Pena's casting arrives after it was announced that Eva Longoria had been cast as Dora's mother.
- Aug 22, 2018
AceShowbiz - Michael Pena is the latest actor to be added to the growing cast of "Dora the Explorer" live-action feature. The "Ant-Man and the Wasp" star is set to play the father of the title character (Isabela Moner), according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Pena's casting arrives after it was announced that the "Desperate Housewives" alum Eva Longoria had been cast as Dora's mother. The two will join other cast members who include Eugenio Derbez, Micke Moreno, Nicholas Coombe, Madeleine Madden, Adriana Barraza and Temuera Morrison.
Pena is currently on screens with "Ant-Man and the Wasp". He reprises his "Ant-Man" role of small-time criminal Luis. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" has grossed $466 million worldwide. Additionally, the actor recently wrapped the filming of "The Mule", a crime drama with Clint Eastwood and Bradley Cooper. Pena is also set to appear in season four of Netflix's "Narcos: Mexico".
Based on the popular Nickelodeon TV series of the same title, the upcoming live-action flick follows a girl who has spent most of her life exploring the jungle with them. However, she now must navigate her most dangerous adventure yet: high school.
The James Bobin-directed movie will also see Dora finding herself leading Boots (her monkey best friend), Diego and a rag-tag group of teens on a Goonies-esque adventure to save her parents and solve the impossible mystery behind a lost Inca civilization.
Daniel Sanchez-Witzel and "Neighbors" writer-director Nicholas Stoller provide the script, while The Paramount Players, Walden Media and Nickelodeon produce. The production is currently underway in Queensland, Australia.
The project was first announced in October of 2017. "We could not be more thrilled to be bringing Dora to Queensland and to be able to deliver Queensland for our film," Lee Rosenthal, President of Physical Production for Paramount Pictures, said earlier this year. "In Queensland, we are able to get outstanding crew, stages and a variety of jungle topography and city backdrops in essentially one place."
"Dora the Explorer" is slated for an August 2, 2019 release.
