EXCLUSIVE: Gabriela Ortega (Huella), Bo Mitchell (Cobra Kai), Alice Kremelberg (The Sinner), Daryl “Chill” Mitchell (Shifting Gears, Galaxy Quest), and Oliver Yellin have joined the ensemble cast of international thriller 52nd State.
Deadline first told you about the indie project, which is being directed by Netflix’s former longtime VP product Todd S. Yellin and is exec-produced by Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings in his first credit as a producer.
Production is currently underway across Colombia and Costa Rica, with Bogota-based production company Jaguar Bite overseeing physical production.
The new cast additions join previously announced leads Moisés Arias (Fallout, Monos), Teresa Ruiz (Narcos: Mexico, Mo), Ignacio Diaz-Silverio (Primo), and Ken Jeong (The Hangover, Crazy Rich Asians).
Inspired by real events, 52nd State centers on Felipe, a disillusioned Costa Rican IT worker who stumbles into a high-stakes scam operation that preys on vulnerable Americans.
As the scheme spirals out of control, Felipe teams up with a relentless local investigator and a worn-down U.S. Postal Inspector, played by Jeong, in a tense bid to dismantle the network from within.
Ortega plays Elena Grynspan, a Costa Rican investigator driven by justice and personal stakes. Mitchell takes on the role of Ricky, a volatile American call center agent. Hennig appears as Kathy, a victim at the hands of scammers.
Kremelberg plays Casey, a hardened operator entrenched in the scam’s inner workings. Daryl “Chill” Mitchell is Griff, a veteran conman with a quick wit and a short fuse. Oliver Yellin, in his feature debut, plays JT, a charming young hustler whose smile masks darker intentions.
Ortega, who is best known as a director, recently garnered attention for her short film Huella, executive produced by Lena Waithe and selected for the Sundance Film Festival. She is building a reputation as one of the most original new voices in Latine storytelling.
Mitchell was recently seen in critically-acclaimed fraternity hazing film The Line, in which he was the true standout amongst an excellent ensemble that included John Malkovich, Alex Wolff, Lewis Pullman, Halle Bailey, Austin Abrams, Angus Cloud, Denise Richards and Scoot McNairy. He will next be seen in indie film The Long Home with James Franco, Josh Hartnett, Josh Hutcherson, Lio Tipton, Giancarlo Esposito and Ashton Kutcher.
Kremelberg is widely known for her role (Percy) in The Sinner and recently appeared in the Oscar nominated film The Trial of the Chicago 7 by Aaron Sorkin. She will next be seen in the Duffer brothers project The Boroughs for Netflix and in new BBC series The Walsh Sisters.
Mitchell brings decades of experience, most recently seen on Shifting Gears and as Wendell on Fear The Walking Dead. His extensive credits also include Galaxy Quest, NCIS: New Orleans, and Ed.
Yellin makes his feature debut in 52nd State.
The film is produced by Fernando Ferro (Birthday Cake), Jay Van Hoy (The Witch, The Lighthouse), and Yellin. Hastings boarded the project earlier this year as executive producer, marking his first major foray into feature film producing.
Simon Beltran, Juan Pablo Solano, and Natalia Rendón of Jaguar Bite are executive producing, along with Valentina Bove and Regina Solorzano.
The film’s cinematography is led by Lucas Gath ( Rap Shit, Funny Face), an acclaimed director of photography known for his bold visual storytelling and striking realism across documentaries and narrative films alike.
Casting for 52nd State was led by Alan Luna and Natalie Ballesteros of ABL Casting, whose focus on inclusive and international casting helped assemble the dynamic ensemble.
“It’s been such an honor collaborating on a film that has a predominately Latine and diverse cast, with such immense talent not only in front of the camera but behind the scenes,” said Luna.
“We had an embarrassment of riches of talent options for each role and were at odds many times when deciding who would be the final cast. The talent pool we had seen and auditioned from was magnificent and truly inspired me to look towards a future in cinema in which more opportunities are had for talent like our cast. Talent from all walks of life and from all over the world.”
Alice Kremelberg is repped by Paradigm; Bo Mitchell by Buchwald and FirstGen Content; Gabriela Ortega by M88 and Granderson Des Rochers; and Daryl “Chill” Mitchell is repped by Innovative Artists, Jenny Delaney Management, and Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP.
