Cast members, filming schedule announced for From Prada to Nada

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Alert Janeite Cinthia let us know that new cast members (different from those previously announced) have been announced for From Prada to Nada, an adaptation of Sense and Sensibility set in the modern-day Latino community in Los Angeles. Fina Torres is still directing. Filming begins November 2. The Hollywood Reporter article has this description of the film:

“From Prada to Nada” will portray two spoiled sisters left penniless after their father’s sudden death and forced to move in with their estranged aunt in East Los Angeles. There they find romance and love for their culture.

Announced cast members are Adriana Barrazza, one presumes as the aunt; Camilla Belle, one presumes as the Elinor character; Alexa Vega of Spy Kids fame, one presumes as the Marianne character; Wilmer Valderrama of That 70s Show fame, who we first thought from his real-life reputation would be a good Willoughby, but considering the ages of the principals we now fear suspect will be Brandon; and Kuno Becker, who is certainly good-looking enough to be Willoughby, but we suppose could also be Edward.

We fear our sweet little independent film with a cast of fresh-faced unknowns has been sacrificed to Mammon. Cinthia also pointed out that Videocine, the film branch of Televisa, a huge Mexican broadcasting corporation, has been added to the production companies, a company best known for Mexican soap operas. However, fingers are crossed. Let’s see what happens.

8 thoughts on “Cast members, filming schedule announced for From Prada to Nada”

  2. Baja Janeite

    This movie idea has so much potential! ☺

    With the financial crisis devastating so many Mexicans, I still think that the film should take place here in Mexico. (Picture Elena and Mariana living in a Cabo San Lucas mansion built into the cliffs on the Pacific but who are reduced to living in a two bedroom adobe house on their cousin’s ranch.) It could have been so credible.

    Mexico still has distinct socio-economic classes and manners. Ambitious Mexican-Americans can more easily move up on the economic/education scale. Mexican-American Elena and Mariana could get degrees, work hard and live the American dream. I don’t think that I am going to feel nearly as sorry for these L.A. sisters as I would have for two Mexican sisters. Oh well, maybe the next generation will make a Mexicanized version- I wonder if Andrew Davies or Sandy Welch speak Spanish…

    Question for Cinthia: Are you concerned about Televisa getting involved? Las novelas here are not very good quality (are they anywhere?) but there are former Mexican soap actors like Eduardo Verástegui who have gone on to make great movies. “Bella,” for example,was a splendid movie. ¡Mil gracias!

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    • Cinthia

      Yes, “Baja”, I am really concerned about Televisa’s involvement. I know that there is hardly any country where soap-operas excellent (though there might be a few ‘telenovelas’ which are honourable exceptions) and as you say, there are also some good actors who started their careers in soap-operas, so it is not that what worries me. It is that Televisa is not a company in general interested on quality, but on vulgarity and coarse programms, what ever pleases or idiotize the great unwashed, so that is why I found that it might not be a particular good choice for a little indie movie. Let us hope that I might be proved wrong in my distrust.

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  3. Sylvia M.

    Is this film going to be in spanish with subtitles or in english? For example the film Bride and Prejudice is in english, but the Bollywood S&S is in a different language.

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  4. Baja Janeite

    Thanks, Cinthia. I always appreciate your input on these things.☺

    It looks like the main actors are all bilingual, so I hope that some of the lines are in Spanish! It could really make the movie quite fun.

    Although Spanish is not my first language, I have learned to love the
    idioms and unique sayings that make Spanish so rich.

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  5. Ok, a few more news on this film and I found it on a most strange source, a sports newspaper in Mexico called Record (and I’m afraid the report is in Spanish) so I will only provide a few details.

    Here is the link:
    http://www.record.com.mx/circo/from-prada-to-nada-de-ricas-a-mendigas-18112009.html

    According to this the filming has indeed started with locations in Monterrey, state of Nuevo Léon, Mexico (Monterrey is the third most important city in Mexico). Cast and crew will be there until December 18 or 20. From then on, they are going to film in LA.

    Besides casting changes, I also missed noticing that director Fina Torres is no longer on board either :(. In replacemente is Ángel Gracia, a new-comer, but also apparently from Venezuela as Ms. Torres.

    Last but not least, it has indeed been conffirmed that Adriana Barraza is Aunt Aurelia. However there is no information about who is who among the younger cast.

    There was one question about language and in that newspaper article it is being said that the cast has been required to speak “Spanglish”.

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