In 2020, over 270 Latino writers and showrunners wrote an open letter entitled “Dear Hollywood”, which demanded action on inclusivity. As LatinHeat’s own Bel Hernandez has expressed in the past, “we need studios and networks executives to greenlight our projects”. This is where producer and head of Mankind Entertainment, John Martinez O’Felan comes in. He and his team are passionately focused on creating the demand for studios to hire more Latino executives.

LatinHeat sat down with O’Felan to discuss the challenges facing Latinos in the film industry, and how he hopes to impact change for Latino presentation in cinema with Mankind Entertainment. He also shared in-depth insight about his much talked about feature film project Alina of Cuba, James Franco’s performance, as well as his surprising thoughts regarding John Leguizamo. Martinez also shared all-new details about his two other new Latino centered film projects that are currently in development, including Barton Creek and Anna in the Tropics. 

To begin, O’Felan first elaborated on his own background and experience being Latino, and how he defines his identity:

John Martinez O’Felan: I’d like to start off by sharing my Latin cultural vantage point to frame how I see the critical mass of the cultural solution for better representation. In my Latino heritage, I come from a family with scrolled roots to one of the most ancient Spanish / Mexican lineages of Latin ancestry, one that verifiably dates back to far before 1699 B.C, through the ancient Hispanic Rite, and verifiable through various international Hispanic and tribal histories. With that level of historical enlightenment by heraldry, I see being “Latin” as a united global race with Hispanic roots, that developed and traces over eras of social and societal development. One proof of such is that the word “Latino” actually was heavily influenced by “Ladino,” a language spoken by Judeo-Spanish tribes who first migrated to the Latin America we know today: so even the word Latino is linked to Spain, so my cultural view honors all unbiasedly as a people. Taking that thinking into consideration and being someone who has spent 15 years of new company evangelization in a push for a new frontier for global Hispanic Cinema, I think the solutions have to initially hold a “global financial focus.”

Xavier LeBlanc: What inspired you to choose Alina of Cuba, Anna in the Tropics and Barton Creek? 

JMO: Part of my selection process as a Latino has been to promote new history. I’m 43 years old and coming from my generation, that’s one thing that I always felt that we lacked was a representation as to history. So, these projects that I took on take a look back at contributions that other Hispanics and Latinos have made to society between the stories of the character themselves, and also to celebrate artistic influencers like Nilo Cruz. He was the first Latino to ever win the Pulitzer prize for drama. So, I felt that with no one promoting new Latin history in America right now, I felt that sense of calling to advance that angle of the film industry. And that’s what’s driven my passion to get us to where we are now.

Alina of Cuba is based on the true-life story of former Cuban exile Alina Fernandez (aka “Castro’s Daughter”). The film is a celebration of the bravery of Latina women in seeking and elevating their voices and rights over the last fifty years. Actress Ana Villafane plays the lead role of Alina. Villafane is most known for playing international Cuban music icon Gloria Estefan in the popular Broadway production On Your Feet. She stars alongside Oscar-nominated actor James Franco as Fidel Castro. The script is written by Oscar-nominated Puerto Rican screenwriter José Rivera, and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz. Martinez spoke about his motivations behind producing Alina of Cuba. Miguel Bardem, who is a Spanish Goya Award winner, directs the film.

JMO: I produced Alina of Cuba as an unbiased celebration of universal Latinism. So, I did it to ultimately promote unity between U.S. and international industries which ultimately impacts and helps grow a greater network for Hispanic material to be distributed. So, in other words I’m trying to prove that stories of Hispanic fabric can travel.

XL: Do you feel that Ana Villafane and James Franco may surprise audiences with their performances in Alina of Cuba, and if so, in which ways?

JMO: Absolutely. You know she’s our leading lady as Alina, and she’s an amazing talent who had her launch on Broadway, and coming with such a pedigree class. And knowing of the history being Cuban through her mother, I feel like she’s absolutely the perfect character fabric of the new age Latina to enact this story. As far as James, his likeness to the real Fidel Castro feels almost like an on-screen conjuring. But, even more exciting will be when the world sees him come out of his skin in what I believe will be one of his best performances of all time. And I say that because he studied, you know very in-depth on the character and dialect. They had a dialect coach and really dug deep, and so I feel like people are really going to love what they see when you see the fire between him and Ana on screen. It’s just going to be so amazing, because I’m already watching the footage and editing, and we’re like “Wow! You know this is something very special”.

XL: What can we expect from the most recently announced cast additions of Luna Baxter, Charlotte de Casa Bianca and Carlos Manuel Vesga in Alina of Cuba?

JMO: I think one thing is audiences I believe are going to see new faces from the international community, and I think those faces are going to impact the growth and demand between industries. Working with an actress like Luna, she’s a high pedigree great actress, and has some of the highest coveted awards. Same with Carlos. They’re amazing actors, and I think that we’ll continue to see these actors transition into more of a global image.

XL: What are some of the goals that you hope to achieve within the industry with Mankind Entertainment?

JMO: I think ultimately I’d like to create more Latin themed stories and also ultimately see more Latinos represented on the big screen. Not just in Latin stories, but also mainstream stories. I use director Robert Rodriguez as a great example of the way he used to cast his movies, or he casts his movies. 

Our focus is on the feature theatrical awards network : With our sales groups, we plan to push our U.S-developed Hispanic/Latino titles to the acquisition’s awards labels, while also creating a global festival presence for Hispanic Cinema in festivals like Cannes and Toronto, where content is globally recognized and impacts studio interest overall.

XL: Are there any notable Latin actors or directors that you would like to collaborate with that you have not yet worked with?

