Castro's Daughter is an upcoming biographical drama film about Alina Fernandez, the illegitimate daughter of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro. It was directed by Miguel Bardem and written by Jose Rivera, Nilo Cruz and Robert Moresco, based on Fernandez's 1997 memoir Alina: Memorias de la hija rebelde de Fidel Castro. James Franco stars as Castro. Other cast members include Ana Villafañe as Fernandez, Mia Maestro, María Cecilia Botero, Alana de la Rosa, Charlotte de Casabianca, and Rafael Ernesto Hernandez.
Contents
Premise
The film tells the history of Alina Fernandez, the illegitimate daughter of Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, and her hard years living in the shadow of her father.
Cast
James Franco as Fidel Castro
Ana Villafañe as Alina Fernandez
Kenzie Collazo as Young Alina
Mia Maestro as Natalia Revuelta
Alana de la Rosa
María Cecilia Botero
Rafael Ernesto Hernandez as Raul Castro
Charlotte de Casabianca as Mari Paz
Production
The film was in development in early 2007. Actors linked to this production include Daniel Bruhl, Paz Vega, Jordi Molla and Mia Maestro. In 2020 the project resurfaced. In 2022 James Franco came on as lead.
Filming began in August 2022 in Bogotá, Colombia.
Controversy
The casting of James Franco as Fidel Castro generated controversy from figures like Jessica Darrow and Ana Navarro after John Leguizamo criticized it stating in an Instagram post "I don't got a prob with Franco but he ain't Latino!". In response, producer John Martinez O’Felan said Leguizamo's comments "are culturally uneducated and a blind attack with zero substance related to this project."