Going back to the classic 1964 John Huston film “The Night of the Iguana,” starring Richard Burton, Ava Gardner and Deborah Kerr, Hollywood has long had a fascination with PV and its unique charms, which not only include the beachfront and its iconic Malecón and Romantic Zone, but picturesque winding streets that lead up the hills surrounding the city and offer stunning views of Banderas Bay.
Huston and Burton loved the area so much that they both bought homes there, but Burton’s wife Elizabeth Taylor is credited with firmly putting PV on the map for Hollywood’s elite—and starting a tourism boom that continues to this day.
Other films shot in the Puerto Vallarta area include “Beverly Hills Chihuahua,” “Caveman,” “Predator,” “Revenge,” “Sharktopus” and “Herbie Goes Bananas.”
The latest production to take advantage of Puerto Vallarta’s spectacular locales is “Sundown,” directed by Fernando Lebrija and starring Devon Werkheiser, Sean Marquette and Camilla Belle.
The story follows the two buddies, one an aspiring DJ, as their ideal spring break turns into a caper involving a stolen Rolex watch, a mysterious local beauty and a violent mobster. Guiding them through it all is a helpful taxi driver. Acclaimed DJs Steve Aoki, Chris Lake, Adrian Lux and Paul Oakenfold are also part of the action in scenes at Puerto Vallarta nightclubs.
Lebrija lived in PV for six months while making the film and found it to be a great environment for the production. “It was awesome. I’ve known PV since I was a little kid and it’s a great destination because it offers everything,” he says. “I felt at home, plus the city has all the infrastructure that helped to maintain a normal life while we were shooting. Plus, the people there welcomed us very warmly and were very helpful and supportive.”
Producer Willie Kutner also enjoyed the experience. “Puerto Vallarta was a wonderful place to shoot,” he says. “The extraordinarily different landscapes and locations – the mountains, ocean, city and the jungle – within a relatively short distance was amazing. The City of Puerto Vallarta and State of Jalisco were always helpful and the people and businesses in the area were always friendly and gracious.”
“Sundown” is Lebrija’s first English-language movie and his first comedy.
Still, as with any film, there were other challenges along the way. “It has huge scenes with lots of extras and also the weather was pretty warm and humid when we shot, so that was challenging,” Lebrija says.
And there was another concern, he says, because Puerto Vallarta is a destination full of temptations that made it imperative to maintain the crew’s focus.
The crew numbered from 70-100 people—and included Lebrija’s mom. Kutner says the production brought in most of its crew from Mexico City and the United States and agrees with Lebrija that the weather was at times challenging as they shot between May and July.
“Still, the beauty of Puerto Vallarta, its culture and its people was a pleasure,” says Kutner.
After the film’s theatrical run, it will be available in various windows including streaming, VOD, Pay TV and pay-per-view. “The teens are going to enjoy it,” Lebrija promises about the movie, which was released in Mexico and Latin America with the title “Guat Defoc.”
“I couldn’t be any happier with the outcome,” Kutner says. “And I recommend shooting in Puerto Vallarta for my fellow producers and directors as it is a fairly unknown location that offers much creative and financial opportunities to any filmmaker.”
Lebrija says he is also pleased with how everything worked out. “The outcome for me is keep working hard to do great movies in the near feature and keep achieving my dreams.”
