EXCLUSIVE: Richie Adams (The Road Dance) has set cast for Pedro Pan, a historical thriller based on true events that he will direct. Slated to begin production in Mexico in early November, the film will star Emmy winner Néstor Carbonell (Shogun), Allen Leech (Downton Abbey), Danny Pino (Mayans MC), Paz Vega (Spanglish), and Oscar nominee Andy García (Father of the Bride).
Set in the aftermath of Fidel Castro’s Cuban revolution, Pedro Pan dramatizes one of the largest child rescue missions in modern history. The film follows a Cuban socialite, an English schoolteacher, and an Irish Catholic priest in Miami who spearhead a daring operation to help more than 14,000 children escape communist indoctrination and start new lives in America — evading Castro’s secret police at every turn.
The real-life Operation Pedro Pan took place between 1960 and 1962, when Cuban parents — fearing the indoctrination of their children under Castro’s regime — sent them to the United States in a clandestine program supported by the Catholic Church and the US government. The children arrived without their parents, with little more than a suitcase, before being placed with relatives, foster families, or Catholic charities. It remains the largest recorded child refugee exodus in the Western Hemisphere.
Today, the legacy of the exodus lives on through the Operation Pedro Pan Group, a nonprofit created by former Pedro Pan children to preserve the history of the program and sponsor similar programs that help children in need, regardless of race and religion.
Adams and Bart Gavigan (End of the Spear, Mouth of Hell) penned the script from a story created by composer Carlos José Alvarez (Cocaine Cowboys: The Kings of Miami). Steve Shapiro (Find Me Falling, The November Man), Adams, Alvarez, and Liz and Ken Whitney (Tommy’s Honor, The Mongoose) are producing, with Luisa Gómez de Silva (All Is Lost, Saw X) to provide production services. David Frankel (The Devil Wears Prada, Marley & Me) and Brent Miller (I Carry You With Me, Before We Forget) are serving as executive producers.
“Pedro Pan tells a story of courage, sacrifice, and hope that resonates far beyond Cuba and America — it’s a universal story about family and freedom,” said Alvarez, the son of two Cuban exiled children who were part of this operation.
Adams added, “I’m humbled to bring this chapter of history to the screen with such an extraordinary cast, whose talent and authenticity will bring depth and truth to these roles. With the participation of Cuban actors at the heart of this project, we aim to honor the community’s lived experiences and bring this incredible story to a global audience.”
Recently won his first Emmy for his guest role of Vasco Rodrigues in Shogun, Carbonell is part of Apple’s main cast The Morning Show, which is heading into its fifth season, and was also recently seen in Netflix’s medical drama Pulse. Upcoming, he’ll be seen in Netflix’s The Rip and Searchlight’s Ready or Not: Here I Come. He is repped by Independent Artist Group, Thruline Entertainment, and Felker Toczek Suddlson.
Best known for his role of Tom Branson in the Downton Abbey franchise, Leech’s other major credits include The Imitation Game and Bohemian Rhapsody. He is repped by Untitled Entertainment, The Way and Felker Toczek Suddleson.
Pino starred in FX’s Mayans MC and has also recently been seen on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and Hotel Cocaine. He is repped by Gersh and manager Geordie Frey.
Vega is known for titles like Sex and Lucia, Spanish, The Messenger and The OA, among many others. She is repped by Orson Salazar at Pro Aicos in Spain, along with Do Mgmt, Paradigm, and Management Production Entertainment.
An Oscar nominee, Garcia’s recent credits include Eenie Meanie, Landman, Pain Hustlers and The Expendables 4. Upcoming, he has Maserati: The Brothers, the David Mamet-penned The Prince, and more. He is repped by CAA and Linden Entertainment.
Adams’ past filmmaking credits include the comedy Inventing Adam, drama Of Mind and Music with Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, the documentary Dog Man, and period drama The Road Dance.
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