EXCLUSIVE: Cameras have rolled on The Ballad Of Hortensia, a body swap comedy from Premiere Entertainment set in El Salvador, starring Francisco Gattorno (Julian Schnabel’s Before Night Falls) and Helena Haro (Black Warrant).
Arturo Menendez (Malacrianza) is directing the pic from a screenplay by Javier Reyna, based on a story by Yudice and Menendez. Julio Yudice, best known in El Salvador for his satirical portrayal of an indigenous woman known as La Tenchis, also stars.
Plot follows the life of a narcissistic male comedian (Yudice) who wakes up in the opposite sex body following an automobile accident. The fantasy comedy is being produced by Elias Axume with Carlos Rincon and Lizzy Gonzalez serving as executive producers for Premiere Entertainment. Marvin Galeas is the associate producer.
The pic continues Premiere’s work in El Salvador, following Fireflies at El Mozote, a Salvadoran civil war epic co-produced with Bob Yari (Crash, Yellowstone), which is in post-production and is in development. The company is also in development on the Salvadoran espionage thriller Curfew.
Lead Gattorno has been a fixture as a leading man in Mexican soap operas for over 25 years, with the latest being El Señor de los Cielos and La Desalmada. Haro is best known for her recurring role in the Amazon series El Juego de las Llaves and will be seen in the upcoming crime thriller Desert Dawn starring Kellan Lutz.
Premiere’s slate includes rom-com Plan B, starring Jon Heder; supernatural thriller Nefarious, which grossed $5.4MM at the US box office; the action superhero Sri Asih, released on Disney+ in Asia; and murder mystery What Remains, starring Kellan Lutz and Anne Heche.