By Judi Jordan
Entertainment Editor

One secret of a successful acting career is not to get pigeonholed. That clearly applies to A-Listers Ana De Armas and Edgar Ramirez whose work runs the gamut—from departed icons to action stars. Both have full plates of projects; here are a few of their latest. 

‘BALLERINA’ WITH DE ARMAS?

The John Wick franchise is the gift that keeps giving for fans of cleverly crafted character-driven, action-thrillers. The freshest buzz swirls around gorgeous Cubana Ana de Armas who’s circling the lead role in the upcoming John Wick spinoff feature Ballerina, directed by Underworld director Len Wiseman, and written by John Wick: Chapter 3–Parabellum scribe Shay Hatten. This role of a dancing assassin bent on revenge would firmly establish De Armas’s action star creds after her co-star turn with Daniel Craig in No Time to Die. 

As a CIA agent, De Armas elegantly dispatched villains in a little black dress, maximum diamonds, and deadly stilettos with 007. De Armas’s lead in the upcoming Netflix $200 + million starrer The Gray Man has the actress surrounded by hotness: Chris Evans, her Bladerunner 2049 co-star Ryan Gosling and Regé-Jean Page, among others in this star-jammed thriller directed by the Russo bros. The film wrapped in July 2021 after a 4-month shoot. The much-delayed Blonde, due to open in 2022, finds de Armas channeling Marilyn Monroe. Repped by the big guns at CAA, De Armas appears unstoppable in her ascent to super-stardom. 

‘NOBODY’S HEART,’ ANOTHER ROMANTIC LEAD FOR RAMIREZ

It’s been a minute since we’ve seen a new film from quirky, daring, award-winning Spanish director Isabel Coixet (The Bookshop). We now have something sizzling to look forward to. Coixet’s next project Nobody’s Heart begins filming in January 2022 and boasts two actors known for their understated excellence: magnetic Venezuelan Edgar Ramirez (Assassination of Gianni Versace) and smoking Brit Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Loki, The Morning Show) in a romantic drama. Remember those?! Female-driven Nobody’s Heart is set in magical 1930’s Portugal. Coixet describes the project as a “fascinating, twisted and sexually charged love story between two characters sharing a unique passion with the background of Portugal in the 1930s.” (I’m in!)

Here’s the set-up: Mbatha-Raw’s freshly widowed character inherits a cork factory, and Ramirez plays a charismatic co-worker with whom she commences a fiery affair, unlocking a Pandora’s box of desire and secrets. Ramirez’s work in Netflix’s charming Yes Day was a sweet reminder that he is indeed a fine romantic lead and a smoldering presence. The source material, William Boyd’s short story Cork, recalls the life of renowned Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. Boyd also penned the script, which wowed director Coixet. “I completely fell in love with the story, and I know there’s a hunger out there for stories like Nobody’s Heart,” she says. Meanwhile, Ramirez has been shooting the TV series Florida Man and wrapped features Borderlands, Atlas and The 355. (What pandemic?!) We look forward to this steamy period film and a nostalgic glimpse of Portugal with these unique artists.

Check out De Armas as CIA agent Paloma, at second 49, in this trailer of Universal Pictures’ latest James Bond movie No Time to Die.

Featured Photos: Ana De Armas (Credit: Ana De Armas/Instagram) / Edgar Ramirez (Credit: Edgar Ramirez/Instagram)

Judi Jordan, a Santa-Monica based journalist, screenwriter, book editor and avid traveler, covers the Oscars, Television Academy events and has written for The Hollywood Reporter, Latin Style, Estylo, Latino Leaders and Gayot. A fan of history, opera, Spain, art, TV, film and wine, she returns to Latin Heat.com as Entertainment Editor. See more at judijordan.com 

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John Ortiz, Christina Ochoa Head to ABC’s Promised Land

The epic, generation-spanning drama Promised Land is heading to primetime. It is ABC’s second pilot drama series picked up for the 2021-22 season. The series is about two powerful Latino dynasties that rule California’s Sonoma Valley, starring John Ortiz (Togetherness, Rake) and Christina Ochoa (Animal Kingdom, Blood Drive).

The stellar cast is led by Ortiz as Joe Sandoval, Ochoa as Veronica Sandoval.  The cast is rounded out by Cecilia Suarez as Lettie Sandoval, August Aguilera as Mateo, Mariel Molino as Camila Sandoval, Tonatiuh as Antonio Sandoval, Andres Velez as Carlos, Katya Martin as Juana and Rolando Chusan as belly. Cuban-American scripter Matt Lopez (Gone, Gothica), wrote the pilot and is also executive producer. 

Lopez is also currently writing the film remake of Cuban-American centered remake of The Father of the Bride for Warner Bros. that stars Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Adria Arjoa, Isabela Merced, and Diego Boneta. Lopez has also developed other ABC projects, most recently the CTV drama Gone, starring Chris Noth, Leven Rambin and Danny Pino. His film credits include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Race to Witch Mountain, and Bedtime Stories.

Promised Land is also executive produced by Adam Kolbrenner and Maggie Malina and set to direct and executive produce is Michael Cuesta.  Promised Land is an ABC Signature studio project. 

It is encouraging to see the film and television industry slowly picking up again after the devastating pandemic brought it to a complete halt. While the pandemic continues to hit the TV pilot season hard, it is wonderful to see networks slowly picking up new pilots during this year as they sort through the pilots in the pipeline from last year.

John Ortiz is repped by Gersh, Principal Entertainment LA, Schreck Rose Dapello. Christina Ochoa is repped by Buchwald and The Gersh Agency, and Matt Lopez is repped by Lit Entertainment Group and  Lichter Grossman.

