"La Linea" Cracks U.S. Deal

A scene from James Cotten's "La Linea." Image courtesy of Maya Entertainment.

Director James Cotten's crime drama "La Linea" with Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta and Esai Morales has been picked up by L.A.-based production and distribution company Maya Entertainment, the company's EVP Jose Martinez, Jr. announced Monday. Martinez and Alex Raminfar negotiated the deal for Maya Entertainment with Alexis Garcia of Endeavor Talent Agency on behalf of the producers. A release date is still pending.

Paralleling today's drug wars, the film is described as a a character driven feature set in one the most dangerous cities in North America: Tijuana. The story follows veteran assassin Mark Shields (Ray Liotta) as he tracks down, Pelon (Esai Morales), the elusive and brutal head of the Salazar Crime Cartel. Pelon has taken over the ailing Javier Salazar (Andy Garcia) and made a deal to move the business from Colombia cocaine to Afghani Heroin. The deal would make Pelon the most powerful narco trafficker in the hemisphere.

"Maya is pleased to distribute this amazing and timely film featuring an outstanding cast which supports our mandate to distribute relevant, thought provoking English-language, Latino-themed features," commented Martinez in a statement. "We will be announcing our plans for a release date for the film shortly."

Maya Entertainment, headed by award winning producer Moctesuma Esparza and co-chaired by Jeff Valdez, styles itself as the only Latino owned and managed filmed entertainment company specifically focused on the U.S. Latino film-going audience. Maya Entertainment is the sister company of Maya Cinemas North America, Inc. a movie theater exhibition company which operates multiplex cinemas with a site in Salinas, CA and new sites soon to be opened in Bakersfield, CA, San Bernardino, Fresno, CA, Santa Fe, NM, Chicago, IL, San Antonio, TX, Houston, TX and New York.