Director Franc. Reyes: State of Latinos in Hollywood

// December 9th, 2009 // Where's the Beef

epk minister 2009 009

Source: Huffingtonpost.com

Until recently, I embraced the American ethos, that all things were possible for all people. It never occurred to me that a Puerto Rican born in Spanish Harlem and raised in the South Bronx would find it so difficult to make films in the United States in the 21st Century. My first film, Empire (Universal Pictures, 2002), boasted a domestic gross more than four times its production costs. An outgrowth of Empire’s success was recognizing an American Latino audience who wanted more. Consequently, studios began developing American Latino projects. One project, not written by an American Latino, and the first of these films to shoot, had a production and advertising budget three times that of Empire’s. However, it’s box office performance was so poor, that similar projects were soon shelved. And, despite the profitability of Empire, I didn’t make my next movie, Illegal Tender, for five more years.

At a recent panel, a Hollywood executive stated, “Things are hard for everyone, but, for the Latino presence in Hollywood, there is progress.” He cited Ugly Betty, George Lopez, etc. I responded, Ricardo Montalban, Anthony Quinn, and Cesar Romero. He didn’t understand my point. I told him that in the 1940′s/50′s, these Latino-Americans were leading men who worked opposite the Julia Roberts of their day. I then asked him to name two comparable American Latino leading men of today. To his surprise, he soon realized that there was no comparison. As a final effort, he mentioned John Leguizamo (my leading man in Empire). While few entertainers have had as successful and multifaceted a career as John, the only movie where he is the leading man is in my latest film, The Ministers.

Check out these statistics: (i) according to Daily Variety, 46% of the tickets purchased for The Fast and the Furious, Hell Boy, and others were purchased by American Latinos; (ii) 41 million U.S. Latinos are more frequent moviegoers than Anglos or African-Americans (averaging 12 theatre outings a year); and (iii) when well marketed, American Latino films, (Empire, La Bamba, Selena and Spy Kids, — yes Spy Kids written/directed and starring American Latinos and the highest grossing American Latino film/franchise) are dramatic financial successes. Why then, unlike creators of African American films in the early nineties, have doors not opened for us? When I posed that question to a major Hollywood studio executive, his response was to cite a fragmented Latino community.

A film made by a Puerto Rican in New York may not translate to Mexicans, Salvadorans, and others on the West Coast and vice/versa. Logical? On its face, Yes. True? No. If you place packages of rice and beans in front of a Dominican, a Mexican, a Colombian and a Puerto Rican, we will all cook it slightly differently and, in that way, we’re beautifully fragmented. But that metaphor is not applicable to pop culture. When it comes to pop culture, there is no fragmentation — thanks to Hollywood! Billions of dollars have been spent over the last 100 years conditioning people of color to believe that the primarily Caucasian stars of Hollywood are the standard for who we should all want to be.

When I recently approached studios about a new horror film, the response I received was that they loved the script, but I needed stars to get the film financed. Yet, when I researched the horror genre, there were no major stars in any of the highest grossing or most financially lucrative horror films in the last several years. Why this requirement for my film? I re-read my script. There was the answer: the lead character and the majority of the cast were to be American Latinos. Had I written the lead in the film to be Anglo, would they have asked for a star in that role? Hollywood has been around for a hundred years, yet there are very few persons of color in executive positions at the major studios who can “green light” a film. There still isn’t anyone to whom I can pitch a project who looks like me, relates to me nor fully understands the American Latino experience.

People have said that Obama is president because the country wants change. I say that Obama is president because the country has already changed. In part, filmmakers like Spike Lee and Will Smith have been catalysts for this change. It’s time for Hollywood to be the change agent again. Great films can be written by, directed by and star American Latinos.

These opportunities in Hollywood can now exist for us too. With the Latino community growing faster than the U.S. Census can measure, Hollywood and independent investors need look no further for the next financial sweet spot. The American Latino film community is primed for success on every level — creative, social and financial.

Franc. Reyes is the writer/director of several motion pictures including The Ministers, Illegal Tender, and Empire. Tonight, The Creative Coalition hosts a gathering with Hollywood leadership to discuss the issue.

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11 Responses to “Director Franc. Reyes: State of Latinos in Hollywood”

  1. Goddess says:
    August 3, 2010 at 9:51 pm

    American latinos don’t get a fair shake in Hollywood!!!!!!!!! It’s not about putting labels on each other it’s just how they c us period (HOLLYWOOD). Great movies r universal if the touch your soul GREAT!!!!!!! If u don’t like someone’s movie thats your prerogative plus @ that point do you really care who directed it !!!! Oh wait yes u do!!!!!Once we find out it’s an american latino let’s whip out the nail’s and the crucifix cuz that’s what we do best talk shit about anybody trying 2 make a difference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    But until u walked a mile in their shoes u should just shut up!!!!

