In a career-defining role as Jenni rivera, Annie Gonzalez stars in the VIx biopic Jenni, which makes its premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival on October 21, 2024.  Gonzalez’ career has been on a fast track since a little over a year ago when she starred in her first female lead role in Eva Longoria’s directorial debut of Flamin’ Hot.  Now Gonzalez takes another career leap, in her first title role where she not only stars in the title role, she is also executive producing!  

Jenni, is directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero (Bingo Hell) and is the life story about  “La Diva de la Banda” Jenni Rivera, the Mexican-American singer, songwriter, actress, producer, and entrepreneur who passed away in 2012. She was known for her work in the banda, mariachi, and norteño genres of regional Mexican music. Rivera was the most successful female artist in the male-dominated banda genre who also became a reality TV star (I Love Jenni), businesswoman, and activist. On a flight back home after a performance in Mexico, Rivera’s plane crashed.

The film will highlight Jenni Rivera’s resilience, her journey to stardom, and the personal battles that shaped her legacy. Gonzalez has expressed how deeply honored she feels to portray Rivera, calling her a “phenomenal survivor” who, despite facing adversity, never saw herself as a victim. She emphasized the importance of Rivera’s messages of feminism, civil rights, and empowerment, which resonate with women and Latinas everywhere.

The Rivera family has been actively involved in the film’s production. Jacqie Rivera, Jenni’s daughter and CEO of Jenni Rivera Enterprises, expressed excitement over the project, stating that her mother’s story will continue to inspire future generations. While it has been an emotional journey for the family to see their mother portrayed on screen by Gonzalez.

Although it has been more than a decade after her untimely death in 2012, Jenni Rivera’s fan base remains loyal.  Her life has also inspired her eldest daughter, Chiquis Rivera to pursue a career in banda music and continue the family legacy.   Chiquis has won two Latin Grammys for Best Banda Album for her 2020 album “Playlist”, being the first solo woman to win in this category. She also has a Latin Grammy for her album “Abeja Reina” in 2022. Her mother, Jenni would be proud.

Tickets for the screening of Jenni (you csn choose from Screening and After Party or just the Screening) at the Newport Beach Film Festival can be purchased HERE. For a discount courtesy of LATINAFest and the Newport Beach Film Festival use this code: Mexican2024

The post WORLD PREMIERE: Annie Gonzalez stars in ‘Jenni’ Biopic at the Newport Beach Film Festival first appeared on .

By Xavier LeBlanc

The 2021 Latin Heat Rising Star Award recipient, Annie Gonzalez, is living up to that title as she has now officially been cast in the lead role of iconic Mexican-American singer Jenni Rivera in the aptly titled film Jenni. The film is being directed by fellow Mexican actress and filmmaker Gigi Saul Guerrero, who is currently signed to a first-look deal with Blumhouse Productions. Jenni is the first feature film to be authorized by Rivera’s estate, and is being produced by Mucho Mas Media and De Line Pictures.

This will be Gonzalez second lead role in a feature film and she is doing it up in a big way. She will not only star in the title bio-pic she will also executive produce for Greenlit At Vix. Filming began in Bogota, Colombia and will wrap up in Los Angeles and is set to premiere exclusively via ViX and in select movie theaters in the United States and Mexico later this year.

Jenni will center on Rivera’s rise as a Spanish singer who successfully crossed over to U.S. and global audiences, as well as her work as a women’s rights activist. Rivera’s unprecedented, groundbreaking career as a female entertainer within an industry formerly dominated by men, made her one of the best-selling regional Mexican artists of all time. Rivera earned 15 gold and platinum selling records, top-drawing international tours and in 2012 she was named one of the top 25 most powerful women by People en Español. 

Gonzalez is a talented young Latina actress who first began her career as a child with appearances on shows such as ABC’s Without a Trace, and has rapidly established an impressive resume for herself in recent years. This includes her most notable breakout role on the 2020 Netflix series Gentefied, in which she played the character of Lidia Solis. The show’s themes revolved around gentrification, family and dreams of three Mexican-American cousins in the East L.A. As a Mexican-American woman herself, Gonzalez identifies as being proudly Chicana. 

Most recently, Gonzalez wrapped production on her starring role in the upcoming Searchlight Pictures film Flamin’ Hot as Judy Montañez, the wife of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos’ inventor Richard Montañez. The film, which also stars Jesse Garcia as the inventor, is being directed by the multi-talented Eva Longoria, who was recently signaled out by Variety as one of 20 Directors To Watch in 2023. Gonzalez previously credited Longoria and others for opening up doors for Chicanos in Hollywood, and is now primed to do so herself after landing such a coveted role in Jenni. 

Gonzalez’ work on Gentefied may have uniquely prepared her to take on the role of a legend like Rivera. In the past, Gonzalez described her role of Lidia Solis as “a woman anyone can relate to, who feels pain, has weaknesses, shows vulnerabilities, who has gone through so much and done a lot.” Her upcoming role as Rivera is likely to reflect many of those very same characteristics, and it shows that Gonzalez is very well suited to embody the fascinating traits that made Rivera a beloved figure around the world. 

Jenni is set to premiere on TelevisaUnivision’s premium streaming tier VIX+ and in select theaters throughout the U.S. and Mexico. A release date has not been announced yet for the highly anticipated biopic. Augusto Rovegno, the senior VP of acquisitions and SVOD programming at TelevisaUnivision was previously quoted as saying “This original film will celebrate her (Rivera’s) life and share how she inspired women and young generations in general to overcome obstacles and live their best lives.”

Gonzalez has always seen herself as a performer, and at an amazingly mere 7 years of age, imagined herself as an actress one day receiving prestigious Oscar and Tony Awards. She has openly expressed her desire to “demonstrate the full range of my acting chops”, and thanks to this groundbreaking new role she may very well be on her way to accomplishing all of this and more. The future is indeed bright for this gifted Chicana actress, and viewers everywhere are undoubtedly in for quite the treat when Gonzalez graces screens as the cultural and music icon that is Rivera. 

She is repped by Innovative Artists and Silver Lining Entertainment

The post Annie Gonzalez Stars as Jenni Rivera in Mucho Mas Media’s Biopic ‘Jenni’ first appeared on .

Horror films are the most underappreciated genre with the Motion Picture Academy. They rarely get nominated or win Oscars. The only true horror flick to win, The Silence of the Lambs in 1992, won Best Picture plus several other coveted categories. Two-thousand-seventeen saw The Shape of Water take the big prize, but Guillermo del Toro’s fish tale isn’t so much a horror movie as it is an amphibian, fantasy, re-telling of the Beauty and the Beast fable. Guillermo del Toro’s creature from the black lagoon is a mistreated critter who oozes pathos, not terror.

Despite being snubbed by the Academy, horror films are often critically acclaimed works of cinema and enormous commercial successes. Look no further than Halloween Kills which is currently killing it at the box office.

So, it is most gratifying to see Blumhouse produce Madres and Bingo Hell, two well-crafted horror films featuring Latino casts, themes and two young, promising Latino directors with distinct and unique approaches to the ever-popular, ticket selling horror movie genre.

THAT ENDLESS PERVADING SENSE OF DREAD

Madres is a classic gothic horror story. But rather than being set in a 19th-century dark, musty castle or spooky old Victorian mansion, director Ryan Zaragoza (All American) skillfully puts together shots that create a pervading sense of impending dread to a migrant farm community in the 1970s.

The story of Madres, written by Marchella Ochoa (Worry Dolls) and Mario Miscione (Dark Web), tells the story of a young Mexican American girl from Los Angeles who moves to a migrant farm community with her Mexican husband. But not long after arriving, she finds herself confronted by terrifying visions.

“This story takes place in the ’70s,” says Zaragoza, “and I am a huge ‘70’s horror movie fan. I especially love the way those filmmakers use the camera and block scenes.” He continues, “I spent a lot of time preparing for this movie analyzing the work of Stanley Kubrick (The Shining) and Steven Spielberg (Jaws).”
The Jaws reference is significant because Madre’s understated but haunting music score by Esqbelle Engman-Brodwik (Bebé) is eerily reminiscent in its effect, forewarning us something bad is going to happen like John Williams memorable score for Jaws.

Madres is also aided by an excellent cast led by a strong performance by Ariana Guerra (Hellstrom), who plays Diana, the young expecting Mexican American mother who is a complete cultural fish out of water in the migrant farm community. Tenoch Huerta (Sin Nombre), plays Beto, Diana’s sympathetic husband. And the always marvelous Elpidia Carrillo (Chateau Vato), is the mysterious curandera, Anita, who knows more than she cares to reveal.

Zaragoza’s careful framing and pacing allow the characters to tell their story with authentic voices. Zaragoza also shuns the use of CGI gimmicks to show the terrifying images Diana sees. Instead, like the old masters he admires, Zaragoza uses blurred images and shadows to impart jolting, shocking lightning flashes of fright.

Madres is frightening but at the same time a very satisfying gothic-horror tale with a surprising coda based on a current, relevant event. The horror movie masters of the ‘70’s could smile and say to Zaragoza, “You’ve learned well, Grasshopper.”

Madres
Director: Ryan Zaragoza
Stars: Ariana Guerra, Tenoch Huerta, Elpidia Carrillo

TAKE A RIDE ON A BIZARRE MERRY-GO-ROUND

Gigi Saul Guerrero (Into the Dark) is a beautiful, vivacious, upbeat Latina actor, director, writer with an outgoing personality and engaging sense of humor. Not exactly the traits you associate with a horror filmmaker, but Guerrero has made good use of those qualities in the weirdly wonderful outlandish Bingo Hell.

“The idea for the story came about,” recalls Guerrero, “when my writing partner and I started speculating what might happen if you took bingo away from a group of senior citizens and closed down their bingo hall?” The result is Bingo Hell, a playful scary-ass meditation on what happens when a mysterious stranger comes to town and turns an old-fashioned, small-town bingo hall into a high-stakes, life-and-death bingo casino.

“I love horror films like Goonies, Gremlins and Needful Things,” says Guerrero with a smile, “Those films were scary with quirky characters and had an underlying sense of playfulness. I also liked Cocoon which had senior citizens as the lead characters.” Those cinematic influences are on a full Gigi-style display in Bingo Hell.

When casting the lead role of Lupita for Bingo Hell, Guerrero asked herself, “Who can I get to play an authentic Mexican chingona?” Obviously, veteran Mexican superstar, Adriana Barraza (Rambo: Last Blood). ¿Quién más? As Lupita, Barraza chews up the scenery with spicy hot relish as the Mother Hen, abuela of her neighborhood and the self-appointed guardian angel of the sacred bingo temple. But things start to turn deadly when Mr. Big comes to town and transforms the innocent bingo hall into a glitzy, glittering carnival sideshow of temptation and death.

Guerrero’s camera is always moving and circling her over-the-top characters. Richard Blake (Doom), as the evil, gaunt Mr. Big makes John Carradine look like Mr. Olympia. This guy is so deliciously wicked you could see him spending an evening with Creulla de Vil gleefully pulling the legs and wings off houseflies. It’s a scene Gigi with her off-beat dark sense of humor would shoot as a macabre rom-com. When the hapless winners of Mr. Big’s bingo game meet horrible deaths, Guerrero films them like a grotesque burlesque act. But Guerrero makes all the oddball, Bizarro-world pieces of Bingo Hell work. The climactic shotgun blasting, avenging angel scene with la chingona Adriana Barraza is well worth the price of admission.

Bingo Hell
Director: Gigi Saul Guerrero
Stars: Adriana Barraza, L. Scott Caldwell, Richard Blake

NEW FACES FOR AND OLD GENRE AND MORE

The future of Latino Hollywood is indeed bright with brilliant filmmakers like Zaragoza and Guerrero behind the camera telling their stories through the lens of the Latino experience. The Hispanic culture is a fascinating and diverse one that easily lends itself to all the classic Hollywood movie genres. Kudos to Blumhouse for giving Zaragoza and Guerrero the opportunity to strut their stuff in the horror genre.

Madres and Bingo Hell are currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The post Ryan Zaragoza & Gigi Saul Guerrero:
Two Different Faces of Horror first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

Gigi Saul Guerrero is making a name for herself as director and writer in horror, breaking new ground.

Saul Guerrero, originally from Mexico City, Mexico, immigrated to Canada where she earned a B.A. at Capilano University in Motion Picture Production. She co-founded the independent production company, Luchagore. Since launching Luchagore, she has directed and co-written several shorts, including El Gigante and the Crypt TV shorts, A Luchagore Christmas, and Mistress of Bones. She has also directed for Blumhouse Television, most notably, the episode Culture Shock for the Into the Dark series and the upcoming film Bingo.

In our exclusive interview with Saul Guerrero, she shares her creative influences, her path to her directorial career, current projects, and future hopes for her career.

Justina Bonilla: What filmmakers and films have influenced you and your style?

Gigi Saul Guerrero: It really did start with Children of Men. When I looked more into [Alfonso Cuaron, the director of Children of Men], I saw that he was part of the “Three Amigos.” Form there I discovered Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Guillermo Del Toro.

It really was a mix of those three guys. Everything that these guys were making, they were not afraid to just go over the boundaries, in showing really raw and gritty, but human stories. It has the love of monsters that Guillermo would be that were so human and so real. And then, it had Iñárritu’s grittiness and brutality, like he brought in Amores Perros. These guys are not afraid to speak our language.

Because of [them] I found out about [Robert] Rodriguez, who’s total Tex-Mex style, and I really related to [it]. I couldn’t really figure myself here out in Canada. I wanted to fit in. I wanted to adapt quickly. I wanted to learn English right away. I was trying so hard to be something. But I realized that it’s okay to be two different things. It’s okay to have your past culture and bring it to a new one. And Rodriguez would do that [with] his crazy movies, with El Mariachi, Machete, Planet Terror. He always had those hints of Mexicano style, and I thought that was so neat.  

From there, I just got deep into the horror world, because of Rob Zombie with The Devil’s Rejects. I had never seen a movie so dirty. I had never seen a movie so raw and to the point where you could smell what was on the screen.

JB: Speaking of the horror genre, what are your favorite sub genres?

GSG: I’ve gone through phases. Suddenly I’m all about slashers. Suddenly I’m all about cult classics, and 80s horror, or trash horror. I go through it all. At the end of the day, I guess what really changed my mind that the subgenre doesn’t really matter, is because of Jordan Peele’s work. I never thought I would gravitate so much towards socially elevated horror like that, since Get Out.

JB: What inspired you to create your production company Luchagore?

GSG: It really all started with my best friend, who is my cinematographer in all of the stuff I’ve directed, Luke Bramley. Luke and I were the only horror freaks in our school. All of our homework was based on horror.

For one of our bigger projects, not having enough people in our crew, we became the troublemakers of the school, [because] we were bringing students in from the rival [Vancouver] film school, into our project. One of the crew members from the other school, Raynor Shima [Luchagore producer], was obsessed [with horror].

We realized, “Well, no one wants to work on [horror projects] but us three. Let’s make a bunch of videos [together].” Self-funded, just no budget. [With] the tiniest DLSR camera. Just making viral videos. Making cool content.

