Gina Rodriguez is stepping behind the camera for her feature directorial debut with the boxing drama House of Guerrero, which has begun production in Los Angeles and California's Imperial Valley. Rodriguez is also producing and starring in the film, joined in the cast by Carlos Sanson Jr. (Bump), Rosario Dawson (Ashoka) and George Lopez (Lopez vs. Lopez).
The script comes from Bernardo Cubría (Acapulco), based on an original story he co-developed with Rodriguez. The film follows a once-promising young boxer working to return to the ring and reclaim the life he once hoped to build. Fight choreography for the project is being led by Clayton J. Barber (Creed III) and Eric Brown (John Wick: Chapter 3 — Parabellum).
Producers on House of Guerrero include Scott Budnick and Ameet Shukla for 1Community, Molly Breeskin for Rodriguez's I Can And I Will Productions, and Justin Baldoni and Andrew Calof for Wayfarer Studios. The film is being co-financed by Wayfarer Studios, 1Community, HarbourView Media Group and Clare LoCicero, with tax credit financing provided by Three Point Capital.
The project marks the first time Baldoni and Rodriguez have worked together since starring as onscreen love interests Rafael Solano and Jane Villanueva on ABC's Jane the Virgin. It is also the first major project Baldoni has announced since he and Blake Lively reached a settlement in the legal dispute tied to their time together on Sony's 2024 hit It Ends With Us. Last week, Baldoni posted an Instagram video of himself hugging Rodriguez on the first day of preproduction, captioning it, "God is good."
"The level of talent Gina has assembled for House of Guerrero is truly exceptional," said Calof, Wayfarer Studios' president of production and development. "We're only a few days into shooting, and you can already feel the laughter, the love and the raw emotion coming through in these performances. This is a film that will have audiences on their feet cheering. With Gina at the helm, we're in the hands of a true filmmaker with a remarkable vision and instinct for storytelling. More exciting casting news is coming soon!"
Budnick added, "Latinos have always been a powerful force in boxing, as passionate fans and as champions who have shaped the sport. It was vital to us to tell a story that felt both authentic and deeply respectful of the enormous impact Latinos have had on boxing. That authenticity starts with the cast, and it's a tremendous honor to welcome Gina, Carlos, George and Rosario to the Guerrero family."
Executive producers include Steve Sarowitz and Jamey Heath for Wayfarer, and Sherrese Clarke and Niija Kuykendall for HarbourView Media Group, along with LoCicero and Alice S. Kim. UTA Independent Film Group is handling worldwide sales.
Sanson is represented by M88 and United Management. Dawson is repped by CAA and Untitled. Lopez is repped by UTA and 3Arts Management, while Rodriguez is represented by WME.
Photo: Photo from www.lukeford.net, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