JMO: Well yeah, I mean first and foremost one of my favorite actors, and even you know we may see things differently and see addressing the issues of Hispanic demand differently, but I would love to work with John Leguizamo. He’s someone that you know…there’s a project that I have now, that I mean, I think he could work perfect for. You know also of course Javier Bardem, Gael Garcia, Diego Luna and Anthony Ramos is someone that I think really sticks out to me right now. As well as Ismail Cruz Cordova. As far as directors Robert Rodriguez has always been one of my Hispanic heroes. We’re both from the same hometown. I’m here from Austin, and so I think he’s someone that I strongly admire as well as a director. As far as Latinas I think Ana de Armas is someone that would be an honor to work with, and you know the list goes on I want to work with everyone.

XL: What are some ways that you feel the industry can do more to promote Latin representation, both in front of and behind the camera?

JMO: Ultimately, increasing Latin representation has to start within the packaging model on mainstream titles. So, again I use Robert Rodriguez as a great example of how he would cast his major successes.

The sad truth is the studios are driven by stockholder numbers, and timelines. So, inevitably are held hostage to having to invest mainly in already proven A-list stars to carry their titles and this is how they mitigate their financial risks. So, looking at it from that angle and considering that production executives have to focus on institutional survival; One way that I see that stands out, is for producers to focus on placing more Latin supporting cast around the already established big names on bigger titles. What this does is ultimately create more bankable Latin actors that can become the next Salma Hayek, the next Jessica Alba and the next Eva Longoria of the newer generation to continue the cycle. In other words, we need to see more diversity around established bankable actors because the buzz value will spotlight new talents that have yet to be seen.

Again, I go into the packaging of Alina of Cuba as a great example. Having James Franco as a major actor in packaging him with stars that are new and growing. I think it will have that impact. Luna Baxter and the Carlos Vesga are great examples of that type of talent in helping grow the industry and the network as a whole.

Martinez also emphasized the importance of highlighting true stories about Latinos, such as that of Carlos Lavernia in Barton Creek. As well as representation when it comes to Latinos of different groups, including Cuban and Mexicans in the US. This Latino-led biopic is written and will be directed by award-winning Cuban-American director Carlos V. Gutierrez. The story follows the triumphant life story of Lavernia, a Cuban political exile and Innocence Project participant, who was wrongfully convicted to life in prison and spent 15 years behind bars before being proven innocent. 

JMO: Stories like his are very inspiring in that you know he had no choice. He had to learn what it is to live in America, what it takes to challenge the legal system and speak the language. So, you know he didn’t have an easy road and I feel like you know his story deserves to be told to ultimately inspire others. 

Given that the Mexican-American mass is 24m+ and 40% of the U.S Hispanic market share, there really needs to be more Mexican American talents, which we also aim to cast in Mr. Lavernia’s story as a Cuban living in Texas around a mass of Chicanos, the neighborhood I grew up in.

XL: How do you feel the Hispanic and Latino marketplace for film and entertainment will change in the next 10 years? 

JMO: I think we’re going through a major population transition right now. There’s 62.6 million Hispanics in the U.S. roughly about 600 million total in Latin America and I think over time we’re going to gradually see studios aiming more to crack the code to cross national awards content that is led by more Latin actors. But, this also means that more producers focused on universality. We need more producers focused on universality and diversity because the content’s not going to get developed and produced by itself.

O’Felan also went into detail on what he has learned about the industry from his experiences working on Alina of Cuba, and his understanding of how the business and unity come together to move everything forward: 

JMO: Using Alina of Cuba as my first key to the Hollywood mecca to studio buyers, I learned first-hand during my process that each publicly traded conglomerate corporation (NBC-Universal, Focus, Sony, Fox, etc) has an executive in charge of independent acquisitions, an area where finished privately financed pictures are purchased in partnership for theatrical distribution: this is where investors recoup. Each year, during a studio’s yearly buying process, they study independent global consumer financial trends, buzz patterns and talent / content bankability en masse, and not just creative “storytelling.” Being that the U.S officially became the Corporation of the United States of America since 1871, ever since Thomas Edison founded the first studio in 1893, studios have historically grown over the last 130 years under the pressure of profitability by stockholders and growing government taxation in parallel.

With this thinking, each studio’s major investment in a finished picture is scaled across the world, and not just the United States or any tiny region, so it’s the global consumer that heavily influences what we’re seeing put out here in the U.S. In the current state, this is why comic book and action brands, which have held bestseller status, have become the norm. However, comic book and action brands aren’t necessarily designed to celebrate or promote culture, which is why studios won’t be shifting away from the Marvel or DC Universe any time soon.

The good news is, however, that right now is an ultra-hot time for independent “awards producers” and private equity financiers to step up and produce more Hispanic-human related content to service and sell to the studios, who will pay guarantees against films within the bulk of the roughly 100 international markets. This is where unity is key, because when a producer hires a large star like a James Franco or Javier Bardem as a co-lead on an awards picture, this allows the picture to introduce new stars while giving them initial clout. A perfect example is when Robert Rodriguez shot Desperado. That film was a case where as an innovator, Rodriguez, a Mexican American from Texas, placed a Spanish star as the male lead, and launched the epic career of Salma Hayek, a Latina born in Mexico who is now one of the most celebrated icons in film history.

Ultimately, O’Felan says, “I’d like to call for Hispanic unity as the first step in the business, because such will allow the independent world to build Latin stars alongside the current standing stars, creating a new universe for diversity and long term growth. In other words, we need to see more diversity around established bankable actors, because the buzz value will spotlight new talents who have yet to be seen.”

