EXCLUSIVE: Fresh off his first Emmy nomination for his Netflix dark comedy Bad Thoughts, in the category of Short Form Performer, Tom Segura has rounded out a cast full of comedic heavyweights for his first starring vehicle on the film side, the R-rated comedy El Tigre, which he’s also producing.
Joining him in the ensemble are Luke Wilson (Horizon), Tim Baltz (The Righteous Gemstones), Genesis Rodriguez (Lioness), Arturo Castro (Tron: Ares), Harvey Guillén (What We Do in the Shadows), Raul Trujillo (Untamed), Frankie Quinones (This Fool), and Kirk Fox (Jury Duty).
Currently in production in New Mexico, with backing from Will Meldman’s Double Down Pictures, El Tigre follows Jeff (Segura) and his friends as they head down to Mexico, only to discover the hard way that Jeff is a dead ringer for the infamous cartel leader El Tigre who’s gone missing. After being captured by rivals and then rescued by El Tigre’s forces, Jeff has to pretend to be their ruthless leader until he can find his friends and a way home.
We’re told Wilson plays Segura’s best friend, accompanying him on a trip to Mexico. Character details for others are under wraps.
The project has had a long journey toward a greenlight. Based on a buzzy spec from then-first-time writers Aaron Buchsbaum and Teddy Riley, it was set up at Sony 13 years ago with Mosaic aboard to produce and had been stuck in development hell, up to the point that Segura resuscitated it. We were first to report on his iteration, directed by Mermaid‘s Tyler Cornack, in June.
Mosaic, founded by Jimmy Miller, is producing El Tigre alongside Segura and his YMH Studios partner Ryan P. Hall, Meldman and Eddie Glaeser for Double Down Pictures, as well as M. Riley and Molly Mandel for Mosaic.
Wilson is repped by WME; Baltz by Gersh, El Centro, and Lichter, Grossman, Nichols; Rodriguez by UTA and Jackoway Austen Tyerman; Castro by WME, Untitled Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller; Guillén by Innovative Artists and Yorn, Levine, Barnes; Trujillo by Innovative Artists, Corner Booth Entertainment, and Myman Greenspan Fox; Quinones by UTA, OPE, and Hansen, Jacobson; and Fox by Barry Katz Entertainment.
