Francisco Joel Mendoza's Jenni Rivera biopic will move forward.
The Mexican director held open auditions back in April in Dallas and Houston to find the protagonist of the film. During the auditions, the director asked the candidates to sing, dance and act for him. He also asked for children and men and said that anyone from the ages of 5 to 99 years of age could audition.
He added that he did not care if the actor had experience or not and did not care if he or she was illegal in the US. He stated that if the candidate looked and acted the part, production would help the prospective actor obtain a visa.
Mendoza plans on filming the movie in Texas shortly after he casts the whole film.
The Rivera family has another biopic planned, with Alicia Machado slated to star as "La Diva de La Banda," that is currently in pre-production.
The family and Mendoza had an argument about the rights to the film this past March. The family members stated that they were the only individuals who had the rights to make the film and that they did not know whether Jenni had ever met Mendoza. They asserted that Rivera's sister Rosie never authorized the director to make a movie about her.
Mendoza responded to the message by calling the family's film "a complete fiasco."
Mendoza is known for his work on Mexican regional music videos and has an exclusive contract with Sony Music. He also directed the independent film "El Precio de la Fama o Fanatismo Implacable." Recently he stated that he would love to work with Lupillo Rivera on a Traditional "Ranchero" film, similar to those of Vicente Fernandez and Pedro Infante. He also added that he has a film planned with rappers Don Omar and Daddy Yankee.
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