AFI FEST Opening Night Film: Lin-Manuel Miranda’s ‘tick, tick…BOOM!’ 

After Lin-Manuel Miranda’s critical success with his award-winning In The Heights, he now presents his feature directorial debut of tick, tick…BOOM! at this year’s AFI Fest Opening Night on November 10 at the TCL Chinese Theatre. 

Miranda, a Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner goes behind the camera for his next musical which is a semi-autobiographical about a promising young theater composer who on the cusp of his 30^th birthday navigates love, friendship, and the pressures of life as an artist in New York City. Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s about Miranda’s rise from struggling New York artist.

Currently, in post-production, tick, tick…BOOM! stars Andrew Garfield as Jon, the young theater composer, Aleandra Shipp, Robin de Jesus, Joshua Henry, and current Emmy Award nominees MJ Rodriguez and Bradley Whitford, Tariq Trotter aka Black Thought of The Roots, with Judith Light and Vanessa Hudgens. It is written by Steven Levenson, and produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Entertainment, Julie Oh and Miranda. 

According to industry buzz, AFI scoping up Miranda’s directorial debut was a coup because they beat other major film festivals for his highly anticipated movie. This drama is based on the musical of the same name by Jonathan Larson. The screenplay is written by Steven Levenson.

“AFI Fest 2021 will captivate our community of film lovers, starting with our opening-night film, tick, tick…BOOM!” said Sarah Harris, Director of Programming at AFI Festivals.  “We’re thrilled to elevate the best I global cinema to audiences safely in theaters in Los Angeles and across the nation virtually, celebrating the beauty and power of film.”

AFI Fest is moving on despite the surging COVID-19 challenges and is pushing forward with its prestigious film festival running November 10^th through the 14^th.  AFI is not the only festival continuing, others for this fall include Venice, Telluride, Toronto, New York and London have also announced they are back on at full speed. AFI will use a “hybrid model featuring both in-person screenings and events in L.A., as well as virtual screenings.” 

Netflix first acquired the film in June of 2019, and principal photography began in March 2020. COVID-19 pandemic shut down filming In April 2020. Production resumed in October 2020 and wrapped in November 2020. 

tick, tick…Boom! premieres on November 12^th in select theaters, and on Netflix starting November 19^th. Remember, AFI Fest will require that anyone who attends in-person gatherings be fully vaccinated.

Canela TV’s Cantinflas Birthday Streaming Fest

Tell your parents, grandparents and great grandparents that Canela TV is streaming all 52 episodes of the Cantinflas Shows for free!

In honor of the beloved Mexican comedian’s birthday (August 12, 1911), Cantinflas aka Mario Moreno, Canela TV is presenting the complete digital restoration of the beloved animated series Cantinflas Show.

Considered to be the most widely accomplished Mexican quintuple (comedian/actor/producer/writer/singer) who not only was celebrated throughout Mexico and  Latin America as a cultural icon, but also crossed over to be a Hollywood legend to star in such mega-hits as in the 1956 Mike Todd feature comedy, Around the World in 80 Days, The Three Musketeers (1942), and El supersabio (1948). During the span of his long career, Moreno garnered many award nominations and wins, including Golden Globes (1961), where he won a special award for comedy for his role in Pepe (1960). On October 10, 1980, he was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame located at 6438 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, CA. 

Born in Mexico, Moreno was the son of a Mexican postal employee, and was not only a prolific and productive television and movie star but also was quite intelligent and at 15 years, his parents sent him to agricultural college. But nine months later he ran away to join a “carpa” (traveling tent show) and began his career as an actor. He did, however, during his brief college stint, learn a lot about agriculture and medicine. Married to Valentina Ivanova from 1936 until her death. Moreno died on April 20, 1993. 

Although Moreno was a millionaire several times over and was one of the biggest stars ever in Spanish language films, he never forgot where he came from. He donated millions to charities dedicated to helping children. Moreno was aware that Latino children needed to see themselves reflected in the media. In 1972, he approached Televisa and the educational animated Cantinflas Show evolved. 

Through his animated series, viewers join Cantinflas on his different adventures through time and space where he visited with Shakespeare, saw the ancient pyramids, met Einstein, and even traveled to other planets. No doubt, Cantinflas aka Mario Moreno was ahead of his time.

According to IMDB trivia, Cantinflas was once described as the “world’s greatest comedian” by none other than Charles Chaplin. Indeed, the reason he was such a global success was for two main reasons: his films were enormously popular throughout Latin America and Spain, and he never lost his stardom after he became a star. 

Canela Media is a leading digital media tech company whose goal is to connect with multicultural audiences leading with its free streaming service, Canela TV, offering on-demand Latino-focused movies and TV entertainment through multiple platforms. 

Happy Birthday, Cantinflas! Looking Good at 110!

Latin Jazz: Rubén Blades & The Robert Delgado Big Band Salswing Tour!

Our favorite Panamanian musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician, is back! That’s right, Latin music icon, Rubén Blades returns to the stage with the Salswing Tour! & The Roberto Delgado Big Band, and will take him to eight major cities in the U.S.A.  

Salswing Tour! Is presented by the media company, Loud And Live, and takes place in Miami, New York, Los Angeles among others, starting out in San Jose, California on November 20, 2021. For tour scheduled dates CLICK HERE.

Blades’ opportunity to resume live concerts is finally here and it kicks off with an exciting tour, which is includes songs from his latest album along with his iconic hits, and is accompanied by amazing The Roberto Delgado Big Band. 