During our interview O’Felan stated that “Hispanics need a renaissance”. It seems that he is indeed doing everything possible to make that come true, while also becoming one of the trailblazers that is sorely needed in the entertainment industry right now. Mankind Entertainment’s remarkable lineup of powerful Latin stories and their mission of representation may soon help change the way audiences and Hollywood views Latinos.

The post EXCLUSIVE: ‘Alina De Cuba’ Producer John Martinez O’Felan Talks Latino Representation in Hollywood first appeared on .

Written by Roberto Leal

“The problem with Marilyn playing dumb blonde roles is she’s not dumb or a blonde” —Arthur Miller, Playwright

Ana de Armas has clearly and undeniably nailed down the coveted pole position for the for Oscar race for Best Actress. The talented, beautiful, Cuban-born de Armas delivers a stunning portrayal of Marilyn Monroe that is at once harrowing, compassionate, heart-breaking, nuanced, at times painful to watch and emotionally courageous. Ana de Armas has laid the foundation for this ground-breaking and controversial performance with critically acclaimed roles in her previous films, Knives Out, in which she plays a humble caregiver, the latest Bond girl in No Time to Die and a tough, kickass CIA agent in The Gray Man. But in Blonde, de Armas not only carries the film on her slender shoulders, she elevates the entire film to award-winning heights which in turn required her to extend her emotional acting range to newer, deeper and darker regions.

The Film Auteur’s Vision

The great Swedish filmmaker Ingmar Bergman, who gave us classic films like Persona, The 7^th Seal, and Wild Strawberries, observed that sitting in a darkened theater and watching the mesmerizing flickering images dance on a movie screen is the closest thing to the dream state. Andrew Dominik, the director of Blonde and noted for his avant-garde film, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Bob Ford, masterfully applies his auteurship skills to his vision of Blonde, which is based on the highly fictionalized, 1999 novel of Marilyn’s life by the author, Joyce Carol Oates.

In Blonde Dominik has created a surreal journey through the catacombs of Marilyn Monroe’s tortured inner psyche, as Norma Jean Baker struggles with the manufactured Hollywood identity of Marilyn Monroe that inhabits her body, mind and soul. In de Armas, Dominik has found the perfect vessel to bring his vision to life on the screen.

Dominik uses dark, muted light and shadows to convey an ethereal, dream-like tone that pervades the film often blending and mixing reality and nightmarish sequences with delusional fantasies.

Netflix, in a rare move, gave Dominik carte blanche to realize his vision of the material which contains some strong sexual content that resulted in Netflix getting its first NC-17 rating. But while the sexual content is disturbing, it is not especially graphic and as experienced through the vulnerable eyes of de Armas as Marilyn, it comes across more like pathos than porn. Ana de Armas uses her eyes, face, and inner dialogs between Norma Jean and Marilyn to paint a very textured portrait of the legendary Blonde Bombshell as a complicated, conflicted and misunderstood human being who became a Hollywood myth.

A Fine Supporting Cast

Blonde features an excellent supporting cast, all of whom turn in notable acting performances. However, Lily Fisher (Station 19, Life & Death)) as young Norma Jean and Julianne Nicholson (August: Osage County, Black Mass) as Gladys Baker, Marilyn’s mentally unstable, delusional and often abusive mother, deserve a special shout-out for their fine work in the opening scenes of Blonde that depict, with often unsettling detail, the genesis of Norma Jean /Marilyn Monroe’s journey.

Fisher has a very unforgettable and poignant scene when she is shuffled off to an orphanage and protests in a quiet, haunting, plaintive voice: “But I’m not n orphan.”  Nicholson’s riveting performance of Gladys’s descent into utter and complete madness is a disquieting and viscerally frightening experience to behold.

A Cinematic Triumph for Ana de Armas

But in the final analysis, Blonde is all Ana de Armas. Her performance is like a great concert pianist playing George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.  She commands the attention of the camera. You can’t take your eyes off of her. She draws you into the story and demands you watch, listen and try to understand her pain. The camera loves de Armas in much the same way it loved Marilyn Monroe, who was beyond a doubt the most photogenic Hollywood movie star of all time. 

Ana de Armas’s physical resemblance to Monroe is obvious. She worked diligently with an accent coach to diffuse her lovely Cuban accent and recreate Marilyn’s speaking voice. Her Cuban accent slightly betrays her only once or twice on certain words and did not detract from her performance at all.

In fact, it was a bit of unintentional irony that de armas, a Latina, was cast to play Marilyn Monroe. In real life, Monroe kept her Mexican birth heritage (her mother, Gladys, was born in Mexico) a professional secret because of pressure from the Hollywood studio executives who did not want their valuable All-American “product” to be tainted with a Hispanic background. So, in a karmic twist of fate, de Armas is in reality the perfect actress to portray Marilyn Monroe.

Ana de Armas’s star power keeps intensifying with each new challenging role. After her brilliant star turn in Blonde the only question remaining for de Armas is what designer dress this gorgeous and talented Latina will be wearing during her red-carpet interviews on her way to receiving her many well-earned and richly deserved acting awards for her role in this film.

BLONDE

Director: Andrew Dominik

Stars: Ana de Armas, Lily fisher, Julianne Nicholson

Distributor: Netflix

Blonde is currently streaming on Netflix.

The post Ana de Armas Gives an Oscar Worthy Performance in Netflix´s ‘Blonde’ first appeared on .

