| How do you go about following a nuanced, Oscar-nominated performance in a sensitive drama about the struggles of immigrants? If you’re A Better Life’s Demian Bichir, it appears you switch tracks for a madcap exploit-o-thon and an indie thriller, as he’s now lining up roles in Machete Kills and William Friedkin’s Trapped. A Better Life has made doors swing open for the actor, and he’s clearly aiming to keep making a wide range of movies. There’s no word on exactly who he’d be playing in the Machete sequel, but given Robert Rodriguez’ OTT style on the first film, we doubt it’ll be subtle. He’ll feature alongside returning cast members Danny Trejo and Michelle Rodriguez (who locked in her deal yesterday) and new arrival Mel Gibson, who is playing a dangerous lunatic (insert your own joke here). Bichir is set to film his role next month. Bichir will then have some time to squeeze in other work before reporting early next year to the set of Trapped, which finds him playing an Israeli operative. But we’ll have to wait for other details to leak out on that one. More intriguingly, Variety’s report also drops mention of Bichir having been in contention for Star Trek 2, with JJ Abrams seriously considering him as the villain now played by Benedict Cumberbatch. The scheduling apparently didn’t work out on that one, with Bichir committed to stage work in Mexico. Still, it lends yet more credence to word that the film’s big bad will indeed prove to be the person that rumours pointed to back when Benicio Del Toro was also in contention. Ahem. We'll say no more. Bichir will next be seen in Oliver Stone’s drug drama Savages, which hits our screens on September 28. | 
