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.