Film The Gray Man

Genre: Action, Thriller

Directors: Anthony russo, Joe Russo

Writers: Joe Russo, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely

Cast:  Ryan gosling, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Billy Bob Thornton, Jessica Henwick, Dhanush

REVIEW

Fact: Behind every bad ass white guy is an equally bad ass Latina. When the CIA’s most skilled operative code named Six, played by Ryan Gosling (La La Land, Dune) inadvertently uncovers dark agency secrets a nutso evil looney tunes former colleague, Lloyd Hansen, played with demonic over-the-top glee by Chris Evans (The Avengers, Captain America: Civil war) puts a bounty on Six’s head setting off a world-wide manhunt by international assassins.

But coming to protect Six’s head as well as his “six” (behind) is Agent Dani Miranda played by Ana de Armas (Knives Out, No Time to Die). Miranda is every bit as capable and tough an agent as Six which is handy since the two get involved in more furious, fever-pitched gun battles with Lloyd’s hired goons than the Marines in the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. Fortunately for Six and Miranda the paid pistoleros are either myopic or just terrible shots because despite all the firepower aimed at Six and Miranda, they never seem to hit anything and come off looking more like the Keystone Kops than stone-cold killers.

The Gray Man is one of those large-scale action-adventure movies that is meant to be seen in a theater with appropriate booming deafening sound system. But now that The Gray Man is streaming on Netflix in order to fully appreciate the powerful visual impact of the film the bare minimum of a 60-inch flat screen TV with surround sound is required to get the full effect.

However, no particular screen size is required to enjoy watching Ana’s exploits as Agent Miranda in The Gray Man as she shoots, fights, kicks but and escapes danger side-by-side with Six as they battle the seemingly overwhelming and endless killer, heavily armed enemy forces of Lloyd Hansen. Ana de Armas is on the verge of becoming a superstar in Hollywood. Her star power gets closer and closer to supernova brilliance with every movie.

Ana de Amras has proven her acting versatility in different genre films like Blade Runner 2049 and Knives Out. She was the “Bond” girl in No time to Die and soon will be seen in Netflix’s highly anticipated biopic of Marilyn Monroe, Blonde. The Gray Man is a crowd-pleasing high-octane action-adventure movie that could turn into a franchise like The Bourne Identity or Mission Impossible which will give us the pleasure of watching Ana de Armas’s future exploits as Agent Dani Miranda either in the theaters or on a streaming platform near you.

Producers: Chris Castaldi, Jeff Krischenbaum, Mike Laroca

Production Company: AGBO

Distributor: Netflix

Available: Netflix

Rating:

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Film: The Valet

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Director: Richard Wong

Writers: Bob fisher, Rob Greenberg, Francis Veber

Cast: Eugenio Derbez, Samara Weaving, Max Greenfield, Betsy Brandt,  Carmen Salinas, Amaury Nolasco

REVIEW

A Mexican character actor puts on a Master Class in light comedy.  The Valet, a sweet, charming romantic comedy becomes the perfect vehicle to showcase the comedic acting talents of Eugenio Derbez (Acapulco, CODA). Derbaz plays Antonio, a parking valet for a swank Beverly Hills restaurant. His life takes a convoluted turn for the weird when a beautiful movie star, Olivia, played by Samara Weaving (Ready or Not, Guns Akimbo), talks Antonio into posing as her boyfriend to cover up her relationship with a married man. Antonio is offered a lot of money for the gig and he needs it, so he agrees.

This theme of a famous  gorgeous female superstar celebrity getting romantically involved with a regular guy was used successfully in the hit movie, Marry Me with Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson and sadly all too briefly in the short-lived TV series, The Baker and the Beauty featuring Victor Rasuk and Natalie Kelley. In all three stories the Hollywood star is transformed by her relationship with her  “down to earth” working-class romantic interest. In The Valet, Olivia not only is smitten with the irresistible good-natured charms of Antonio, but also finds herself accepted into his Mexican family, especially by his mother, Cecilia, played by the late veteran Mexican actress, Carmen Salinas (Man on Fire, Carnival Nights) in a lovely supporting role.

But it’s Derb az’s effortless comedic performance that is the linchpin of The Valet. Light comedy acting is an underappreciated art in Hollywood. Performing light comedy at a high level like Derbez does in The Valet is not only underappreciated but often overlooked when it comes to getting nominations during award season.

Such was the case this year as the Emmys looked past Derbaz’s comedic performances in both The Valet and his bi-lingual comedy TV series, Acapulco. But Derbez is in good company. Cary Grant, another master of light comedy roles, never won an Oscar (except an Honorary one toward the end of his life)and was only nominated twice. Whether Derbez ever wins any acting awards for his unique light comedy gifts, his on-screen persona will continue to warm our hearts and bring a smile to our faces.

Producers: Eugenio Derbez, Ben Odell

Production Company: 3Pas Studios

Distributor: Hulu

Available: Hulu

Rating:

The post Thumbnail Reviews: ‘The Gray Man.,’ ‘The Valet.’ first appeared on .

Written by Roberto Leal

“A dozen press agents working overtime can do terrible things to the human spirit”—Cecil B. DeMille, Sunset Boulevard

Of the countless books and films about Marilyn Monroe almost all without exception have dealt with the well-known established Hollywood datapoints of her life and career: Her phenomenal rise to stardom, her two failed marriages, her miscarriages, her affairs with JFK and Bobby Kennedy, her addictions and the controversy surrounding her suicide in 1962 at the age of 36. But the facts about Marilyn’s Hispanic heritage were also well-documented and well-known but kept secret from the public when Hollywood transformed Norma Jean Mortensen into Marilyn Monroe.

A Mexican by Any Other Name

Hollywood put Marilyn’s ancestral family roots in the Great White American Midwest.  That was partly true, but they left out the fact that Marilyn’s maternal grandparents left the Midwest in the 1890s for Mexico due to financial hardships. They relocated in what is now Piedras Negras just across the border from Eagle Pass, Texas. they quickly assimilated in the norteño ranching and farming lifestyle and became completely “Mexicanized.” 

