In a career breakthrough move, relative unknown Gabriel Chavarria has been chosen to star in the untitled lowrider project from Universal Pictures, Blumhouse Productions and Imagine Entertainment.
The actor has closed a deal to join Oscar-nominated actor Demian Bichir in the inspirational drama that is set in the youth culture of East Los Angeles’ world of lowrider cars and street tagging.
Chavarria will play Danny, a teen caught between his traditional father (Bichir) and his estranged gangbanger brother, Ghost, who are both competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.”
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Ricardo de Montreuil is directing the movie, which shoots this spring in the L.A. area.
Imagine’s Brian Grazer will produce with Blumhouse’s Jason Blum. Kim Roth and Alexandre Dauman will oversee the project for Imagine, with Couper Samuelson overseeing for Blumhouse.
Chavarria’s first role was a part in Freedom Writers, the 2007 Hilary Swank drama. A few TV appearances and a part in A Better Life, the Chris Weitz drama which starred Bichir, followed. The actor is a series regular on Hulu’s East Los High and will be recurring on NBC’s Aquarius.
But nabbing the lead in a studio drama will give the young actor a solid platform to show off his chops as well as exposure far beyond a Hulu series.
Chavarria is repped by Mike Baldridge and Garry Purdy at Momentum Talent and Literary Agency and Eric Nelson at Nelson Management.
