SAN ANTONIO — A new movie being filmed in San Antonio is working to help elevate the presence of Latinos in a Hollywood ecosystem where their voices are still scarce, and it's enlisting the talents of a Puerto Rican singer responsible for one of the biggest hits of the last decade.
"The Answer to My Prayer" is billed as a romantic comedy about three Latinas who all fall for the same man. Latin superstar Luis Fonsi, whose "Despacito" became the first primarily Spanish song to top the Billboard 100 since "Macarena" in the mid-'90s, plays the lead role.
There is some industry starpower behind the camera too. "The Answer to My Prayer" was written by Nancy De Los Santos, who served as an associate producer on the hit "Selena" film after working on "At the Movies," which made film critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel household names.
KENS 5 visited the set of "The Answer to My Prayer," where the stars discussed the importance of Latinos in media.
"We proved that there is an audience for us, American Latinos, who want to see themselves on television portrayed as heroes, from all different social classes (and) levels," said Vanessa Vasquez, an actress starring in the film.
Fonsi added that the upcoming movie, slated to be released sometime in 2023, could play an important role in catering to Latino audiences in the U.S.
"We need to tell stories that really happen in our day to day," he said. "So this film really does cater to that Latino community, maybe the first or second generation that still holds our language and our values. I think that's important to be a part of that."