“We are very happy to be able to work and engage with our fans again, after almost two years without being able to do so. With the Roberto Delgado Big Band, a band of 20 musicians that continuously sounds better and better, we are eager and excited to share our latest album Salswing!, and my greatest hits… please make sure to get vaccinated,” stated Blades. 

Salswing! combines the origins of Latin Jazz and the mutual influences between Son rhythmic Afro-Caribbean music, and swing. Ladies, dust off those crystal encrusted salsa pumps and get ready to salsa-swing with your favorite dance partner. 

For more information, CLICK HERE

Or follow on www.facebook.com/Ruben.Blades.Oficial. www.instagram.com/ruben.blades. www.twitter.com/rubenblades

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Camila Cabello’s Cinderella Pushed Back 

Camila Cabello’s portrayal of Cinderella has been pushed back until July 16. The live-action remake, written and directed by Kay Cannon, is a modern musical version of the classic fairy with a star-studded cast. 

The Señorita singer will play the titular character and will be joined by Billy Porter, Indian Menzel, Nicholas Galitzine and Minnie Driver. 

The original release date is Feb. 5, but Sony Studios have delayed the release due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Though details about the film have been kept under wraps, it is said that Cabello is going to have an integral part in the music of the film. We’ll have to wait until July to see the Cuban artist serenade us in the long-anticipated fairytale.

Selena Gomez Announces Spanish EP

Selena Gomez’s officially announced her highly anticipated Spanish EP is set to release on March 12. Revelación (Revelation) will explore Gomez’s latinidad as she dives deep into her Mexican roots. 

The announcement of Revelación comes shortly after she dropped her single De Una Vez, produced by Tainy, on Jan. 16 and Baila Conmigo on Jan. 29 with rapper Rauw Alejandro. The latter has already amassed over 19 million YouTube views within three days of its release. 

“This has been something I’ve wanted to do for 10 years, working on a Spanish project, because I’m so, so proud of my heritage, and just genuinely felt like I wanted this to happen,” Gomez told Apple Music. “And it happened, and I feel like it’s the perfect timing. Just with all the division in the world, there’s something about Latin music that globally just makes people feel things, you know?”

Rosario Dawson to Star in New Ahsoka Limited Series for Disney Plus

Star Wars fans were thrilled to see Rosario Dawson transform into Ahsoka Tano for The Mandalorian and now fans will get even more of the Rent actress. 

Disney announced that Ahsoka will get her own live-action series on Disney Plus. The limited-series will be created and executive produced by The Mandalorian creator and executive producer Dave Filoni (Clone Wars and Rebels). 

Official release dates haven’t been announced, but Disney hinted that the next chapter will debut on Christmas 2021 and will connect with another Star Wars series Rangers of the New Republic.

— By Ana Perez

Featured Photo: Instagram, Self

The post Three Latinas: A Princess, A Revelación, and a Limited Series first appeared on .

Ana Perez

Demi Lovato Returns to Scripted TV

Singer, songwriter, and actress, Demi Lovato, who started her career on Barney and Friends then made her mark on the Disney Channel’s Camp Rock returns to television as star and executive produce the single-camera comedy Hungry.  

Although of late Lovato has been focusing more on her health and her singing career, selling over two million albums and 20 million singles in the United States, according to Billboard, she has made a few television appearances. In 2020 she had a role in a multi-episode arc in the popular comedy Will and Grace.  Now she is the lead of the series that NBC believes in enough to give it a put order. 

Hungry revolves around friends who participate in a food issues group. They get together to talk about love, success and what that perfect thing in the fridge would be that would make them feel better.

The comedy will be written and executive produced by Zuzanne Martin (Hot in Cleveland creator) who is executive producing along with Lovato.  They have partnered with Hazy Mill and B Projects along with Universal Television.

Lovato’s second documentary with YouTube originals, Demi Lovato: Simply Complicated in 2017 and the current documentary Demi Lovato: Dancing With the Devil, which will be premiering at this year’s SXSW.  

Michael Peña has Replaces Stanley Tucci In Roland Emmerich’s ‘Moonfall’

Michael Peña, Carolina Bartczak, Maxim Roy and Stephen Bogaert (The Umbrella Academy) have joined Roland Emmerich’s sci-fi epic Moonfall. The cast joins the talented and Academy Award-winning Halle Berry (X-Men), Patrick Wilson (The Conjuring), John Bradley (Game of Thrones), Eme Ikwuakor (Inhumans), Charlie Plummer (Looking for Alaska) and Donald Sutherland (The Hunger Games) for the film. 

The sci-fi drama starts with an unknown force that knocks the Moon from orbit and sends it on a straight shot to Earth. With life on Earth in peril, a group of strangers must team up to stop the impending collision. 

Peña (Narcos: Mexico) is stepping in to take over the role previously held by Stanley Tucci (Spotlight, Beauty and the Beast). Tucci, who had signed onto the project in October, dropped out of the film due to government-imposed travel restrictions that are banning UK flights into Canada. Peña will play Tom Lopez, a wealthy car dealer who is married to Brian Harper’s (Wilson) ex-wife, Brenda, played by Bartczak (X-Men: Apocalypse).

Roy (Shadowhunters, October Faction) is Gabriella Auclair, an army captain with a fiery heart and Bogaert (The Umbrella Academy) will portray NASA Director Albert Hutchings.

Emmerich, Harald Kloser and Spenser Cohen penned the screenplay. Emmerich is producing for his Centropolis Entertainment banner with Kloser for Street Entertainment. Centropolis is overseeing production and is collaborating with Lionsgate, AGC Studios and other distribution partners. Lionsgate is distributing the film in North America.

Moonfall is set to hit theaters in 2022.