Marilyn’s mother, Gladys Pearl, was born in Mexico in 1902, therefore by birthright, Marilyn Monroe was a Latina. Unlike some famous celebrities of that time, like Hall of Fame slugger, Ted Williams, whose mother was a Mexican and who denied his Latino heritage all his life, Marilyn never disavowed her Mexican origins. But due to the pressures and demands put on her by Hollywood to maintain an All-American girl image, she kept them to herself to sustain her career.

Marilyn Reclaims Her Mexican Connection

At the height of her fabulous movie career, Marilyn formed her own production company, Marilyn Monroe Productions (MMP) and at this point no longer felt constrained by Hollywood to hide her Latina pride.

She spent a lot of time in Mexico; Ciudad Juarez, Mexico City, Acapulco and Baja California. There to the horror of Hollywood press agents and publicists Marilyn could be openly and publicly seen being serenaded by mariachi bands, eating tacos, climbing to the top of ancient Mayan pyramids, speaking Spanish in public and even becoming romantically involved with Mexican writer/producer, José Bolaños.

Marilyn bought and decorated her house with Mexican mahogany furniture. She even had her picture taken wearing a China Poblana traditional Mexican outfit  She was also fond of Mexican sweaters. One of the last photos of Marilyn is of her walking on the beach wearing her Mexican sweater. That sweater was found draped over her Mexican furniture the day of her death.

Her Safe Harbor?

There is no question the camera adored Marilyn Monroe. She was uniquely photogenic, sensual, vulnerable, fragile and beautiful. It was those qualities Hollywood packaged and branded into a myth; a product, a persona called Marilyn Monroe they could market to a White majority movie audience. The demands and expectations put on her to maintain this public façade proved painful to her already damaged psyche resulting from a troubled childhood and going from one foster home to another. Clinging to and embracing her Mexican heritage must have been like a safe harbor for Marilyn Monroe. It was a place where she could be a free spirit Latina and bask in the warmth and comfort of her Mexican culture and birthright.

In what must be an unintentional ironic twist of fate, the upcoming NC-17 rated Netflix biopic of Monroe entitled, Blonde, has rising Latina superstar, Ana de Armas (Knives Out, No Time to Die) in the lead role as the legendary Blonde Bombshell. The movie is based on the highly fictionalized and sensationalized account of Marilyn’s life in a novel by Joyce Carol Oates.

Could it be the producers of Blonde are sending a subliminal message to the audience of Marilyn’s Hispanic heritage by casting Armas, in the role of Marilyn Monroe? Or could it possibly be a guilt-driven casting Freudian slip in an attempt to subconsciously atone for suppressing the Mexican side of Marilyn she always honored but was not allowed to celebrate by the Hollywood establishment?

Regardless, somewhere in her eternal safe harbor, Norma Jean Mortensen must be flashing that million-dollar smile knowing at long last a Latina star is giving life to the truth of “La Mexicana”, Marilyn Monroe.

Blonde is written and directed by Andrew Dominik. The cast is led by Armas and features Bobby Cannavale, Adrien Brody, Julianne Nicholson, Xavier Samuel and Evan Williams.

Blonde, starring Ana de Armas, premieres on Netflix on September 23^rd.  

The post Marilyn Monroe Kept her Mexican Heritage a Secret In Hollywood first appeared on .

De Armas is transformed into the “Blond Bombshell” aka Marilyn Monroe with the help of make-up and true to life wardrobe. She has got the look down and strikingly resembles the iconic movie star, attitude and all.

From orphan to pin-up model to famous Hollywood star, that is the story that Blonde will tell.  A bit of fiction and fact, the life of one of the most marketable Hollywood stars of her time, the film is 

Directed by Andrew Dominik, and based on the bestselling novel by Joyce Carol Oates. 
Blonde, set for a September 23 release on Netflix, artfully explores the tension between her public and private life as the striking and mysterious

The post Trailer: Ana De Armas is Marilyn Monroe in ‘Blonde’ first appeared on .

Based on the celebrated novel by famed mystery writer Patricia Highsmith (“The Talented Mr. Ripley“), Deep Water takes you inside picture-perfect the marriage of Vic (Affleck) and Melinda (de Armas) Van Allen to discover the dangerous mind games they play and what happens to the people that get caught up in them.

De Armas was born in Cuba where she started her career as an actress. One of her first movies in the U.S. were  Knock Knock in 2015. She began getting more attention when she played Edgar Ramirez’s wife when he played Roberto Duran in the sports bio-pic of  Hands of Stone (2016) . However it was her role as a “holographic AI” in Blade Runner 2049 that really launched her career internationally. She was was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical for her role in Knives Out. She recently played Bond girl Paloma in No Time to Die and is set to portray Marilyn Monroe in the Netflix biographical drama Blonde (2022).

Deep Water is directed by Adrian Lyne (Fatal Attraction, Indecent Proposal) from a screenplay by Zach Helm and Sam Levinson, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith. The cast also included Tracy Letts, Lil Rel Howery, Dash Mihok, Finn Wittrock, Kristen Connolly, Jacob Elordi, Rachel Blanchard, Jade Fernandez, and Michael Braun.

The film is produced by Arnon Milchan, Guymon Casady, Benjamin Forkner and Anthony Katagas.

The post Ana De Armas And Ben Affleck And Their Perfect Marriage 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

The post Super Villians; Solid Snake; 2020 Top Actress first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

Five years after its initial release, Knock Knock, which stars Hollywood royalty Keanu Reeves and, at the time, relative newcomers Ana de Armas and Lorenza Izzo, has gained a resurgence in popularity thanks to Netflix.