JB: Why do you think Mexican culture works so well with horror?

GSG: At the end of the day, I think [Mexican] culture is so rich and historic. We’re [also] very spiritual people. We celebrate death. We are not afraid of it. We cherish it. We embrace it. And we just see all these dark stories, legends, traditions, we see them in a different light.

JB: How did you become involved with Crypt TV?

GSG: I was still in film school when we met in L.A. Very Kindly, my work [El Gigante] was shown to Eli Roth, who co-founded Crypt TV. And Eli [noted], “Your work is really cool. Luchagore is super cool. We’re starting a new [project] Crypt TV, let me connect you.” We were one of the first [filmmakers] to work with them.

Since then, we’ve grown up together. So, it’s nice that after a few years of doing our own things, we came back together [last] year to make something together, Mistress of Bones.

JB: What inspired Mistress of Bones to focus on Aztec culture?

GSG: Aztec mythology has a lot of layers. A lot to say.

It was a mix of [wanting] a Latina hero. And our writer Shane McKenzie [asking], “What about the background of how Day of the Dead started, [emphasizing] the goddess Mictecacihuatl?” Mistress of Bones is a perfect opportunity to bring the mythology to light. But, the dark mythology, the underworld stuff that we don’t talk about very often.

JB: Would you like to see Mistress of Bones become a series on Crypt TV?

GSG: I would hope so. That’s Luchagore’s next goal. We wanted to make Mistress of Bones not just a standalone short, full of action and a new heroine. It was a cool challenge to be like, “How can we shoot this that it still makes sense on its own? But you can see that there’s a lot going on that we’re not showing.” Hopefully, Crypt TV and Luchagore can make it a bigger thing.

JB: What lead you to direct projects at Blumhouse Television?

GSG: I love Blumhouse, who are the pillar of the horror community. They want to tell new [and] fresh stories. Blumhouse had seen El Gigante and a few of my shorts. So, they gave me a chance of Culture Shock. And Culture Shock really blew up in the best way possible. It spoke a lot about a very important issue, with the border crisis, and what’s going on, unfortunately. The movie still stands at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. Blumhouse and I really wanted to tell a very important message. It’s very cool that Blumhouse is taking a chance again on Luchagore [with Bingo].

JB: What are you most excited about for your upcoming Blumhouse Television series film Bingo?

GSG: I can’t wait to share this film with the world. So proud of what we were able to achieve during the pandemic. Filmmaking is a lot harder now, but we followed safety protocols and gave it our best every single day during the making of this film. [I’m] incredibly excited to share a unique story where audiences are going to connect with new heroes. Plus, heroes we haven’t seen kick-ass in a genre film before!! These seniors fight back for their beloved bingo hall and it makes my heart swell of joy!

The post Exclusive: Director Gigi Saul Guerrero Talks Mexican Culture in Horror first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

Bingo, a new film to be featured in the second half of the popular Blumhouse Television and Amazon Studios series Welcome to the Blumhouse, has revealed its entire cast, including Oscar-nominated actress Adriana Barraza as its star.

The Welcome to the Blumhouse film series follows the Blumhouse signature horror-thriller films, with up-and-coming directors who are female and/or of color. The films also feature diverse casts, blending established and emerging acting talents. Part one of Welcome to the Blumhouse included the films Black Box, The Lie, Evil Eye, and Nocturne. Both Black Box and Nocturne featured the talent of Latina cinematographers Hilda Mercado (Black Box) and Carmen Cabana (Nocturne).

Bingo is directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero and co-written by Saul Guerrero, Shane McKenzie, and Perry Blackshear. It’s one of the four films premiering later this year, alongside The Manor, Black as Night, and Madres. Bingo is the latest of Saul Guerrero’s award-winning directorial resume with Blumhouse Television. Her previous Blumhouse collaborations include the television series Hulu’s Into the Dark: Culture Shock and The Purge series episode“Hail Mary”.

