Nearly 40 years after its release, “La Bamba,” the acclaimed biopic of singer Ritchie Valens, is getting a remake. And Luis Valdez, the original director and screenwriter, wants people to know: “This was not my choice.”
On Monday, Variety reported that Sony Pictures and Mucho Más Media are developing a new version of the biopic about America’s first Latino rock star. Oscar-nominated writer José Rivera, known for “The Motorcycle Diaries” and “On the Road,” will write the script and Valdez will serve as executive producer.
This summer, according to Valdez, Javier Chapa of Mucho Más Media presented the project to him and asked for his support.
“My first question was, ‘Why? ’ I think that’s a legitimate question that fans around the world are going to ask,” Valdez, 84, told The Times on Monday night. “I mean, why? [original] The film was a success in that regard. It has a lot of fans who are obviously going to react in one way or another.”
Valdez, also a writer for “Zoot Suit,” said he was faced with the “choice of either being involved in the remake in some way or just ignoring it altogether.”
“I have always believed that negative things can be turned into positive things, so in this case I chose to help,” said Valdez, who agreed to join the project and contextualize the story of Richie Valens. The singer was born in the San Fernando Valley and died in 1959.
“The reality is that the movie and the script belong to Sony. My contract didn’t say anything about remakes. We were just grateful to be able to do it at that time,” Valdez said. “Your vision can be as personal as possible, but the final product belongs to the studio.”
He says that “La Bamba,” released in 1987, was a labor of love. At the time, there was not much documentation about Valens’ life and career.
Born Richard Valenzuela in Pacoima, California, Valens rose to fame in the late 1950s with his hit “Come On, Let’s Go.” The self-taught musician dropped out of high school to pursue music. Throughout his career, he was best known for his rock ‘n’ roll cover of the Mexican folk song “La Bamba.” Eight months after his rise to fame, the 17-year-old singer died in a plane crash known as “the day the music died,” as he was killed alongside fellow singers Buddy Holly and the Big Bopper.
Out of personal interest, Valdez says he and his brother, Daniel Valdez, spent five years trying to track down the people in Valens’ life. They contacted his mother, Connie Valenzuela; his brother, Bob Morales; his manager, Bob Keane; and his first love, Donna Ludwig Fox. Valdez was then able to turn their firsthand accounts into the script for “La Bamba.”
“I don't know if he [José Rivera] “This is not a movie that has the same story. Flat remakes don’t work,” Valdez said. “What’s been done before isn’t very exciting for anyone. I hope that something new, something fresh, another new look at the life of Ritchie Valens comes out of this remake.”
Given the rock 'n' roll star's short career, Valdez says there are very few aspects of his life he hasn't mentioned.
To date, “La Bamba” has grossed more than $54 million at the box office (according to the American Film Institute, it cost $6.5 million to make). The film was nominated for Best Drama at the Golden Globes and for Song of the Year at the Recording Academy’s 1988 Grammy Awards. It was pivotal in the careers of actor Lou Diamond Phillips, who played Valens, and the East Los Angeles rock band Los Lobos, who performed and produced the music for the soundtrack. In 2017, it was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress under the leadership of Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas).
Valdez sees the new film as an opportunity to create a new Latin star, but he is still unclear as to why the producers chose “La Bamba.”
“Frankly, there are hundreds of stories that could be made into movies that are also about Chicano life in Los Angeles,” Valdez said. “But Sony decided to do a remake, I guess, because of their track record. I understand that Hollywood is a business and it’s showbiz, but I want people to know that it wasn’t my choice. I was invited to participate in the process.”
Sony Pictures Entertainment and Mucho Más Media declined to comment, saying the project is in a very early stage of development. Valdez says his only hope for the project in development is that it stays true to Valens' life.
“I want to assure fans that the remake will not harm the original in any way. On the contrary, what I hope is that the remake will be a new addition that enhances the story of Ritchie Valens,” Valdez said. “Maybe it will capture something about Ritchie that we didn’t know. For those who may be angry or disappointed by the remake, I just say, ‘Let’s move on. ’ The original film is not going away.”