Netflix released Knock Knock on October 28 and immediately it shot up to the #2 spot on its top ten list of films trending in the United States. Director Eli Roth reacted to this on his Instagram with an ecstatic, “This is incredible.” Adding, “Out of nowhere. Thank you everyone for watching.”

Knock Knock is an erotic home invasion horror/thriller filmed in 2015 in Chile. It’s Roth’s third writing collaboration with Uruguayan director/producer/writer Guillermo Amoedo. Their first two other films include Aftershock and The Green Inferno. Two of the actor who appeared in these films Aaron Burns (The Green Inferno) and Ignacia Allamand (The Green Inferno, Aftershock) were tapped to also star in Knock Knock at the time.

In this psychological thriller we meet Evan (Keanu Reeves), a dedicated middle-aged father who loves his wife and two young children, but is dissatisfied with his current situation. One rainy night, while his family is away for the weekend, two wet and lost young women, de Armas and Izzo, show up at his front door asking for directions. Evan opens his home to them with good intentions only to eventually fall for their charms and have a lapse in judgement. In the morning the women refuse to leave, proceeding to drag Evan into hell on Earth.

The style of horror seen in Knock Knock was the first major cinematic departure Roth had taken from his signature style of vivid gore and graphic violence known as “torture porn.” Knock Knock instead emphasized psychological horror, through the torturing of Evan by the two young women, with a dose of physical violence.

This film was a remake of the 1977 film Death Game (also known as The Seducers), which starred Colleen Camp and Sondra Locke, who were also producers on Knock Knock.

Knock Knock was de Armas’ first cross-over into English-language film and her introduction to U. S. audiences. Prior to this de Armas, who was born in Cuba, had mainly worked in films and television in Spain. Once she caught the attention of Hollywood, de Armas landed a plum role in Blade Runner 2049. She received a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in her follow-up film Knives Out (2019), where she starred alongside Daniel Craig. She then went on to once again star alongside Craig when she was cast as “Bond Girl” Paloma in No Time to Die. Her biggest role to date will be playing the title role of Norma Jean AKA Marilyn Monroe in the upcoming film Blonde which is being produced by Brad Pitts’ production company, Plan B.

Chilean actress Izzo began her acting career in two popular Chilean romantic comedies. Her first English speaking role was in Aftershock. She later worked in the films Green Inferno and the Oscar-winning Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, as well as on television in the Showtime limited series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels.

A unique suspenseful horror film, Knock Knock explores the diversity of modern Latin horror cinema.

With Knock Knock adding to Netflix’s roster and Latino themed films, domestic and international, it only broadens their major international influence for promoting Latino content and talent.

The post ‘Knock Knock’ Re-release Surges in Popularity on Netflix first appeared on .

The cast of No Time to Die stars Daniel Craig as James Bond, Ana de Armas as Paloma, Jeffery Wright as Felix Leiter, Rami Malek as Safin, Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, Ben Whishaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld and Ralph Fiennes as M. Also starring are Rory Kinnear, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, and Billy Magnussen

A Danjaq LLC. and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. production, No Time to Die is directed by Cary Joji Funkunaga and produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.  Get ready for No Time to Die coming to theaters November 20, 2020. 

The post No Time to Die Trailer Release first appeared on .

Staff Writer

Los Angeles – The Imagen Foundation President Helen Hernandez today announced 114 nominees in 20 categories for this year’s 35^th Annual Imagen Awards. The award show has expanded by adding three new categories: Best Director in Television, Best Music Composition for Film and Television and Best Music Supervision for Film and Television. The Imagen Awards will be presented virtually Thursday, September 24^th, at 5 PM.

“This year’s list of nominees is a far cry from four honorees 35 years ago,” said Hernandez. “The level of creativity and talent in our community is bountiful and is exemplified in this year’s list. The judges were challenged with the overwhelming increase of quality submissions for consideration. It’s clear that we are making some strides, but have a way to go to achieve significant equity and inclusion in the industry. Until then, Imagen is committed to be the means to elevate and profile Latino talent in front of and behind the camera. Congratulations to this year’s nominees.”

The many years of continuous effort to spotlight and celebrate diversity in the entertainment industry has positioned the Foundation as a leader in distinguishing actors, studios, executives, and many more for their exceptional performances and achievements in film and television.

The Imagen Awards program was established in 1985 from a suggestion by veteran television producer Norman Lear to encourage and recognize the positive portrayals of Latinos in the media. The Foundation expanded its programs and initiatives to further its mission to serve as a bridge between the Latino community and the entertainment industry in providing access, education and resources for Latinos in the industry, as well as those seeking careers in entertainment.

The complete list of 35^th Annual Imagen Awards nominations follows:

The Theatrical Motion Pictures Nominees are:

Best Feature Film

• Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Paramount Pictures)
• I Carry You with Me (Black Bear Pictures, Loki Films, The Population, Zafiro Cinema and Sony Pictures Classics)
• Las Pildoras de mi Novio (Pantelion Films and Lionsgate; Fuego Films, Pantelion Films, Traziende Films, ECABA)
• Sergio (Netflix; Black Rabbit Media, Anima Pictures and Itapoan Productions for Netflix)

Best Director – Feature Film

• James Bobin, Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Paramount Pictures)
• Heidi Ewing, I Carry You with Me (Black Bear Pictures, Loki Films, The Population, Zafiro Cinema and Sony Pictures Classics) 
• Andy Muschietti, IT Chapter Two (Warner Bros. Pictures)