Peña is starring in the Warner Bros. live-action/animation hybrid Tom & Jerry, set to debut on HBO Max and in theaters on February 26. He’s repped by CAA, Management 360 and attorney Rick Genow.

Demente Animation Studio and Masked Republic Partner Up

Demente Animation Studio and the multiplatform company Masked Republic have signed a production pact to develop new television and media projects featuring industry leading luchadores. 

The purpose of Demente animation “… is to create and co-create our own intellectual properties that translate across media platforms,” said Carlos Gaxiola, studio CEO. “That is why we have decided to team with Masked Republic to create and develop an animated series and content that shows a great new take on lucha libre which is a big part of Mexico’s identity and takes us back to a glorious past of the golden age of Mexican cinema.”

Masked Republic is dedicated to bring to light the richness of the scope of the Mexican luchadores  and to forge a deeper understanding of the sport’s cultural significance. Together with Demente, they developed the series.

The post Demi Lovato Back On TV; Michael Pena in ‘Moonfall’; Luchadores first appeared on .

by Ana Perez

Alfred Molina to reprise Doctor Octopus in untitled Spider-Man 3 

Alfred Molina’s performance as Doctor Octopus is too iconic to recast. 

Molina played the infamous villain, Dr. Octopus in the 2004 sequel Spider-Man 2 and has been tapped to reprise the role in the upcoming Spider-Man movie starring Tom Holland. Molina quickly became a fan favorite as Otto Octavius, a brilliant scientist turned villain who faced off against Tobey Maguire‘s Spider-Man. 

Sony has dated the untitled film for Dec. 17, 2021, with Jon Watts back in the director’s seat. Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange, The Grinch, Sherlock Holmes) will appear in the film as Doctor Strange, with Zendaya (Euphoria), Marisa Tomei (My Cousin Vinny), Jacob Batalon, and Tony Revolori (The Grand Budapest Hotel) returning to the screen.

Jamie Foxx has also confirmed he will be returning as Electro after playing the role in 2014’s The Amazing Spider-Man 2, which starred Andrew Garfield as the titular character. The rumor going around amongst fans is that the three generations of Spider-Mans will come together for the film similar to what the 2018 animated Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse gave fans.  

Molina, who earned Emmy and Golden Globe nominations for 2017’s Feud: Bette and Joan,  starred in Frozen II last year and starred alongside Salma Hayek in 2002’s Frida.

Up next for Molina is Netflix and DreamWorks’ Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans which will release next year.

Oscar Isaac Tapped to Play Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid for Sony

Oscar Isaac’s phone does not stop ringing! Isaac is set to play Solid Snake in Metal Gear Solid, a movie adaption of the 1998 Playstation video game. 

The film is currently in development at Sony Pictures with Jordan Vogt-Roberts (Kong: Skull Island) slated to direct the project. Avi Arad will produce the movie for Sony.  

The film is based on the video game created by Hideo Kojima and published by Konami. The script is written by Derek Connolly (Jurassic World: Fallen Kindgom, Kong: Skull Island, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker).

The video game follows Solid Snake, a soldier who infiltrates a nuclear weapons facility to stop a terrorist group known as Foxhound from launching a nuclear strike while liberating hostages.

2021 will be full of Isaac. He is set to star in HBO’s Scenes From A Marriage alongside Jessica Chastain, followed by playing the title role in Marvel’s Moon Knight. Isaac will be seen in the reboot of Dune starring Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name) and Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter. He is also set to star in and produce the adaptation of Brian K. Vaughn’s Ex Machina comic The Great Machine and star in Barry Levinson’s Francis And The Godfather alongside Jake Gyllenhaal (Spider-Man: Far From Home).

Isaac is repped by WME, Inspire Entertainment and Mitch Smelkinson at GGSSC. 

Ana de Armas Named IMDb’s #1 Star of 2020 List 

Ana de Armas (Knives Out) has had an incredible year which only continues to be highlighted by IMDb’s list of the Top 10 Stars of 2020. 

Originally reported by TheWrap, de Armas led IMDb’s list ranking No. 1. According to IMDb, the list ranks the 10 stars “who consistently ranked highest on the IMDbPro STARmeter chart throughout 2020.”

Not too far behind de Armas is yet another Latina star! The Queen’s Gambit’s Anya Taylor-Joy ranked at No. 8 amongst IMDb’s Top 10 Stars of 2020. Taylor-Joy known for her breakout role in Robert Egger’s The Witch and M. Knight Shyamalan horror-thriller Split. 

The full Top 10 Stars and Top 10 Breakout Stars list is below: 

IMDb Top 10 Stars of 2020

1. Ana de Armas

2. Julia Garner

3. Anya Chalotra

4. Millie Bobby Brown

5. Erin Moriarty

6. Margot Robbie

7. Aidan Gallagher

8. Anya Taylor-Joy

9. Linda Cardellini

10. Henry Cavill

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‘Vida’ Creator Tanya Saracho Launches Ojalá Productions

Tanya Saracho is marking her place among TV elites of showrunners and creating her own production company: Ojalá Productions and has hired Saracho hired Christine Dávila, most recently at Warner Bros. content studio Stage 13, to help her run the production studio. Dávila will be the Head of Development and Production for the studio. 

Saracho, best known as the creator of Vida, is a champion for diversity for Latinos and LGBTQ+ representation. She is also one of the founders of the Untitled Latinx Project which was established to help increase Latinx representation in television, broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms through content created by Latinx writers.

“It is a dream come true to be able to bring such a talented, energetic and accomplished Latina to help me kick off Ojalá,” Saracho told Deadline. “With Christine’s impeccable taste, undeniable intellect and boundless spirit, the possibilities are endless for us.”

