‘The King’s Speech’ Deepak Sikka Executive Producing ‘Black Gold’

The U.K.’s Deepak Sikka, who executive produced the multi-Oscar-winning “The King’s Speech” and produced Paul Schrader’s “First Reformed,” has boarded “Black Gold” (working title), the first fiction co-production between the U.K. and Costa Rica.

He joins Gramercy Park Media co-founder-partner Joshua Harris (Guy Ritchie’s “In the Grey”), London-based Costa Rican actor Jose Palma (Netflix’s “The Liberator”) in his first producing effort, and San Jose-based producer Esteban Quesada, whose credits include Hernán Jimenez’s “April” and who worked on the production of the first “Paddington Bear” movie when it shot in Costa Rica.

“This is a strong Costa Rican-British co-production, the first of its kind for our market, as well as another push to tell more Latin American stories in the industry,” Palma told Variety, adding:

“I was once told, ‘If you want to know the future, ask a historian.’ In light of everything that is currently happening in the States, we are determined to shed light on our country’s history, which may reflect our present.” Palma, who has been spearheading the project, will play former Costa Rican president José María Montealegre, who plays a pivotal role in the film.

“’Black Gold’ is a historical drama set in mid-19th-century Costa Rica. It tells a story never before shown in Costa Rican cinema, about how coffee, one of the country’s main exports, played a key role in its people’s fight for freedom. With its large scale and ambition, ‘Black Gold’ aims to be the biggest film production in Costa Rica’s history,” said Quesada, who also produced the Chelsea Film Festival Incubator program in New York, where he oversaw the production of short films by new BIPOC alongside Oscar-winning screenwriter Martin Strange-Hansen.

The search is on for a female Costa Rican writer to co-write the screenplay with writer Jeremy Sheldon (head of development, “First Reformed “). Costa Rica’s Kim Picado Gutiérrez is on board as the casting director for the drama. “History has always been written by the victor, right? And I think this movie gives us that chance to rewrite the history of how it actually happened, or at least our perspective as Latin Americans,” said Palma.

Set in 1855, “Black Gold” follows Costa Rican President Juan Rafael Mora, who vows to defend his nation from American filibuster and slaver William Walker, who has seized nearby Nicaragua. Flashbacks trace Mora’s rise from reformist coffee planter to national leader, modernizing his family’s plantation with fair wages and new methods. Guided by love, loss, and his cautious brother-in-law, José María Montealegre, Mora builds trade ties with British merchant William Le Lacheur. In 1856, Costa Ricans defeat Walker, but cholera devastates the land. Betrayed by Montealegre, Mora is executed—like Walker—undone by ambition and history’s cruel turns.

“I think the First Lady, Inés, is one of the central characters. We’re following two key perspectives: the hero we all know—Juan Rafael Mora—and, unfortunately, the only one widely remembered. But just as important is his wife, Inés. Right now, that’s how we envision the story—through both of their experiences. These dual perspectives are essential to capturing the full depth of the narrative. But our focus isn’t just on their love story, but their struggles as individuals in a time of war,” Palma mused.

He added: “That’s why we wanted to bring in another writer—to provide that kind of perspective. That’s one of the things I love most about ‘The King’s Speech,’ for instance, they capture that emotional weight and depth of a historical period. It’s that same sense of gravity and nuance we’re aiming for here. And for Costa Rica, this is a big moment—we’ve never had someone like Deepak or Jeremy collaborate on telling a Costa Rican story at this level.”