According to Variety, actor Danny Trejo will be adding the role of Portuguese adventurer Ferdinand Magellan in the historical epic 1521 to his extensive filmography. When Magellan made the fateful choice to anchor off the coast of Homonhon Island in the pre-colonial era, he became the first European to be recorded in what is now the Philippines. In 1521, a Spanish expedition led by Ferdinand Magellan went out for the Maluku Islands but instead discovered the archipelago that would become the Philippines.
The historical record shows that Magellan’s final voyage ends in failure when he tries to conquer the archipelago. This failure is traced back to Datu Lapu-Lapu, a leader of the island’s warriors who will be represented in the film by Micahel Copon (One Tree Hill). The triumph of Mactan, also known as the Battle of Mactan, is shown in 1521. This conflict is credited for postponing the colonisation of the Philippines by more than four decades, according to Philippine historical accounts. The US-Philippines production will also examine a “forbidden romance” of the period between the local Mactan princess Diwata, represented by Bea Alonzo, and a Spanish soldier. Trejo has been in a plethora of films, such as Michael Mann’s crime drama Heat and the action comedy Con Air, which also starred Nicolas Cage and John Malkovich.
Trejo has worked with Robert Rodriguez on several occasions, including the film Machete, in which he co-starred with Robert De Niro as the title character, as well as Planet Terror, From Dusk Till Dawn, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Desperado, and Spy Kids. Alonzo, a Filipina actress, “was previously chosen as a Talent to Watch by Variety and the International Film Festival & Awards Macao in 2019” for her part in 1521. She also starred in the 1521 producers’ biography Angel Warrior. One More Chance, The Love Affair, and Four Sisters and a Wedding are just a few of Alonzo’s other feature film credits.
Hector David Jr. (Power Rangers Samurai) plays Magellan’s translator Enrique, Costas Mandylor (Saw V) plays Lorenzo, and Maricel Laxa-Pangilinan (Hello, Love, Goodbye) plays Ahmani, Diwata’s sister. Francis B. Lara Ho, a Filipino-American auteur working out of Inspire Studio, will serve as the film’s executive producer. Ho is currently in pre-production on several films, including the biographical action film Angel Warrior, the heroic true account of a rescue mission in The Rescue, and another true story titled Palawan.
Mary Krell-Oishi, who co-authored Angel Warrior with Lara Ho, created the screenplay for this film. Currently, Copon is recruited to helm the picture, which is set to begin production in Palawan in August. It is unknown when 1521 will be released as it is still in the pre-production stages at this time.