America Ferrera’s Feature Directorial Debut ‘I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter’ In Development At Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures

EXCLUSIVE: America Ferrera‘s directorial debut I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter is in development at Amazon MGM Studios’ Orion Pictures from screenwriter Linda Yvette Chávez. The film, based on Erika Sánchez’s New York Times bestselling novel of the same name, was previously set at Netflix.

The story follows Julia Reyes, a teen with a sharp tongue, a fierce wit and big dreams of becoming a famous writer, somewhere far, far away from Chicago and her traditional Mexican immigrant parents who just can’t understand her love for Whitman, Dickinson and the Ramones. They wish she was more like Olga, Julia’s sister, now eternally perfect since her tragic death. As Julia seeks to break free of her oppressive home, she tries to uncover her sister’s truth, and in the process gains a deep understanding of the wounds her family carries.

Producers include Doreen Wilcox Little, MACRO’s Charles D. King and Poppy Hanks, Aevitas Creative Management’s David Kuhn and Anonymous Content. Sánchez and MACRO’s Greta Talia Fuentes will executive produce. Anonymous Content optioned the rights to the book under the company’s first-look deal with Aevitas Creative Management.

Ferrera is coming off a busy award season promoting her most recent role in the hit Greta Gerwig feature film Barbie, which earned the actress her first Academy Award nomination. Additionally, Ferrera recently starred in the Craig Gillespie-directed film Dumb Money, based on the 2021 book The Antisocial Network. She is well known for bringing to life Betty Suarez in the ABC dramedy Ugly Betty, a role that earned her an Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2007.

The project reunites Ferrera with Chávez following their collaboration on Netflix’s Gentefied, a TV series co-created by the latter and executive produced by the pair.

Ferrera is represented by CAA and Peikoff & Mahan; Chávez is represented by The Mission Entertainment, WME and Del Shaw. Author Sánchez is represented by The Gersh Agency, Trellis Literary Management and Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz.