Written by Julio Martinez

The highly anticipated second season of the HBO Original The Last of Us, the American post-apocalyptic drama series, is set to premiere on Sunday, April 13 at 9 PM ET/PT. The series, based on the popular video game franchise created by Naughty Dog, LLC, is written and executive produced by Neil Druckmann and directed by Craig Mazin.

Set two decades into a devastating global pandemic caused by a fungal infection that turns humans into aggressive, zombie-like creatures, The Last of Us explores a world where society has crumbled—and the fight for survival reveals both the best and worst of humanity.

At a recent press conference, Druckmann, Mazin, and the cast gathered to discuss the upcoming season, which follows the storyline of the 2020 game The Last of Us Part II. Season 2 continues the journey of Joel, portrayed by Pedro Pascal, as he faces new challenges in a darker, more emotionally complex world.

Pascal expressed excitement about further developing Joel’s character. “There’s something really exciting about giving everyone another season of a show they loved—and that we worked so hard on,” he shared.

Pascal’s rise to stardom has been a long time coming. After nearly two decades of smaller roles on stage and screen, his breakout came as Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones. He gained further acclaim playing DEA agent Javier Peña in Netflix’s Narcos (2015–2017).

Returning for season two is Gabriel Luna as Tommy, Joel’s younger brother. “It’s so comforting to get the family back together,” Luna said. “And we’ve added incredible new cast members who’ve brought a deep love for the source material. I may be 43, but their energy really lifted us all. We can’t wait for audiences to see what we’ve created.”

Luna is no stranger to high-energy roles, having previously starred as Robbie Reyes in Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., Tony Bravo in Matador, and Paco Contreras in Wicked City.

Season two introduces a host of new characters, including:

• Isabela Merced as Dina
  
• Young Mazino as Jesse
  
• Ariela Barer as Mel
  
• Tati Gabrielle as Nora
  
• Spencer Lord as Owen
  
• Danny Ramirez as Manny
  
• Jeffrey Wright as Isaac
  
• With a guest appearance by Catherine O’Hara

Merced, 24, shines as Dina, bringing both confidence and heart to the role. “I felt like the new kid at school,” she said. “I think Dina and I share this random, unshakable confidence. How does the new kid instantly become the ‘it’ girl?”

Luna joked, “She shows up to a press conference in a sparkly dress!” Merced laughed, “And you know I had to sparkle.” She went on to praise the inclusive and welcoming environment on set. “I felt really seen by Craig and Neil. That’s the kind of space where an actor can thrive.”

Merced, who considers herself “more Peruvian than American,” shared that Spanish was her first language and that she struggled with English in grade school. By age 15, however, she had already been accepted into college.

Bella Ramsey, returning as Ellie, opened up about the pressure and pride of continuing the story. “When season one came out, it was huge. Now with season two, all eyes are on us—and me—and that’s a bit scary. But it’s also exciting. I’m trying to see it as a celebration of all our hard work.” She highlighted the trust and camaraderie she shares with fellow cast members like Kaitlyn Dever and Young Mazino. “We went into this with total trust, and we’ve been supported every step of the way.”

Showrunners Mazin and Druckmann closed out the press event by reflecting on the intense preparation behind the scenes. “We’ve been working nonstop for two years,” Mazin said. “Season one ended—and we jumped right into writing, shooting, and editing season two. We’re incredibly proud and eager for fans to see it.”

Druckmann added, “Someone asked me if I’m excited for the premiere. I told them: I can’t even think that far ahead—we’ve still got this press conference to get through! But now it’s close, and I’m starting to imagine people watching. It’s going to be a wild ride.”

The Last of Us Season 2,  will run for 7 episodes, beginning Sunday April 13 (9pm, ET/PT) on HBO and will be available to stream on Max. 

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The Terminator franchise, always has an eye towards the future and there is certainly no future without Latinos and this franchise knows it. In two of the most pivotal roles in Terminator: Dark Fate, rising star Gabriel Luna is the new unstoppable Terminator Model Rev-9 sent from the future to kill Dani Ramos, the future leader of the human resistance who is played by newcomer Natalia Reyes. The audience is loving it to the tune of $29 million and topping the weekend’s boxoffice list at #1!