  2. Willie says:
    March 8, 2010 at 2:16 am

    People may have already supported him, but he doesn’t support anyone. How about coming down a notch or two? Humility goes a long way. Screaming all this stuff is not helpful.

  3. Umberto says:
    December 14, 2009 at 8:28 pm

    Richard,

    What are you talking about, CUARON makes movies in the US, DEL TORO makes movies in the US, KENNY ORTEGA makes movies in the US, “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL”????, INARRITU “21 GRAMS” & “BABEL”????

    What about Joaquin Phoenix? he is Puerto Rican!!!

    I am rooting for you, I want you and people that look like me, to get their movies made, I am just saying that the best way to do that is to make great movies!

    Denzel and Will Smith and Spike Lee aren’t good because they are black! They’re just GOOD.

    I’ll watch the ministers on DVD and if its good! I will go see another Franc Reyes movie, and that’s why I didn’t go to the theaters to see THE MINISTERS in the first place, cause I ran to see ILLEGAL TENDER and it disappointed, so I didn’t run to see the ministers.

    After Pulp fiction I ran to see Jackie Brown, and I didn’t like it! So I didn’t run to see Tarantino’s next one either.

    Directors have hits and misses, Hey Coppola made the Godfather, he also made YOUTH WITHOUT YOUTH, wait! Let me guess! you’ve never heard of it? DO YOU KNOW WHY YOU HAVEN’T… CAUSE IT SUCKED!!!!!!!!! And nobody in HOLLYWOOD IS TOUCHING IT WITH A TEN FOOT POLE

    Doesn’t mean that they are discriminating against Coppola and it doesn’t mean that I wont watch any more Coppola films, all I am saying is don’t use the discrimination excuse to hide bad work!

    You know what the loudest ROAR is? A tough BITE!!! Speak softly and carry a big stick, ever heard that saying!

    Good work will speak for itself! And so will bad work!

    I will go see FALLING AWAKE because the trailer looks awesome, and if it’s good then I will run to his next one, and if it SUCKS, then AGUSTIN needs to get back to the drawing board and win me back. These guys are out there representing all of us, and we better demand! That they represent us RIGHT, where im from we have a saying “COME CORRECT or DON’T COME AT ALL”

    And that’s all I am saying. I want Franc and Agustin to be great, to be examples of what we can accomplish, but if they ain’t, if they get a chance to get up to bat and they BUNT, that is not every LATINOS fault!

    Some of us are doing GREAT everywhere. Can I get an AMEN for SOTOMAYOR! Supreme court JUSTICE!!!

    And you know what LUIZ GUZMAN IS not a JOKE, HE IS THE MAN! And you know why. Cause that dude has quietly made over 100 films! 100!!!!! So, if you’re new jack on the scene with 3 films to your name, dont be acting like you’re kurosawa!

    Just keep making movies! And let the work speak for itself

    You know why you are fearful of making your movie, because making movies is HARD! So good! take your fear! and use all that energy and make sure that motherfucker is the best dam script ever written, fucking better than CASABLANCA! And then I promise you I will be your number one fan! I will be running to your movies! And anybody that tells me anything about it, will get an earful from me!

    MAS PODER, MENOS BEMBA!!!!

    GOD BLESS!

  4. Ernesto Rivera says:
    December 14, 2009 at 2:38 pm

    I don’t understand what the real complain is? Is it that we don’t have latino leading men like we did back in the days? IF so why is that? I see a lot of Franc Reyes saying “Latinos don’t get a fair shake” in Hollywood. Really? I agree that there is still a lot more work to be done as latino actors, writers and producers but that we are not in Hollywood is straight up bulls**t.

