Cesar to star in a Hollywood movie

Yes, you read it right: Cesar Montano is starring in a Hollywood movie together with Benjamin Bratt (former boyfriend of Julia Roberts and who recently married actress Talisa Soto) as lead actor. The movie, titled The Great Raid, is based upon a novel about the rescue of some 500 American POWs (Prisoners of War) from a camp in Cabanatuan City during World War II.

In the movie, to be directed by John Dahl, Cesar will play a guerilla leader named Pajota, the meatiest and juiciest of the 19 roles to be played by Filipino talents, complete with speaking lines in several scenes with Bratt (as the leader of the American rescue team).

"Cesar is as good as in," said Jun Juban who is the local coordinator of the project slated to start shooting sometime in late July or early August. "He’s the top contender for the role (for which Lou Diamond Philips, who’s part-Filipino, was initially considered but not actually offered). It’s only a matter of formal negotiations now between Cesar’s manager (Norma Japitana) and the Miramax people."

Dozens of movie and theater actors have been auditioning for the (other) roles, including Jomari Yllana, Ricky Davao, Albert Martinez, Julio Diaz, Piolo Pascual, Tirso Cruz III and Raymond Bagatsing. It’s not final yet who will play the other roles.

The Great Raid is only one of three Hollywood movies about the Philippine role in the World War II. The two others are Fertig (reportedly retitled They Fought Alone), starring Brad Pitt, to be directed by David Fincher (Seven, etc.) and produced by Sony-Columbia; and The Ghost Soldiers (also about the POW rescue in Cabanatuan City), starring Tom Cruise and produced by Steven Spielberg’s Dreamworks in collaboration with Universal Pictures, but delayed by the search for a director.

"Part of The Great Raid will be shot in the Philippines," according to Jun Juban, "and the rest in Australia and maybe China. Negotiations are going on for the shooting of the other scenes to be done here, instead of China."

As I’ve been saying, these to-be-made-in-RP Hollywood movies should give a big boost to our tourism industry (is that why Tourism Secretary Dick Gordon is grinning from ear to ear?). Actually, the Philippines has been a favorite setting/location of Hollywood movies from way, way back and it’s up to our government now to revive the country’s reputation as such – The "Hollywood of Asia."

Thank you, Mayor Lito!

A few issues ago, Funfare congratulated Lipa City Mayor Vilma Santos for being the first mayor ever to approve a municipal ordinance reducing the amusement tax by 50 percent (from 30 percent to 15 percent), a shot-in-the-arm-for-the-industry move initiated by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza.

The good news is that yesterday the Manila City Council enacted an ordinance reducing the rate of amusement taxes on Filipino Movies from 30 percent to 15 percent.

The enacted ordinance was jointly authorized by Councilor Miles Roces, Councilor Pacifico D. Laxa, majority floor leader Marlon M. Lacson, old member of the majority group and the minority group in the City Council together with Vice Mayor Danilo B. Lacuna.

The expeditous action by the City Council is in respect to the firm commitment made by Mayor Lito to producers of Filipino movies to assist them in the effort to produce quality movies and help turn the movies industry into a robust business.

The ordinance, aside from slashing by one-half the rate of amusement taxes, likewise provides that the 15 percent discount granted shall be shared by producers and theater owners at the rate of 80 percent and 20 percent respectively.

Present during the final hearing yesterday morning were Viva Films’ Vic del Rosario, Joyce Jimenez, Vincent del Rosario, (head of Viva Films and Records) and June Torrejon, PAMI President.