Plot Synopsis Steven Soderbergh's The Argentine stars Benicio Del Toro as Che Guevara. The film opens with Che as one of the important figures in the growing Cuban rebellion led by Fidel Castro. The movie charts how the two successfully built an underground army large enough to successfully overthrow the government of Fulgencio Batista. Soderbergh and Del Toro team up again for a second biopic of Guevara titled Guerrilla, a movie that focuses on his life in the years after the Cuban revolution. Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide Soderbergh plans double Che Guevara biopic Steven Soderbergh has always wanted to direct a biopic about Che Guevara - and now he's compensating for the wait by planning not just one movie, but two. The Traffic director will shoot two movies about the life of the iconic Argentine-born revolutionary. In addition to Guerrilla, which was announced earlier this year, Soderbergh will make another film called The Argentine, reported Variety. Benicio Del Toro will play Guevara in both movies. Javier Bardem, Franka Potente and Benjamin Bratt are in talks to play key roles. The Argentine will focus on the Cuban revolution, from the moment Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries landed on the Caribbean island until they toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later. Guerrilla will focus on the years following the Cuban revolution beginning with Guevara's trip to the UN headquarters in New York in 1964, until his death in the Bolivian mountains in 1967. Soderbergh will shoot Guerrilla and The Argentine back to back, with most of the dialogue in Spanish. Yahoo! UK & Ireland Movies — October 31, 2006 Soderbergh turns a Che double play Del Toro set to play revolutionary in Guevara pics Steven Soderbergh is finally ready to make his long-gestating biopic of Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara. And the film's backers are betting that Guevara, who continues to sell books and T-shirts almost 40 years after his execution in Bolivia, has an aura large enough to sustain two films. Soderbergh will shoot them back to back, using mostly Spanish dialogue. Production begins next May in Mexico and other South American locations. Benicio Del Toro will play Guevara, and Javier Bardem, Franka Potente and Benjamin Bratt are in talks to play key roles. Producer is Laura Bickford, who began working on the project with Del Toro and Soderbergh right after they made "Traffic" together. Lead financier is Paris-based Wild Bunch, which also hung in through twists and turns that included Terrence Malick committing to direct and then dropping out to make "The New World" in 2004. Wild Bunch will co-finance and shop the pictures at AFM. The films will be made as Spanish co-productions, with Spain-based Morena Films and broadcaster Telecinco in final talks to be co-producers. Combined budget for the pic pair is less than $70 million. Talks are under way with domestic distributors. Both films pick up after the formative Guevara years captured in the Walter Salles-directed "The Motorcycle Diaries" in 2004. First film, "The Argentine," begins as Che and a band of Cuban exiles (led by Fidel Castro) reach the Cuban shore from Mexico in 1956. Within two years, they mobilized popular support and an army and toppled the U.S.-friendly regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista. The second film, "Guerrilla," begins with Che's trip to New York, where he spoke at the United Nations in 1964 and was celebrated in society circles. Soderbergh has already shot that opening footage with Del Toro and Julia Ormond, who plays TV journo Lisa Howard. Journalist acted as an informal intermediary between the Kennedy White House and Cuba. Guevara disappeared into the jungles of South America. When he tried to use Bolivia as the catalyst for more revolution, he was captured and executed. Both scripts were written by Peter Buchman, who, with Del Toro, has been working with a translator to put the dialogue into Spanish. Filmmakers also have been shooting a companion documentary while researching the film, including interviews with many of those who fought alongside Guevara in Cuba and in Bolivia. Soderbergh recently completed Europe-set WWII film "The Good German." Buchman scripted one of the unmade Alexander the Great pictures and most recently wrote the Fox fantasy film "Eragon" and the currently casting "The Piano Tuner" at Focus. Along with "Diaries," Guevara was the subject of another recent pic, 2005's "Che Guevara," directed by Josh Evans. Michael Fleming, Variety — October 31, 2006 Soderbergh plans Guevara double bill Steven Soderbergh has long been planning to direct a biopic about Che Guevara. But it seems he is so passionate about his subject that he is planning not just one movie, but two. According to Variety, the American director will shoot two movies about the life of the Latin American revolutionary. In addition to Guerrilla, which had been announced earlier this year, Soderbergh is to make another film called The Argentine. Benicio Del Toro will play Guevara in both movies. Javier Bardem, Franka Potente and Benjamin Bratt are in talks to play key roles. The Argentine will focus on the Cuban revolution, from the moment Fidel Castro, Guevara and other revolutionaries landed on the Caribbean island, until they toppled the dictatorship of Fulgencio Batista two years later. Guerrilla will focus on the years following the Cuban revolution. It will begin with Che's trip to the UN headquarters in New York in 1964, until his death in the Bolivian mountains in 1967. The films will not cover the formative years of Guevara's life, which were described in the acclaimed The Motorcycle Diaries, the 2004 movie by Walter Salles. Soderbergh will shoot Guerrilla and The Argentine back to back, with most of the dialogue in Spanish. The Traffic director has already shot most of the opening footage with Del Toro and Julia Ormond. The British actor is playing a television journalist who acted as an informal intermediary between John Kennedy's White House and Cuba. Soderbergh has also shot a documentary while researching the project, with interviews with many who fought alongside Guevara in Cuba and Bolivia. Guardian Unlimited October 31, 2006 Soderbergh Doing Two "Che" Films After a long development process, "Traffic" & "Ocean's 11" helmer Steven Soderbergh is set to do not one but two biopics about Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara reports Variety. Benicio Del Toro will play Guevara, whilst Javier Bardem, Franka Potente and Benjamin Bratt are in talks to play key roles. Shot back to back using mostly Spanish dialogue, events in both films take place after those covered in the 2004 Walter Salles-directed "The Motorcycle Diaries". The first film entitled "The Argentine" has Fidel Castro leading Che and a band of Cuban exiles into leading the revolution that toppled the U.S.-friendly regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista. The second film "Guerrilla" follows Che's trip to New York, where he spoke at the United Nations in 1964 and was celebrated in society circles. Soderbergh has already shot opening footage with Del Toro and Julia Ormond who plays TV journo Lisa Howard. Photos of that shoot (like the one above) appeared online several months ago. Peter Buchman ("Eragon", "The Piano Tuner") penned both scripts, and a companion documentary has been shot whilst researching the film, including interviews with those who fought alongside Guevara in Cuba and Bolivia. Wild Bunch ("The New World") will finance and produce alongside Morena Films and Telecinco, no distributor is yet locked. The budget for both films is said to be under $70 million. Shooting begins next May in Mexico and other South American locations. Garth Franklin, Dark Horizons — October 31, 2006