    I’ve seen all of Franc’s movies and none of them really made me connect with him. I grew up in Fordham Rd and just cause some dude from the South Bronx thinks he can direct doesn’t make it so. EMPIRE was just another drug dealer movie paint it however you want that’s exactly what it was. That movie took forever to come out cause I remember when they were shooting it. Then came Illegal Tender which to me was just so disappointing, the story was cheesy and so were most of the performances and again I blame that on the director cause I like Wanda De Jesus and Rick Gonzalez but that movie was unwatchable. Then we have the block buster hit “The Ministers” which made less money than I spent last week at the club. Here’s my take on this Franc makes whack movies and at some point people are gonna realize it or then again they already did. He seems very militant and in front of your face people smile at you but when they walk away all they see is another angry Latino. That’s really going to make a Studio open up their doors to the angry Latino. Just cause you have Leguizamo and Keitel in your movie that doesn’t make it a hit as we saw by the box office numbers. I agree with Umberto suck it up and make movies we actually will pay to see. I don’t go to the movies just to see Latinos. I go to the movies to see a good movie. First it’s about Latinos then Troche gives us clarity that no it’s not about Latinos because all the Latinos Umberto mention don’t really count it’s about “American Latinos” oh ok I get it let’s keep categorizing ourselves and putting labels on our people to continue to divide us. Great job guys. I for sure will never spend another dime on a Franc with a period Reyes movie. They really are not that good and I can guarantee you Leguizamo will never do a movie again with this Militant latino. People get tired of hearing you whine and bitch, work and let your work talk for you.

  5. Richard Troche says:
    December 14, 2009 at 1:07 pm

    I just like to respond to Mr. Umberto’s opinion on Francs article.
    The list you made is mainly a lot of Latin based films from Latin countries with the exception of Gregory Nava and Robert Rodriguez.
    I think what Franc is trying to do is open the gates for American Latinos so we may be accepted more by Hollywood executives.

    The black community didn’t get were there at now by staying quite, I think what you said (I see a bunch of kick ass Latinos, quietly taking over Hollywood, with Great work!) Doesn’t cut it we need a voice a lion that’s going to roar, not quietly take over Hollywood and I think Franc Is the only one who has the balls to get up in front of them and call them on there bluff.

    I spoke at the Latino Film Festival (Before the Ministers came out) at the CNN Latino event and the SAG event, I told them that I was a first time screen writer and hopefully director one day, I touch on the fear of making my first screen play into a film and watch it get shelved like Urban Latino movies I saw coming from LA. Luis Guzman and Rosie Perez stated that we are not being taking seriously in Hollywood we are a Joke to them. I also brought up a conversation between me and an African American friend, I told my friend that I was fear full of writing about an all Latino cast script because I was afraid that Hollywood would not take me seriously and shelve nor look at my script.

    My friend stated maybe you should make the Antagonist White and the Protagonist Hispanic that way you can get a Mark Walberg to play opposite and they would except that.
    Needless to say I caused an up roar at the Festival with that question everyone disagreed and stated follow your heart with the all Latino base cast.

    I think that Franc is trying to bring up the same point I made at the Conference, the point is Acceptance of American Latino base movies with Latino American Characters.

    I think we should support our Latino American made movies like The Ministers, Falling Awake because these movies are about us these movies are our stories and Hollywood shouldn’t make our stories with out us.

    RT

  6. Umberto says:
    December 12, 2009 at 10:11 pm

    I am sorry but I completely disagree. I think this entire write up is a disgrace and disrespect to the MANY Latino filmmakers who are out there kicking butt every day. Do I really have to sit here and write a list to open everyone’s eyes? FINE, I will:

    ALEJANDRO GONZALEZ INARRITU – OSCAR NOMINATED, broke into film with the LOW BUDGET SPANISH LANGUAGE FILM “AMORES PERROS”

    ALFONSO CUARON – OSCAR NOMINATED 3 times!!! Has been doing his thing since “Great Expectations” and still makes low budget SPANISH language movies on his time off! “Y Tu Mama Tambien” anybody?

    ROBERT RODRIGUEZ – THIS GUY IS SO AWESOME HE IS HIS OWN STUDIO!!! Broke in the film business with the 7 thousand dollar MARIACHI, reportedly sold his own blood to blood banks to raise the money. His CURRENT MOVIE is CALLED “MACHETE” can you get more Latino than that!

    GUILLERMO DEL TORO – One word, GENIUS, this guy won an Oscar for “Pan’s Labyrinth” an Oscar nominated movie he made IN SPANISH! right after filming the Hollywood blockbuster HELLBOY!

    GREGORY NAVA- Remember SELENA, he is still killing it,

    ALEJANDRO CHOMSKI – Discovered in Sundance with a Spanish Language film! He made FEEL THE NOISE and has another Film in development.

    KENNY ORTEGA – HIGH SCHOOL MUSCIAL YO!!! Doesn’t get more Hollywood than that!

    AGUSTIN – has a film coming out with IFC, TWO MORE IN DEVELOPMENT and just won 2 Emmy’s for a SPANISH LANGUAGE SERIES. oh yeah and his first film was an ultra low budget comedy, IN SPANISH!

