EXCLUSIVE: Tia Carrere (upcoming Lilo & Stitch) has been tapped for a role alongside Daisy Ridley and Alden Ehrenreich in The Last Resort, the new Philippines-set romantic comedy from Miss Congeniality helmer Donald Petrie.
Carrere will play Reyna, a boss lady of the highest order, who owns a number of resorts. Production kicks off this month, with Asia Pacific Films producing and financing.
Written by Karen McCullah, the veteran rom-com scribe known for her work on titles like Legally Blonde, The Last Resort follows Brooke (Ridley), who is determined to prove herself worthy of running her father’s hotel empire. When Brooke travels to the Philippines to scout a new resort location, she meets Ben (Ehrenreich), a charming expatriate pilot who helps her discover the beauty of the country — and a newfound sense of freedom. As love and duty collide, Brooke must choose between the life she’s built and the one she’s only just begun to love.
Ernesto (Bong) Sta. Maria. Jr. (Rosario), and Raja Collins (True Memoirs of an International Assassin, The Wrath of Becky) are producing the film, with Manuel V. Pangilinan exec producing. Simon Heo, Akshay Mehta and Rick Dugdale are co-producers, and CAA Media Finance is shopping worldwide rights.
A Filipina-American actress and singer with over 100 screen credits to her name, Carrere is coming off a role opposite Jo Koy in his DreamWorks comedy Easter Sunday. Next up, she’ll be seen starring in the live-action Lilo & Stitch, after taking on a different role in the original 2002 animated film and the Disney series that followed. Pic is scheduled to hit theaters on May 23.
Carrere is represented by Innovative Artists and Strand Entertainment.
