Cesar might meg a Hollywood indie

MALIBU, California — Of course, as we all know, Cesar Montano has done a real Hollywood movie, The Great Raid (2005), in which he played a role (as a Filipino guerilla) bigger than those of his co-stars James Franco and Sam Worthington, both of whom have become big stars, the former nominated for a Best Actor Oscar (27 Hours) and the latter a topbiller in the James Cameron monster hit Avatar. (Yes, James and Sam remember Cesar very well. When I interviewed them separately, James in Tokyo for SpiderMan 3 in 2007 and Sam in Sydney for Avatar in 2009, they asked me to extend their “best regards” to Cesar; with Sam good-humoredly commenting, “I wanted to play the role [in The Great Raid] that Cesar played.”)

There hasn’t been any follow-up to The Great Raid but “something big” is in store for Cesar that could finally lead to the fulfillment of his rudely-interrupted Hollywood dream.

I uncovered it by chance when immigration lawyer Jemela Nettles and Tim Evans (of the US Immigration) brought me to this seaside paradise which happens to be the residence of the rich and famous (among them Barbra Streisand and her husband James Brolin who played Daria Ramirez’s husband in Legacy, the movie which Star Cinema co-produced with a Hollywood outfit).

Cesar plays the henpecked husband of Iza Calzado in the GMA sitcom Andres de Saya, an adaptation of Carlo J. Caparas’ hit movie series that starred Gloria Diaz and the late Vic Vargas, airing starting next Saturday, May 28. Photos by VER PAULINO

When Cesar, who was with his wife Sunshine Cruz and their daughter Angelina, told us “to drop by,” I didn’t know that he was meeting with Marty Katz who owns an independent company. It was Katz who produced The Great Raid. He was also the supervising producer of Titanic. His other recent productions include Reindeer Games (directed by John Frankenheimer, starring Ben Affleck and Charlize Theron) and The Four Feathers.

We politely said no to Cesar’s invitation for Tim, Jemela and me to join him, Katz and Sunshine at their table at an Italian resto (so they could discuss important matters “in private”) and we settled at an outdoor table, leisurely taking bites of our sandwiches and downing them with sugar-free sodas while watching beautiful people go by, so many of them that I told Tim and Jemela in jest, “Mukhang walang pangit dito, a.”

After Katz left, Cesar and Sunshine treated us to scoops of ice-cream at a nearby kiosk and that’s where Cesar let us in on what he and Katz talked about.

Cesar revealed only “a part” of his and Katz’s plans that include Cesar initially directing a Hollywood indie titled Getting To America which is written by Donald Martin (one of this current projects is Henry Matesse with Al Pacino in the title role). Martin wrote a story about a Filipino migrating to America.

“Donald wants me to direct it,” said Cesar. “We’re thinking of Michael Madsen to play the lead, with a young Filipino actor as co-star. I will play a cameo as the adviser to Madsen’s character. We plan to shoot it in Manila, with me also as line-producer.”

Then Martin will co-write a story with Cesar.

“What I have in mind is Sacada, my dream project, which is about the early Filipino settlers in Hawaii, working as pineapple and sugarcane planters. It’s a true story set in the ‘20s and it touches on a labor dispute that leads to a massacre which became known as the Hanapepe Massacre. Four American cops died in that massacre, along with 24 Filipino workers. It’s a sensational story.”

Cesar and his wife Sunshine share spoonfuls of ice cream at a kiosk in Malibu after Cesar’s meeting with Katz. — Photos by VER PAULINO

Cesar won’t reveal what the third project is.

“Confidential,” he said.

Suffice it to say that “the third project” will have Cesar collaborating with Katz.

Meanwhile, Cesar is busy with his new GMA sitcom, Andres de Saya, which is adapted from the hit movie series by Carlo J. Caparas about a henpecked husband. Cesar and Iza Calzado reprise the roles played by Gloria Diaz and the late Vic Vargas in the movies.

It’s a welcome breather for Cesar who marked his return to the Kapuso Network with action-adventure Ilumina (with Aljur Abrenica).

“Comedy is not new to me,” said Cesar who used to star in sitcoms with Maricel Soriano for the Kapamilya Network.

Directed by Cesar Cosme, Andres de Saya also stars Gloria Romero, Caridad Sanchez, Iwa Moto, Mike “Pekto” Nacua, Fabio Ide, Elmo Magalona, Chariz Solomon and Jillian Ward.

It will start airing next Saturday, May 28, after 24 Oras.

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