“I’m grateful and truly invigorated to work with such an undeniable voice as Tanya’s,” Dávila said of the producer-writer. “Vida was a game changer and there is a lot more where that came from. She is intentional and unapologetic, and committed to supporting Latinx talent in all aspects of the industry and in the most inclusive way.”

Dávila is a prime pick to work with for Saracho having been a member of the programming teams at the Sundance Film Festival, the LA Film Festival and the Morelia International Film Festival. Dávila was also instrumental in helping Diego Luna (Narcos: Mexico, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) and Gael García Bernal’s (Coco) with their traveling documentary film festival, Ambulante.

Saracho recently penned an overall deal with UCP (Universal Content Productions) that includes the creation of a lab and program for Latino voices. Since the acclaimed Vida ended its three-season run on Starz, Saracho has remained busy working with musician Johnny Flynn (Stardust) on the Love Story pilot for UCP. The pilot will focus on a different heartbreak each season. The first season will feature a Latinx friendship that is tested when the friends become involved with the same musician. 

Saracho is repped by UTA, Writ Large and J.R. McGinnis at Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson.

Rosario Dawson Makes Debut As Key ‘Clone Wars’ Character in ‘The Mandalorian’

Rosario Dawson finally made her debut on The Mandalorian as Jedi Ahsoka Tano. 

Ahsoka was a fan favorite from Star Wars: Clone Wars and fans have been eager to meet her in the series since Bo-Katan told Mando (Pedro Pascual) that he would need to track her down. Until now, Ahsoka’s character was only seen as a cartoon and was voiced by Ashley Eckstein (Star Wars: Clone Wars). 

This role resulted initially as a Dawson fan-cast for the role on Twitter. Dawson retweeted the fan tweet with immediate interest in the character. Although that’s not how she was ultimately casted for the role, it definitely served as a treat for fans who knew she’d be the perfect Ahsoka. 

Dawson was seen most recently as Allegra Dill on Briarpatch and is best known for her roles in Rent, Eagle Eye, The Lego Batman Movie and Clerks II.

She is set to star in HBO Max’s limited-series DMZ, an adaptation of the DC comic book series by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli. The series being exec produced and directed by Ava DuVernay. Roberto Pattino is set to write the limited-series as well as exec produce alongside DuVernay. 

HBO’s ‘Scenes From A Marriage’ Production Halted Due To Covid-19

The wait to see Oscar Isaac in HBO’s Scenes From A Marriage may have gotten a little bit longer. The adaptation of Ingmar Bergman’s miniseries starring Isaac and Jessica Chastain has been shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The limited series has paused after two production members have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. In order to comply with safety protocols, the two members are in isolation, production is undergoing deep cleaning, contact tracing and testing of all the production members.

Scenes From A Marriage was written and directed by Hagai Levi (Our Boys, The Affair), the series will examine the intricacies of love, marriage and divorce. Isaac and Chastain are set to star as the contemporary American couple that will walk us through these lessons. 

Levi is exec producing with Michael Ellenberg (Prometheus, Stoker), Lars Blomgren (The Bridge), Chastain, Isaac, Daniel Bergman, Blair Breard (The Half of It, Baskets) and Amy Herzog (Mary Jane).

This isn’t the first time Isaac and Chastain grace our screens together, they previously starred together in A Most Violent Year.

Eugenio Derbez To Star In Apple TV+ Bilingual Comedy Series ‘Acapulco’

Eugenio Derbez is set to star in the TV series Acapulco, a Spanish and English-language comedy that was inspired by his 2017 comedic hit film How to Be A Latin Lover. The series will be on Apple TV+ and will be exec produced by Derbez. 

The series was created by Austin Winsberg (Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist), Eduardo Cisneros (Half Brothers, Instructions Not Included) and Jason Shuman (Half Brothers).

Acapulco will follow a young man who lands an amazing gig at the hottest resort in Acapulco who soon finds himself in over his head when the job is more complicated than he expected. The job soon has the young man questioning his beliefs and morals. The show is set in 1984 with Derbez narrating and playing the present-day version of the main character.

Winsberg will serve as showrunner, with Chris Harris (How I Met Your Mother) as co-showrunner. The two will executive produce alongside Derbez and Odell via 3Pas, Eric and Kim Tannenbaum for the Tannenbaum Co. as well as Shuman and Cisneros. The Tannenbaum Co’s Jason Wang co-executive produces. Gaz Alazraki (Nosotros Los Nobles) will direct and executive produce the pilot.

The post Spotlight: Rosario Dawson’s Jedi, Tanya Saracho’s ‘Ojalá’, Eugenio Derbez In ‘Acapulco’; Oscar Isaac On Hold first appeared on .

By Ana Perez

Selena Gomez to Produce and Potentially Star in STXfilms’ Dollhouse

Singer-songwriter, actress Selena Gomez has joined STXfilms’ psychological thriller Dollhouse as a producer. Gomez may pull a double-play and also star in the film. 

The project, which is still searching for a director, was written by Michael Paisley and is set in the upper echelon of New York City’s fashion scene and is reminiscent of Black Swan. 

Gomez will produce through her July Moon Productions along with 21 Laps’ Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen. Patricia Braga of STX will oversee the film with 21 Laps’ Emily Morris.

“Selena’s involvement is an exciting direction for this project. She is supremely talented as both a star and a producer,” said STXfilms Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson. “Teaming Selena with Shawn and Dan’s expertise in the horror-thriller genre will elevate Dollhouse and we couldn’t be more thrilled by the way this is being developed.”

