MISS BALA
Gina Rodriguez stars in Miss Bala as Gloria, a young woman who discovers a strength she never knew she had when her closest friend is kidnapped. As she’s drawn into the dangerous world of cross-border crime, Gloria begins a journey of empowerment that will test her under the most extreme circumstances and force her to undergo a stunning transformation into an extraordinary and relatable hero.
A large-scale and thrilling action-adventure, Miss Bala is also a barrier-breaking film that stars a Latina as a new kind of cinema icon – and a cast and crew that was 95 percent Latinx. Moreover, while Miss Bala is a movie for every action movie fan, it will have particular appeal to the underserved Latinx audience – the industry’s most loyal and fastest-growing demographic. “This is a big movie, with a courageous, butt-kicking and new kind of hero, and we were incredibly excited and proud to make it happen,” says Rodriguez.
Gloria’s odyssey begins when the Los Angeles resident visits her closest friend, Suzu, in Tijuana. They have been like family since childhood, and Gloria is helping Suzu in her efforts to win a local beauty pageant, which Suzu hopes will open up additional opportunities for her and her younger brother. Suzu persuades Gloria to attend a pre-pageant event at a swanky nightclub, at which Suzu can make some valuable contacts. But soon after their arrival, Gloria has an unexpected encounter with Lino, the head of a burgeoning criminal organization. A few moments later, the club suddenly erupts in gunfire – the opening salvo in a war in which Gloria will find herself at the epicenter.
In the aftermath of this maelstrom of sudden violence, Suzu has disappeared and Gloria seeks help from the local law enforcement on the scene. In the first of a series of shocking betrayals, Gloria finds herself once again face-to-face with Lino, who “requests” a favor from her, in return for which he’ll help her find Suzu.
That favor involves Gloria’s unwitting participation in the explosive destruction of a DEA safehouse, which in turn leads to her being interrogated by a relentless and corrupt government agent, Brian Reich. He demands that Gloria infiltrate Lino’s cadre as it attempts to move a huge cache of weapons across the border. Caught between the two opposing forces – and still in search of her missing friend – Gloria makes the dangerous trek to and from San Diego and completes the task. This impresses Lino, who has made an unexpected connection with Gloria, which deepens when she saves his life during a massive shootout with Reich and the DEA.
As Gloria is molded into a warrior the equal of her captor, this once-ordinary woman transforms into a heroic and extraordinary survivor.
Columbia Pictures presents a Canana / Misher Films production, Miss Bala. Starring Gina Rodriguez, Ismael Cruz Córdova, and Anthony Mackie. Directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Produced by Kevin Misher and Pablo Cruz. Screenplay by Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer. Executive producers are Mauricio Katz, Gerardo Naranjo, Catherine Hardwicke, Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer, Samson Mucke, Arturo Sampson, Andy Berman, and Jamie Marshall. Director of Photography is Patrick Murguia, AMC. Production Designer is Marco Niro. Edited by Terilyn A. Shropshire, ACE. Costume Designer is Graciela Mazon. Music by Alex Heffes. Music Supervision by Lynn Fainchtein.
Miss Bala has been rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for sequences of gun violence, sexual and drug content, thematic material, and language. The film will be released in theaters nationwide on February 1, 2019.