Best Actor – Feature Film

• Jaime Camil, Las Pildoras de mi Novio (Pantelion Films and Lionsgate; Fuego Films, Pantelion Films, Traziende Films, ECABA)
• Eugenio Derbez, Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Paramount Pictures) 
• Armando Espitia, I Carry You with Me (Black Bear Pictures, Loki Films, The Population, Zafiro Cinema and Sony Pictures Classics) 
• Michael Garza, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark (Lionsgate, CBS Films, eOne)
• Al Madrigal, The Way Back (Warner Bros. Pictures) 
• Adrian Martinez, Lady and The Tramp (Disney+; Disney+/Taylor Made) 
• Wagner Moura, Sergio (Netflix; Black Rabbit Media, Anima Pictures and Itapoan Productions for Netflix)

Best Actress – Feature Film

• Ana de Armas, Knives Out (Lionsgate) 
• Priscilla Star Diaz, Release (HollyHood Productions, Inc.)
• Sandra Echeverría, Las Pildoras de mi Novio (Pantelion Films and Lionsgate; Fuego Films, Pantelion Films, Traziende Films, ECABA)
• Eiza Gonzalez, Bloodshot (Sony Pictures Entertainment Columbia Pictures)
• Jennifer Lopez, Hustlers (STXfilms, Gloria Sanchez Productions, Nuyorican Productions) 
• Isabela Moner, Dora and the Lost City of Gold (Paramount Pictures)

The Television Nominees are:

Best Primetime Program: Drama

• Good Trouble (Freeform; Freeform in association with Nuyorican Productions, Blazing Elm Entertainment and JJ Prods) 
• Law & Order: SVU (NBC; Wolf Entertainment & Universal Television)
• Mayans M.C. (FX Network; Fox 21 Television Studios & FX Productions)
• Narcos: Mexico (Netflix; Gaumont International Television for Netflix)
• Pose (FX Network; Fox 21 Television Studios & FX Productions)
• Queen of the South (USA Network; Fox 21 Television Studios and UCP)

Best Primetime Program: Comedy

• ANA (Pantaya; Viacom International Studios)
• El juego de las llaves (Pantaya; Pantaya, Corazón Films and Amazon Prime)
• Gentefied (Netflix; Netflix)
• Little America (Apple TV+; Apple / Universal Television)
• Mr. Iglesias (Netflix; Netflix)
• One Day at a Time (Pop TV; Sony Pictures Television, Act III Productions, GloNation, Snowpants Productions)

Best Primetime Program: Special, Movie or Limited Series

• Collisions (Fuse; Widdershins Film, Mitchell Street Pictures, Don’t Foam)
• Into the Dark: Culture Shock (Hulu; Hulu / Blumhouse Television) 
• Live in Front of a Studio Audience: “All in the Family” and “Good Times” (ABC; Sony Pictures Television, Act III Productions, Kimmelot, Gary Sanchez Productions, Simpson Street, D’Arconville)

Best Director – Television

• Miguel Arteta, Room 104 (HBO; HBO in association with Duplass Brothers Productions) 
• Norberto Barba, Better Call Saul (AMC; High Bridge Productions; AMC)
• Steven Canals, Pose (FX Network; Fox 21 Television Studios & FX Productions) 
• Aurora Guerrero, Little America (Apple TV+; Apple / Universal Television) 
• Gigi Saul Guerrero, Into the Dark: Culture Shock (Hulu; Hulu / Blumhouse Television)
• Ben Hernandez Bray, Queen of the South (USA Network; Breakout Kings Productions, LLC) 
• Tanya Saracho, Vida (STARZ; Big Beach and Chingona Productions in association with Starz Originals) 
• Batan Silva, Law & Order: SVU (NBC; Wolf Entertainment & Universal Television)

Best Actor – Television

• Arturo Castro, Flipped (Quibi; Funny or Die / Quibi) 
• Jesse Garcia, Collisions (Fuse; Widdershins Film, Mitchell Street Pictures, Don’t Foam)
• Gabriel Iglesias, Mr. Iglesias (Netflix; Netflix)
• Diego Luna, Narcos: Mexico (Netflix; Gaumont International Television for Netflix) 
• JD Pardo, Mayans M.C. (FX Networks; Fox 21 Television Studios & FX Productions) 
• Carlos Santos, Gentefied (Netflix; Netflix) 
• J.J. Soria, Gentefied (Netflix; Netflix)

Best Actress – Television

• Alice Braga, Queen of the South (USA Network; Fox 21 Television Studios and UCP) 
• Jearnest Corchado, Little America (Apple TV+; Apple / Universal Television) 
• Justina Machado, Family Pictures (Lifetime; Lifetime Pictures) 
• Justina Machado, One Day at a Time (Pop TV; Sony Pictures Television, Act III Productions, GloNation, Snowpants Productions) 
• Mishel Prada, Vida (STARZ; Big Beach and Chingona Productions in association with Starz Originals) 
• Mj Rodriguez, Pose (FX Network; Fox 21 Television Studios & FX Productions) 
• Gina Torres, Pearson (USA Network; UCP)

Best Supporting Actor – Television

• Arturo Castro, Room 104 (HBO; HBO in association with Duplass Brothers Productions) 
• Guillermo Diaz, Law & Order: SVU (NBC; Wolf Entertainment & Universal Television) 
• Fabrizio Guido, Mr. Iglesias (Netflix; Netflix) 
• Julio Macias, On My Block (Netflix; Netflix) 
• Hemky Madera, Queen of the South (USA Network; Plural Entertainment) 
• Edward James Olmos, Mayans M.C. (FX Network; Fox 21 Television Studios & FX Productions) 
• John Ortiz, Little America (Apple TV+; Apple / Universal Television)