Luna and Reyes have the star power of one of the first Badass women in film Linda Hamilton who returns as Sarah Connor. At 64 years of age, she puts some 40-year-olds to shame. The original Terminator Arnold Schwarzenegger, also makes a comeback and the film is all four of theirs to own.

The movie is partly set in a devastated Mexico City of the future and it brings in three Latinx actors to help usher in the new Terminator franchise era.

Luna’s Terminator rarely speaks and his presence is intended to instill fear and be a real threat to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator-T800. The 36-year-old Luna has an on screen knockdown, drag on-fight with the 72-year-old original Terminator star Schwarzenegger who is a formidable foe. 

A native of Austin, Texas, Luna is best known as Robbie Reyes, the Ghost Rider in the Agents of Shield TV series and as Tony Bravo in the El Rey series Matador.  

The movie also stars Linda Hamilton returning to the sixth film in the action franchise from the original Terminator2 as Sarah Connor.  Hamilton and director Tim Miller cast Reyes, a young Columbian actress with extensive film and television work in Latin America for the key role of Dani as it echoed Connor’s own story. 

The other Badass female role goes to Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049). Together the three lead actresses were invincible. “Natalia, Mackenzie, and I formed a really amazing triangle and if one of us would have been weak, the whole thing would have come tumbling down,” Hamilton explained.

In a recent interview with EW, Reyes remarked about the film, “I love that it just shows diversity without really trying. And I think that is actually different to what we are seeing around; it’s showing the world as it is, and it makes me really proud of the movie.”

Mexican actor Diego Boneta co-stars as Miguel Ramos.  Boneta appeared in the film Rock of Ages and in the Luis Miguel biographical Spanish language limited series about one of Mexico’s most iconic singer, which aired on Telemundo.

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The main message resonating throughout the film is that “there is no fate but what you make.”

According to those in the know, Terminator Dark Fate is a followup to Terminator 2: Judgement Day and it totally ignores the sequels that followed over the years. Back in the saddle is Arnold Schwarzenegger, along with franchise newbies, Natalia Reyes and Mackenzie Davis. Also starring are Linda Hamilton, Gabriel Luna ad Diego Boneta.

Terminator Dark Fate is described as a “return to the intensity, grit, and spectacle of the movies that first captured our imagination decades earlier,” stated Paramount studio chief.

The series creator James Cameron returns for the first time since 1991’s Terminator 2. Cameron is producing the film, and Tim Miller (Deadpool) is directing.

Cameron launched the franchise with 1984’s The Terminator, a sci-fi tale that told of Sarah Connor (Hamilton) a woman who is hunted by a killer T-800 (Schwarzenegger) from the future because her unborn son John will lead humanity in a war against machines.

The $160-200 million budget Terminator: Dark Fate opens Nov. 1 from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media, Lightstorm Entertainment, and Tencent Pictures

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Gabriel Luna cast in Marvel’s Ghost Rider for Hulu

It was reported by Variety that Gabriel Luna will star in the Marvel Live action series reinterpretation of the character Ghost Rider for Hulu.  

Marvel’s Ghost Rider, also known as Robbie Reyes, is a quintessential antihero, who lives on the Texas /Mexico border and is consumed by hellfire and supernaturally bound to a demon. Reyes lives on the Texas/Mexico border and when he unleashes the Rider, Robbie brings vengeance for the innocents he encounters but struggles to control the power he wields. Marvel’s Ghost Rider is executive produced by Ingrid Escajeda, who will serve as showrunner, Paul Zbyszewski and Marvel’s Jeph Loeb

Luna previously portrayed the character in the ABC –Marvel series Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Ghost Rider will be a stand-alone character that will have no connection to the previous comic, television, animated and film incarnations.  Nicolas Cage portrayed Ghost Rider Johnny Blaze opposite Eva Mendes in a 2007 big screen film version. The Hulu series is set for a 2020 debut.

Luna’s television credits include True Detective, Wicked City and Matador for Robert Rodriquez. He will be seen this summer co-starring with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton in Terminator: Dark Fate.

Luna is repped by UTA, Management 350 and Ziffren Brittenham.