Bingo follows a group of elderly women led by Lupita (Barraza), as they fight against gentrification in their beloved Oak Springs barrio. However, as they fight to save their beloved bingo hall, it’s about to be sold to a presence whose influence exceeds money.   

Lupita is described as, a strong and stubborn “chingona” (badass) who grew up in the barrio of Oak Springs, a neighborhood formerly full of crime and dangerous characters. Lupita has dedicated her life to lifting up the neighborhood and creating a community the residents could be proud to call home.

Barraza is an established actress with an impressive international career of over 40 years in film, television and theatres. Establishing herself in Mexico, she gained international regard acting in the 1999 critically acclaimed, and Oscar-nominated film Amores Perros, directed by Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu. In 2006, Barraza re-teamed with Iñárritu, acting in a supporting role in Babel, gaining an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Most recently, Barraza has appeared in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Penny Dreadful: City of Angels, and We Can Be Heroes.

Another established actress of television, film, and theatres to be featured in a leading role, is Tony award-winning actress L. Scott Caldwell. Caldwell is the “witty, loyal, and though grandmother” Dolores and Lupita’s best friend.

The cast of Bingo will also feature Joshua Caleb Johnson (The Good Lord Bird), Bertila Damas (Brooklyn Nine-Nine), David Jensen (Queen Sugar), Clayton Landey (Sully), Kelly Murtagh (The Purge series), Grover Coulson (Friday Nights Lights), Jonathan Medina (The Purge series), and Richard Brake (Games of Thrones).

Bingo just finished its filming in New Orleans, Louisiana.

The post Full Cast Announced for Blumhouse Television Film ‘Bingo’ first appeared on .

The Welcome to the Blumhouse series, a VOD collaboration between Blumhouse Television and Amazon Prime Video, has announced the next four films to complete its eight-film TV series. Gigi Saul Guerrero (The Purge (TV Series) , La Quinceañera) and Ryan Zaragoza will each direct one of the four films which will be released in 2021.

The suspenseful thrillers will continue to highlight female and emerging filmmakers, and diverse casts; and will launch next year on Prime Video in over 240 countries and territories worldwide. The “Welcome to the Blumhouse” program continues the legacy of original, elevated, genre storytelling. Centered around unsettling themes of institutional horrors and personal phobias, the films tap into people’s deepest fears. These social thrillers present a distinctive vision and unique perspective.

“Coming off the successful launch of the first four films of the program, which has surpassed our expectations, we are excited to reveal the next chapter coming in 2021,” said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios. “The spine-tingling, edge of your seat thrills continues in this next collection of titles that will surely entertain, surprise and shock our global customers.”

The Welcome to the Blumhouse series has hired a wide variety of diverse and emerging talent in front of and behind the camera with their first four horror films Black Box, Nocturne, Evil Eye, and The Lie. Each of these films were original social thrillers, unique to each filmmaker. Behind the camera talent included cinematographers Hilda Mercado and Carmen Cabana who captured the captivating visuals of Black Box and Nocturne respectively.

The Manor, Black as Night, Madres, and Bingo are the next four films in the Blumhouse series. These four films will to be released in 2021. Here is a small peek at these films

The Manor

Axelle Carolyn, Director/Writer

Synopsis: Judith, an elderly woman, is placed in a historic nursing home, after suffering a stroke. Soon, she notices something supernatural impacting her and her fellow nursing home residents. Despite her condition, the only way to escape the unknown supernatural presence, is to persuade those responsible for her care that she is without doubt healthy enough to be discharged.

Cast: Barbara Hershey, Bruce Davison, Nicholas Alexander, Jill Larsen, and Fran Bennett

Black as Night

Maritte Lee Go, Director

Synopsis: During the summer time, in New Orleans, a teenage girl struggling with self-esteem issues, battles vampires, with her best friend, a boy she has a secret crush on. As her self-confidence grows thought her vampire battles, will she ever find the confidence to tell her best friend her feelings for him?