Gomez has gotten busier on the production side of filmmaking in the past couple of years. She recently exec produced Tri-Star’s romantic comedy Broken Hearts Gallery, Living Undocumented and Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why. Gomez exec produces and can be seen on her HBO Max cooking series Selena+Chef.  She is set to reprise her lead female role in Sony’s Hotel Transylvania 4, which she’ll also executive produce. Additionally, Gomez will produce and star opposite Steve Martin (Cheaper by the Dozen, The Pink Panther) and Martin Short (Saturday Night Live, Big Mouth) in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. Gomez’s acting credits include The Dead Don’t Die, The Big Short and the Netflix original Fundamentals of Caring.

Ariana Guerra Set Appears in Hulu Original Helstrom

Actress Ariana Guerra (Five Feet Apart, Candy Jar) is featured in the horror-filled first season of the Hulu Original Helstrom that started Oct. 16. The series is based on the Marvel comics and follows the son and daughter of a mysterious and powerful serial killer as they track down the worst of humanity.

The 26-year-old Mexican-American actress portrays Gabriella Rosetti, a woman who uses both logic and faith that wants to help the showrunners uncover cases of demonic possession. Guerra works alongside Tom Austen (Grantchester, The Royals) and Sydney Lemmon (Fear The Walking Dead), who play Daimon Helstrom and Ana Helstrom, respectively.

Guerra is best known for her role as Kerry Phillips in the Netflix series Raising Dion and as Dana in the Netflix film Candy Jar.

Hulu is partnering with Marvel to bring forward Marvel’s dark tale of the Helstrom family. The series will consist of 10 episodes which are set to be released all at once.

Station 19‘s Jaina Lee Ortiz Will Return in Explosive Crossover Event

Television powerhouse Shondaland is no stranger to tackling crises. The long anticipated wait for the return of ABC’s Station 19 is almost over and fans will be welcomed with a two-hour crossover event with Grey’s Anatomy on Nov. 12. 

Station 19 stars Jaina Lee Ortiz and follows the lives and heroics of the Station 19 fire crew. During season four, the crew will show audiences what it means to be on the frontlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Station 19 constantly intersects with Grey’s Anatomy, but the crossover events between the two are all the more special to fans. 

The post Hollywood Update: Selena Gomez, Ariana Guerra and Jaina Lee Ortiz Shine in New Projects first appeared on .

By Ana Perez

Oscar Issac will play Francis Ford Coppola in a film about the making of The Godfather

Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker) has been cast to play Francis Ford Coppola, the legendary filmmaker, in a biopic about the making of The Godfather. Isaac, 41, will play a young Coppola and is set to star alongside Jake Gyllenhaal (Spiderman: Far From Home), who will portray Robert Evans, the former Paramount studio head who supervised production. The film will take the audience behind-the-scences and into the bitter battles of Coppola and Evans throughout the production of The Godfather. 

Isaac, a Guatemalan-American actor, who first got Hollywood’s as Llewyn Davis in the Coen Brother’s Inside Llewyn Davis, has gone on to become one of Hollywood’s most popular leading men. His star power solidified recently in big film like A Most Violent Year, Ex Machina and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. 

Isaac recently finished filming Dune, Denis Villeneuve‘s new adaptation of the classic. The release has been pushed back until October 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 he will be seen starring inHBO’s limited series Scenes from a Marriage, which is inspired by Ingmar Bergman’s movie of the same name and Gomez in The Addams Family2.

The film, entitled Francis and The Godfather will be directed by Academy Award winning director Barry Levinson (Rain Man). The producers are Echo Lake Entertainment’s Mike Marcus, Doug Mankoff and Andrew Spaulding, as well as Kevin Turen, Jon Levin, and Baltimore Pictures’ Jason Sosnoff.

Matthew López Strikes Incredible Television Deal with Amazon

Deadline broke the news that Matthew López, the playwright behind the hit Broadway play The Inheritance, has signed an overall television deal with Amazon Studios. López, a writer on Aaron Sorkin’s HBO drama The Newsroom, is set to develop and create new projects for the streaming site. 

It is the latest overall deal for Amazon Studios, which in the last twelve months have signed up Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag, Killing Eve), Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave, Widows), Gloria Calderon Kellett (One Day at a Time) and Lena Waithe (Queen & Slim, Master of None).

López’s play The Inheritance, directed by Stephen Daldry, premiered at London’s Young Vic in 2018, transferred to the West End and opened on Broadway last year. The play is an ambitious two-part, seven-hour epic centered around a group of gay New Yorkers, 20 years after the height of the AIDs epidemic.

The Puerto Rican screenwriter and playwright has also been off-Broadway with The Whipping Man and The Legend of Georgia McBride, the latter he is adapting for the screen with The Big Bang Theory’s Jim Parsons attached to star and produce. He has also written for Netflix and developed Plan B Entertainment and Working Title Films.

“I am incredibly excited to be partnering with Amazon Studios, alongside so many of my favorite writers and creators,” said López. “The first and last thing any artist needs is a safe place in which to create. I am grateful to the entire Amazon family for welcoming me into their home.”“Matthew is a ground-breaking talent. We have been longtime fans, but The Inheritance blew us away. His provocative, empathetic storytelling feels perfectly at home on our service,” added Albert Cheng, COO and Co-Head of Television, Amazon Studios. “We’re proud to welcome him to the Amazon family, and cannot wait for his future projects to captivate our Prime Video audiences worldwide.”

The Mandalorian premieres Friday, October 30 on Disney+

The wait for season 2 of The Mandalorian is almost over! Pedro Pascal, the Chilean-American actor will return to our screens on Friday, October 30th on Disney+. 