Priscilla Quintana Lands Lead Role in the CW’s Pandora

Priscilla Quintana (Traffik) has landed the lead role in the CW’s Pandora sci-fi series to premiere this summer. The series is created by Mark A. Altman and Steve Kriozere (ABC’s Castle).

Set in the year 2199, a young woman (Quintana) who has lost everything finds a new life at Earth’s Space Training Academy where she learns to defend the galaxy from intergalactic threats.

Also cast as series regular cast are Oliver Dench (Ride), Raechelle Banno (Home and Away), John Harlan Kim(The Librarians), Ben Radcliffe (The Evermoor Chronicles), Banita Sandhu (October), Martin Bobb-Semple (Free Rein) and Noah Huntley (The Royals, 28 Days Later).

A former model, soon to be a major talent in Hollywood, Quintana is represented by Steven Jang of SDB Partners and managed by Ben Levine of LINK Entertainment.

Alma Martinez Guest Stars on AMC’s The Terror: Infamy

Alma Martinez ( Zoot Suit, Barbarosa) guest stars in four episodes of the new second season of AMC’s The Terror: Infamy, a 10 episode series set during World War II in the 1940s and follows the lives of the American Nakayama and Ojeda/Trujillo families.

Martinez is a prolific actress and educator whose career spans over 40 years in film, theatre, and television both in the United States and Internationally. Martinez co-incidentally began her career in the theatrical production of the 1940s set theatrical and the film version of the hit musical drama Zoot Suit by Luis Valdez. Martinez will be seen later this year in the feature film Clemency opposite Alfre Woodward.  

The Terror: Infamy stars Derek Mio, George Takei and Cristina Rodlo (Miss Bala) the anthology series of events take place in a stateside Japanese Internment camp where a series of bizarre deaths haunt a Japanese-American community and a young man’s journey to unlock and combat malevolent forces. Takei, who spent part of his childhood years in an internment camp, serves as a special consultant for the production which is shooting on location on Vancouver, British Colombia with a production team from Japan, Mexico, England, Australia, Scotland, New Zealand, Canada and Pico Rivera, California.  The second season of The Terror: Infamy anthology series will premiere on AMC on August 2^nd, 2019.

Alma Martinez is repped by Rectangle Entertainment (management) and Vox (talent voice agent).

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The long awaited follow up to James Cameron‘s original 1984 blockbuster ‘Terminator‘ has finally arrived. Or at least a handful of sneak-peek images from the forthcoming sci-fi action film have, that were exclusively released at CinemaCon.

We are delighted to get proof positive verification that Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are back reprising their legendary roles as The Terminator (T800) and Sarah Connor, respectively! The film is being helmed by Deadpool (2016) director Tim Miller and produced by Cameron, and is currently in post production.

There is also very welcome news that there are three Latins—yes, three (!)—in the principal cast who are integrally central to the movie and get some serious screen time in this fall tentpole release: Natalia Reyes as Dani Ramos, Diego Boneta, whose name and identity in the film is still not being revealed, and Gabriel Luna, who is a modern Terminator in the film. Rounding out the cast of newcomers is Mackenzie Davis who looks like a badass straight out the box!

Natalia Reyes is a Colombian actress. Diego Andrés González Boneta (Diego Boneta) is a Mexican national born in Mexico City (where we hear the film opens). Gabriel Luna hails from Austin, Texas. All these are welcome fresh talent/faces who are taking the stage in what is their most high profile roles to date, and will undoubtedly push them into the next level of their careers. And we couldn’t be happier to see our likeness reflected off the shiny morphing metallic skins of the deadly Terminators!

The buzz after the reveal of the still images and five minutes of footage showcased at CinemaCon during the Paramount sponsored panel is high and positive.

In 2015 Paramount Pictures swung hard for the fences with “Terminator Genisys” but was left standing at the plate after the film performed dismally at the boxoffice. Now the studio is looking to revive the franchise, and redeem itself for its previous faux pas by utilizing the star power and nostalgia from its seminal films, ‘The Terminator’ and ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’ On that front, ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ is skipping over the content produced after Judgment Day, as well as the The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV series. As fans of the first two films, needless to say, we’re hoping for an out-of-the-park  home-run this time around, and we think Miller has the gravitas to score a hit!

‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ crashes into theaters on November. 1, 2019

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