    RICARDO DE MONTREUIL – blasted on the scene with his SPANISH LANGUAGE MOVIE “La Mujer de Mi Hermano” distributed by LIONS GATE, just wrapped one called “Mancora” which MAYA DISTRIBUTION ALSO FUCKED UP. He is a prominent Commercial director and has another Film in development.

    PEDRO ALMODOVAR – THIS MAESTRO of cinema, is a recognized talent everywhere in Hollywood and the WORLD!!!, and could get any movie greenlit! just by farting out an idea. HE IS THAT GOOD! fuck woody ALLEN this guy is the SOURCE! and guess what, ALL HIS MOVIES ARE IN SPANISH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I could go on and on.

    There is amazing, Talented Latinos working all over Hollywood. and to ignore that because some other people are having a hard time getting their movies made, is INSULTING!
    I am sure there are a lot of white people, and black people, and Asian people who can’t get a movie made either, and maybe it isn’t their race, it’s their Script!

    I have never seen “The Ministers”, so I won’t comment, but I saw “Illegal Tender”, and I am sorry to admit it, but I was embarrassed. Am I the only one that has the guts to say it. that movie was horrible! bad acting, bad directing, bad writing and it didn’t put LATINOS in the most positive light either. Maybe THAT’S why Franc can’t get a movie made, just like Matty Rich couldn’t get fired after he made “the STINKWELL”

    I am a PROUD LATINO, and I see it differently. I see a bunch of kick ass Latinos, quietly taking over Hollywood, with Great work! and at the end of the day, I think that is the only thing anybody cares about. GREAT MOVIES!

    Everybody stood up and cheered for “CITY OF GOD”, a movie about DARK SKIN LATINO KIDS FROM BRAZIL, because it was brilliant!

    SOUL PLANE? NOT SO BRILLIANT, maybe Hollywood is discriminating Jessy also? or maybe, he got the chance of a lifetime, a chance other people, of all races, can only dream about, a chance to direct a movie with a multi-million dollar budget and the movie he made sucked!

    I don’t want just any Latino movie to get made, I want GREAT LATINO movies to get made. So I can be proud of them, and if the business is hard to break in to, and difficult to succeed in. Then suck it up, and make BETTER movies, and that’s that! Cause ain’t nobody hiring VAL LIK neither and he is NOT LATINO, he just can’t direct!

  7. LFCadmin says:
    December 11, 2009 at 10:44 am

    I agree with all of you guys. Thanks for checking out LatinoFilmchatter.com and putting in your two cents. :) good stuff.

  8. John Estrada says:
    December 10, 2009 at 10:32 am

    I happen to work at one of the major studios, and it is very frustrating because the American Latino market is considered a niche market to the marketers/production development peeps. And what’s even more challenging is that theatrical distribution is probably more unreachable for an indie film that is developed/produced outside of the studio system. And then what? Latino film festivals are not viable markets for indie Latino films – so it is time to start putting on thinking caps and really look at alternative distribution options. Our films just can’t rely on Latino audiences. They must crossover. Which is certainly why Franc is frustrated, because his movies hit mutliple audiences. But it takes marketig dollars (millions) to really create an impact nowadays. Thanks Franc for writing this, and thanks Casper for posting this article. This is a crisis situation. Serioulsy.

  9. Israel Marrero says:
    December 10, 2009 at 7:19 am

    Franc, is a hundred percent correct. But it all starts with us banding together to support each others work. Then when this occurs. Others will take notice.

    God Bless,
    Israel Marrero

  10. Liza Marie says:
    December 9, 2009 at 11:39 pm

    Franc… you did it again!!! Sad to see that nothing has changed, am so proud that you are shaking things up. Hoping that change comes faster!!

    Much Love and Respect,
    Liza Marie (One Love)

  11. AGUSTIN says:
    December 9, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    Franc,

    I agree with you on so many levels, that my response here could easily be several paragraphs of cheer-leading your efforts.

    but there really is nothing more eloquent I can add to your piece than what you have already written.

    You are right! We are not divided, We all went into the theaters to see a puerto rican play a mexican in a film directed by an american born latino of BASQUE decent.

    ALL WE NEED TO DO IS KEEP MAKING GOOD MOVIES! AND WHEN FILM-MAKERS LIKE YOURSELF MAKE THEM (the ministers) WE NEED TO BE VORACIOUS ABOUT CONSUMING THEM!

    STAY THE COURSE! THEY WILL GET THE MESSAGE! STAY THE COURSE!.

    THIS IS From a CUBAN JEW who is dating a MEXICAN, who are both FANS of a PUERTO RICAN DIRECTOR from the BRONX, OF A COLOMBIAN STAR from QUEENS!

    Keep rocking brothe

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