The first season of The Mandalorian takes the audience on the adventures of various characters in a far away galaxy, mainly focusing on familiar yet never before seen characters in the Star Wars world. 

Pascal stars in the show as the title character Mando, also known as the Mandalorian. It is later revealed that his name is Din Djarin and he is an elite bounty hunter and a member of the nearly-extinct Mandalorian people. 

During an assignment to retrieve and deliver The Child, Mando decides to disobey orders as he grows attached to Baby Yoda. The two escape from a number of enemies, many of whom have evil plans for the fan favorite Baby Yoda. 

Trick-or-treating may be cancelled this year, but at least you can watch The Mandalorian on Disney+.

The post Oscar Isaac, Matthew López, Strike Huge Deals And Pedro Pascal is Back first appeared on .

Black Lives Matter Founder, Alicia Garza, Signs With ICM Partners

According to the industry pub, Deadline, Black Lives Matter Co-Founder, Alicia Garza has signed on with ICM Partners for representation.

Garza is an Oakland-based writer and public speaker and she’s also the Principal at the Black Futures Lab and the Black to the Future Action Fund. Recently, Garza has been featured on Politico and in print from The New York Times, Essense, and Time. In 2017, she was tapped as one of Time’s 100 Women of the Year and Essence’s Woke 100 Women. Other notable honors come from The Root, Glamour, Marie Claire, and BET’s Black Girls Rock Awards.

Garza is the creator and host of the  Lady Don’t Take No podcast, and has a number of future projects lined up. She authored her first book, Purpose of Power: How We Come Together When We Fall Apart, and is set for an October 20, 2020 release date. In addition, she is also set to appear alongside Oprah Winfrey for HBO’s adaptation of Between The World And Me, the New York Times bestseller by Ta-Nehisi Coates. 

Aside from Garza, other fellow Black Lives Matter co-founders have also signed to Hollywood agencies– Patrisse Cullors, Good Trouble writer, signed with CAA. And, Opal Tometi, also a co-founder earlier in the year signed with WME.  Garza is repped by Skai Blue Media, info@skaibluemedia.com. Follow Alicia Garza on Social Media: Twitter @aliciagarza

Camila Mendes (Riverdale) Cast with Pete Davidson & O’Shea Jackson Jr. for STX “American Sole” Film

Joining the STX’s aftermarket sneakers high-stakes feature drama, American Sole is Camila Mendes (The Perfect Date, Palm Springs) as reported by industry pub Deadline.

The film is set to feature an all-star cast and crew, co-starring Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson and Straight Outta Compton’s O’Shea Jackson Jr., Ian Edelman (How To Make It In America), story creator, will write the script and direct. Actor, comedian Kevin Hart, and NBA player Chris Paul will be producing along with Jake Stein through his Scondo Productions label. Hart is producing through his Hartbeat banner with Paul producing through his Oh Dipp!!! American Sole marks Paul’s first feature film as a producer. Stadium Goods, the world’s premier sneaker and streetwear marketplace, serves as a consulting producer on the project. John McPheters, on behalf of Stadium Goods, serves as an EP along with HartBeat’s Bryan Smiley.

STXfilms is not wasting any time in tapping into the massively-profitable world of aftermarket sneakers and the end result is American Sole, a story that follows two college grads (Davidson and Jackson Jr.) in their 20s who are stuck with massive college debt. In order to get out of debt and pursue their American Dream, the two run into every obstacle imaginable after their venture’s startup money runs out, and the pair are forced to turn to shady investors for financial assistance. What could go wrong? Well, their dream turns into a nightmare. 

“We’re always looking for ways to tap into the zeitgeist, and anyone who’s paying attention to popular culture around the world knows that this particular trend authentically marries the worlds of fashion, music, sports and business and this project has garnered genuine interest in all of those key verticals,” said STXfilms chairman, Adam Fogelson. “We believe we have assembled a dream team of filmmakers, and with the cast led by Pete, we couldn’t ask for a more exciting fit for STXfilms.”

Mendes starred in the indie film Palm Springs alongside Andy Samberg and Christin Milloti, which scored a record acquisition deal at Sundance earlier this year by Hulu, which streamed in July 2020. American Sole follows the success of another STXfilms project Hustlers, starring Jennifer Lopez, Lili Reinhart, Cardi B, and Constance Wu.

Camila Mendes is repped by CASA, Luber Roklin Entertainment, and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warre, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman LLP.

There is no official release date for American Sole.  Follow Mendez on Social Media: Instagram @camimendes 

Did you know that O’Shea Jackson Jr. is Ice Cube’s son? Or that Pete Davidson’s dad, a firefighter hero died on 9/11?

“Scream 5” Adds Jenna Ortega, Who Was Fantastic on “You” Last Season 
Ortega Joins Spyglass Media Group on Paramount Pictures’ Horror Relaunch

For those Netflix’s stalker series You last season, you are going to be thrilled to read that Jenna Ortega ( You, Jane the Virgin) has joined the growing cast of Scream 5. According to industry buzz, Ortega joins Courteney Cox and David Arquette, who will reprise their roles as Gale Weathers and Dewey Riley. In addition, Neve Campbell is in talks to return as Sidney Prescott. In the Heights star Melissa Barrera also recently joined the cast — however, both of their roles are being kept under wraps. Why? Well, according to rumors, perhaps they will be the new Billy and Stu. 

Directing are filmmakers Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillette of Radio Silence (Ready or Not, V/H/S), with a screenplay written by James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) and Guy Busick (Castle Rock). Producing will be Vanderbilt with his Project X Entertainment partners Paul Neinstein and William Sheraik. Scream creator, Kevin Williamson will executive produce with Radio Silence’s Chad Villella.  The production will shoot in Wilmington, North Carolina. 

