Demian Bichir, despite an Oscar-nominated turn for his role in A Better Life , has decided to temporarily step away from acting for his directorial debut Refugio , Deadline reported Wednesday.
Bichir has also been given the nod as screenwriter on the project, which will tell the tale of “a young dreamer, born in the circus, who embarks on a search to find his long lost true love,” the website noted.
The effort will explore the themes of hope, fate, and redemption, and will once again find Bichir handling a main character, who makes the journey from Mexico to the United States.
In A Better Life , the 2011 film for which Bichir is best known, the soon-to-be director starred as a father, who immigrates to the US illegally and finds himself in a constant battle to keep his son away from gangs and immigration enforcement.
It’s not clear whether Bichir plans to pull a Sylvester Stallone and also star in Refugio , but it’s possible. Despite having his hands full on the project, a look at what the star has on the horizon makes it pretty clear he hasn’t given up on acting altogether.
According to his resume at IMDb , Bichir has five confirmed acting roles slated for 2013, including four features and the TV series The Bridge at FX.
On the big screen, he can next be seen in The Heat opposite Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock.
He will also play Mendez the Madman in the Grindhouse film Machete Kills with Danny Trejo and an ensemble including Vanessa Hudgens, Amber Heard, Mel Gibson, Lady Gaga, Jessica Alba, Sofia Vergara, Charlie Sheen, Michelle Rodriguez, Alexa Vega, Antonio Banderas, Cuba Gooding, Jr., and William Sadler.
Bichir also has Words with Gods and Dom Hemingway on tap.
Are you looking forward to Bichir’s debut Refugio ? It’s still early, unfortunately, so you’ll have to wait. Watch Demian Bichir work in the trailer for A Better Life to tide you over.
http://youtu.be/uaLSBdL-zCY
[Image via Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com ]