Spanish Director Antonio Chavarrias Making Trotsky Thriller ‘The Chosen’ In Mexico

Spanish director Antonio Chavarrias has begun shooting a film about Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky's assassination in Mexico in the year of 1940. The spy thriller will be titled “The Chosen” and has begun filming in Mexico’s capital city before continuing filming two weeks in Barcelona. Shooting began last Friday in the boroughs of Xochimilco and Coyoacan as told by the Mexican Institute of Cinematography, or Imcine. The story will focus on Trotsky’s assassin, Ramon Mercader, a Spanish Soviet agent who killed the Marxist with an ice-pick.

Filmax Intl. head Ivan Diaz, told Variety he is convinced the result will be “nothing less than a stylish and aesthetically” as it is in the hands of Chavarrias and the historic events the plot is based on are “some of the most intriguing real life events in recent world history.” The film director also expressed his excitement about having found a true story with so many elements “of a classic cinematic thriller” with “such passionate and idealistic characters” from the 40s.

Chavarrias also mentioned one of the biggest challenges was to find the right actors to play such a multicultural set of characters, with several different nationalities and beliefs. The cast will include Mexican actor Alfonso Herrera who will play Mercader, British actor Henry Goodman will play Trostky and Mercader’s American love interest will be played by British actress Hannah Murray. Other cast members include British actress Julian Sands, Spanish actress Elvira Minguez, Mexican actor Alejandro Calva and French actor Brontis Jodorowsky.