Throughout four installments, the Scream franchise counts over $600M at the global B.O. The pics were directed by late horror master Wes Craven with Williamson penning the original film as well as Scream 2 and Scream 4.

Recently, Jeff Sneider from Collider.com congratulated Ortega, who last December said this about Ortega: “Prediction: @JennaOrtega is going to be a major star, and every studio/network is going to be chasing her one day.” Apparently, he has an eye for young talent and his feeling about Ortega was strong and knew that it would not be long before she landed a major franchise. 

Ortega is best known for her roles in the Netflix series You as Ellie and the CW’s Jane the Virgin as Young Jane. Ortega can next be seen in Yes Day starring Jennifer Garner and The Babysitter: Killer Queen with Bella Thorne. The actress recently wrapped filming on Songbird opposite Demi Moore and Bradley Whitford, which was one of the first notable feature productions to shoot in Los Angeles after the pandemic shutdown.

Spyglass launched as a partnership between Gary Barber and Lantern Entertainment. The company has strategic investment backing from Warner Bros. Pictures, Eagle Pictures, the largest independent distributor in Italy; and Cineworld Group, the second-largest theater chain in the world. Spyglass counts such movies in its library as Inglourious Basterds, The Upside, The King’s Speech, The Artist, among many others.

Ortega is represented by CAA, Gilbertson Entertainment and Jeff Hynick at Jackoway Tyerman, Wertheimer, Austen, Mandelbaum, Morris & Klein.

Follow Jenna Ortega on social media: Twitter @jennaortega 

The post BLM Garza, “Riverdale’s” Mendez, Ortega’s “Scream 5” first appeared on .

Disney Pays Lin Manuel Miranda $75 Million for worldwide film rights to his hit musical Hamilton

Lin Manuel Miranda’s phenomenal hit Broadway show Hamilton which won two Tony awards and a Pulitzer Prize for Drama will be distributed theatrically by Disney. The theatrical production was filmed and Disney dished out a cool $75 million for the exclusive worldwide distribution rights. The staged performances will release in theaters in the fall of 2021.

The original show and cast was filmed over three days with an audience much in the same way that the groundbreaking film version of Luis Valdez’s classic musical play Zoot Suit was filmed by Universal  way back in 1981. Lin Manuel Miranda stars in the title role that made him a star, much like Edward James Olmos was catapulted to stardom with his Tony Award nominated role as El Pachuco in Zoot Suit.  Miranda next will be seen in the big screen version of his musical play In The Heights, directed by Jon Chu and released by Warner Bros on June 25, 2020.

Emilio Estevez returns to The Mighty Ducks for Disney + series

Emilio Estevez (Young Guns, St. Elmo’s Fire) will be reprising the role of Coach Gordon Bombay from the original 1992 The Mighty Ducks hit movie in a new Mighty Ducks Disney + series.  In the original movie, Estevez played attorney Bombay who’s arrested for DUI and ordered to coach a youth hockey team as part of his court ordered community service and leads them to a championship. The series will run for 10 half hour episodes that will connect the new show to the original movie trilogy.  In recent years Estevez, the son of actor Martin Sheen and brother to Charlie Sheen has steered away from acting to concentrate on a behind the scenes career as a feature film director (Men at Work, Bobby, The Way).

Sandra Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street To Be Made Into a TV Series

Gaumont Television, the producer of the hit series Narcos, is developing Sandra Cisneros‘ classic novel The House On Mango Street into a television series with Cisneros attached as executive producer. Published in 1984, The House on Mango Street is a best-selling novel made up of a series of vignettes about the characters that populate a blue-collar Chicago neighborhood as seen through the eyes of a Mexican-American teenager who acts a narrator.

JLO and Shakira Music Sales go right through the roof right after their explosive Super Bowl Halftime Show

Due to their rock the house performances at the Super Bowl LIV Halftime show this past Sunday, both Jennifer Lopez and Shakira saw major sales gains for their entire catalog of songs according to Billboard reports from Nielsen Music/ MRC data. Music sales and streaming figures have continued to spike since Sunday’s show. It’s no surprise that both artist’s biggest selling songs were the ones performed during the halftime show. Shakira’s top three biggest sellers were Whenever, Wherever (4,000; up 1,264%), Hips Don’t Lie (3,000; up 1,201%) and Waka Waka (This Time for Africa) (2,000; up 1,456%). As for Lopez, her top three sellers were On the Floor (2,000; up 1,193%), Let’s Get Loud (1,000; up 861%) and Waiting for Tonight (1,000; up 1,266%). All songs sold a negligible sum on Feb. 1, the day before the game.

 The first All Latino Super Bowl halftime show headlined by Latinas, certainly brought Latino music and culture center stage to a national and worldwide viewing audience.

Many viewers may not have been familiar with either JLo or Shakira’s music. Their show stopping dance and music performances introduced them to a new audience segment. Shakira’s curves and sexy gyrations and JLo’s sliding down the pole in her shimmering body hugging outfits are some of the memorable moments that also included Lopez wrapped with a Puerto Rican flag in recognition of her heritage and a subtle reminder of the border crisis where children are imprisoned in cage-like cells when she was joined in song by her young 11 year old daughter with a children’s all girl chorus.

 SuperBowl Sunday has become a yearly American family tradition and it garnered the highest ratings in five years watched by over 140 million people nationwide and another 50 to 65 million worldwide. Elevating Latinos on a worldwide level.

The post $75 Million for Miranda's "Hamilton"; Cisneros' "House of Mango Street" To TV Series first appeared on .