projects in development, including the comedy “My Problems With Women,” exec produced by Justin Timberlake. Monteverde and Weisleder secured the rights with the late actor's son, Mario Moreno Ivanova, who will serve as associate producer.