Best Supporting Actress – Television

• Lisseth Chavez, Chicago P.D. (NBC; Wolf Entertainment & Universal Television)
• Cote De Pablo, N.C.I.S. (CBS; Belisarius Productions in association with CBS Television Studios) 
• Melissa Fumero, Elena of Avalor (Disney Junior; Disney Television Animation) 
• Isabella Gomez, One Day at a Time (Pop TV; Sony Pictures Television, Act III Productions, GloNation, Snowpants Productions) 
• Rita Moreno, One Day at a Time (Pop TV; Sony Pictures Television, Act III Productions, GloNation, Snowpants Productions) 
• Manni Perez, Law & Order: SVU (NBC; Wolf Entertainment & Universal Television) 
• Chelsea Rendon, Vida (STARZ; Big Beach and Chingona Productions in association with Starz Originals)
• Cristina Umaña, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (Prime Video; Paramount Television and Amazon Studios)

Best Young Actor – Television

• Izabella Alvarez, The Casagrandes (Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon) 
• Izabella Alvarez, Collisions (Fuse; Widdershins Film, Mitchell Street Pictures, Don’t Foam) 
• Isaac Arellanes, Ghostwriter (Apple TV+; Apple / Sesame Workshop / Sinking Ship Entertainment) 
• Paulina Chávez, Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love (Netflix; Netflix) 
• Tess Romero, Diary of a Future President (Disney+; CBS Television Studios) 
• Justin Sanchez, Ghostwriter (Apple TV+; Apple / Sesame Workshop / Sinking Ship Entertainment)

Best Variety or Reality Show

• America’s Most Musical Family (Nickelodeon; IPC)
• De viaje con los Derbez (Pantaya; Pantaya, Amazon Studios, World-wide)
• Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted (National Geographic; Studio Ramsay and Objective Media Group, An ALL3 Media Group Company for National Geographic)
• Jerry Garcia: It’s Not My Weekend (HBO Latino; Viva Pictures Distribution LLC)
• Pati’s Mexican Table (WETA Washington, DC / Distributed nationally by American Public Television; Mexican Table, WETA Washington, DC, and FRANK.)
• Total Bellas (E!; Bunim/Murray Productions, E! Entertainment)

Best Children’s Programming

• Ashley Garcia: Genius in Love (Netflix; Netflix)
• The Casagrandes (Nickelodeon; Nickelodeon)
• DuckTales (Disney Channel; Disney Television Animation)
• Elena of Avalor (Disney Junior; Disney Television Animation)
• Ghostwriter (Apple TV+; Apple / Sesame Workshop / Sinking Ship Entertainment)
• Sesame Street’s 50^th Anniversary Special (HBO; HBO in association with NYC Filmgree, Sesame Workshop and Sesame Street)
• Vampirina (Disney Junior; Brown Bag Entertainment)

Additional Nominees are:  

Best Informational Program

• Activate: The Global Citizen Movement – “Education Cannot Wait” (National Geographic; Produced by RadicalMedia and Global Citizen for National Geographic)
• Dylan Reales: El Loco Del Palo (Golf Channel; Golf Channel)
• Life Connected (NBC; KNBC-TV)
• SC Reportajes: Caballitos de Totora (ESPN Deportes; ESPN Productions Inc.)
• VICE News Tonight (HBO; HBO Entertainment in association with Vice and Bill Maher Productions)
• VOCES: Raul Julia: The World’s a Stage (PBS; Latino Public Broadcasting, PBS SoCal)
• Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas (HBO; HBO in association with Amalgamated Bear, Sixteen String Jack Productions and Avalon)

Best Documentary

• Colossus (Fuse; Campanario, Perimeter Pictures)
• The First Rainbow Coalition (PBS; Latino Public Broadcasting, Nantes Media, LLC, Good Docs, ITVS)
• Home: Mexico (Apple TV+; Apple / MediaWeaver / Four M Studios / Altimeter Films)
• POV: The Silence of Others (PBS; Semilla Verde Productions, Lucernam Films, American Best Documentary | POV, Independent Television Service (ITVS) and Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB), in association with El Deseo, with funding from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).)
• Sea of Shadows (National Geographic; Terra Mater Factual Studios in association with Appian Way, Malaika Pictures, The Wild Lens Collective for National Geographic Best Documentary Films)
• Torn Apart: Separated at the Border (HBO; HBO Best Documentary Films in association with Talos Films)
• VOCES: Porvenir, Texas (PBS; Latino Public Broadcasting, PBS SoCal)

Best Commercial Advertisement or Social Awareness Campaign

• Chain of Heroes (Orci Studios)
• DIY Girls (Orci Studios)
• Entre Latinos (AmericaFilmWorks)
• Hazte Contar (Green Power Media, Sandblast Productions)

Best Music Composition for Film or TV

• Andrés Sanchez Maher, Gus Reyes, and Emilio Acevedo, Los Espookys (HBO; HBO in association with Mas Mejor, Antigravico and Broadway Video)
• Angélica Negrón, Independent Lens (PBS series Independent Lens; Nantes Media, LLC)
• Joey Newman, Diary of a Future President (Disney+; I Can & I Will Productions, CBS TV Studios)

Best Music Supervision for Film or TV

• Janet Lopez, Diary of a Future President (Disney+, CBS Television Studios)
• Javier Índice Nuño and Joe Rodriguez, Los Espookys (HBO, HBO in association with Mas Mejor, Antigravico and Broadway Video)

The post Nominations Announced For The 35th Annual Imagen Awards first appeared on .