Michael Brook has scored the upcoming biopic Chavez. The movie is helmed by actor-turned director Diego Luna (Abel) and stars Michael Pena as Cesar E. Chavez and follows the Mexican-American labor leader as he organizes the largest non-violent protest in U.S. history to accomplish his ultimate goal of obtaining basic human rights for over 50,000 farm workers in California. America Ferrera stars as his wife, Helen Chavez and Rosario Dawson portrays Dolores Huerta who co-founded the United Farm Workers of America. Wes Bentley, Gabriel Mann, Michael Cudlitz, Jacob Vargas, Yancey Arias and Mark Moses are co-starring. Keir Pearson (Hotel Rwanda) has written the screenplay. Luna is producing the Canana Films production with Gael Garcia Bernal & Pablo Cruz (Miss Bala), alongside John Malkovich, Lianne Halfon & Russell Smith (Juno, Young Adult) for Mr. Mudd, as well as Pearson and Larry Meli. Brook has previously scored last year’s The Perks of Being a Wallflower for Mr. Mudd. Participant Media has picked up domestic rights for Chavez. No release date has been announced yet.
Also coming up for the composer whose credits include such titles as The Fighter, Into the Wild and The Vow is the indie comedy Cas & Dylan. The film marks the narrative directorial debut of actor Jason Priestley (Beverly Hills, 90210) and stars Richard Dreyfuss as a dying man whose plans to check out on his own terms takes a reluctant detour when he winds up on the lam with a young woman. Tatiana Maslany, Eric Peterson and Aaron Poole are also starring. Jessie Gabe (Being Erica) has written the script and Mark Montefiore (Picnicface, Eating Buccaneers) is producing the project. No word yet on a release date.
