Ray Figueroa to direct Puerto Rican thriller ‘Coronation Mass’ (exclusive)

Article originally appeared in Screen Daily

9 February 2024

RAY FIGUEROA

Ray Figueroa has been set to direct Coronation Mass (Misa De Coronacion), a Spanish-language supernatural crime thriller set in Puerto Rico from Los Angeles-based Hirsch Giovanni Entertainment. 

Puerto Rican filmmaker Figueroa, who previously wrote and directed Once Upon A Time In The Caribbean, adapted the screenplay from author Juan Lopez Bauza’s soon-to-be-published novel. The film will explore themes of corruption, colonialism and black magic in the Caribbean island (an unincorporated US territory). 

Once Upon A Time In The Caribbean producer Annabelle Mullen Pacheco of Belle Films is producing Coronation Mass with Hirsch Giovanni’s David M Hirsch. Hirsch Giovanni’s Giovanni J Guidotti is executive producer. 

Figueroa commented: “Puerto Rican film is experiencing a transformative moment, daring to tell its stories with confidence and invention. Coronation Mass embodies this new wave of cinema, a tropical genre-bending noir, creating a cinematic experience that is uniquely Puerto Rican.” 

Mullen Pacheco added: “Belle Films is thrilled to collaborate with Hirsch Giovanni on Coronation Mass, one of the most anticipated projects emerging from Puerto Rico. We are also delighted to work with Figueroa again, known for delivering high-quality productions with a distinct tone. Coronation Mass will be a testament to the rich storytelling and filmmaking capabilities that Puerto Rico has to offer.”