Writer: Sherman Payne; Cast: Fabrizio Guido, Asjha Cooper, Craig Tate, and Keith David.

Madres

Ryan Zaragoza, Director

Synopsis: In 1970s California, a young couple, who are expecting their first child, movie to a migrant farming community. Disturbed by the strange pregnancy symptoms and nightmarish visions, the young mother-to-be investigates to see if what she is experiencing is influenced by a local legendary curse, or something worse.

Writers: Marcella Ochoa & Mario Miscione. Cast: Tenoch Huerta, René Mena Joseph Garcia, Ariana Guerra, Jennifer Patino, Evelyn Gonzalez, Elpidia Carrillo, Composer Geraldo Garcia Jr. and cinematographer Felipe Vara de Rey.

This is Zaragoza’s first feature length film. His previous directorial work includes the short films The Painter, Bebé, and Sterling and TV episodics.

Bingo

Gigi Saul Guerrero, Director

Synopsis: A lively group of elderly friends, led by the spunky and bold Lupita, are fighting against the gentrification of their beloved barrio. However, they face the biggest challenge of their lives, when their treasured Bingo hall is in the process of being sold to a highly influential tenant, more powerful than money.

Written by Shane McKenzie & Guerrero Cast: Not yet announced

Bingo will be Saul Guerrero’s second feature film collaboration as a director and writer for Blumhouse Television. Her first collaboration was with Culture Shock, an episode of the Hulu series Into the Dark. It’s the highest-rated film of the Into the Dark series, on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% rating.

The post Gigi Saul Guerrero and Ryan Zaragoza Direct on “Welcome to the Blumhouse’ Series” first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

Blumhouse Productions has become an influential voice in Hollywood with its diverse Academy Award-winning dramas (Whiplash (2014), Get Out (2017), and BlacKKKlansman (2018) and signature micro-budget strategy. However, it is beloved among horror fans for its influential pop-culture horror films (Get Out, Paranormal Activity (2009), and The Purge (2013).

A unique aspect of Blumhouse’s horror properties is its increasing inclusion of ethnic talent, including Latinos in front of and behind the camera. Most notably The Purge the USA/Syfy television series, the Hulu Into the Dark anthology series, and the feature film Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones. 

Latino audiences are major consumers of horror content, especially films. In 2018 The Wrap reported that, “According Warner Bros. and comScore data from [The Nun’s] $53.5 million domestic opening weekend, the best for a Conjuring film and second-best for a September release, 36% of the audience was Latino, up from 17% for The Conjuring and 26% for last year’s Annabelle: Creation. On top of that, Mexico was the top overseas market with $10.7 million grossed.”

Blumhouse was founded by Jason Blum in 2000 where he currently serves as CEO and producer for several of its film and television projects. The production company became a contemporary Hollywood trailblazer with its philosophy of micro-budget films, with high concept stories, and giving filmmakers creative freedom. Their first horror hit was the groundbreaking Paranormal Activity. Made for $15,000 (Paramount added another $200,000 in post before it was released) the film went on to earn nearly $200 million worldwide. The success of their first film led to Blumhouse producing five more prequels and sequels, creating the Paranormal Activity film series franchise comprised of some of the most profitable and popular horror films in Hollywood, most notably among Latino audiences.

“Latinos make up a significant portion of the theater-going audience, and they are a valuable audience for Blumhouse,” Blum declares. “We know that our audiences want to see themselves in the stories they see on the big screen and we’re committed to bringing more stories to life, that reflect different backgrounds, points of view, and people.”

Blumhouse has an array of theatrically released horror films starring Latino leads; from Jennifer Lopez in The Boy Next Door (2015) to Jessica Alba in The Veil (2016) and Michael Peña in Fantasy Island (2020). Their other films that feature Latino leads include, The Green Inferno (2015) and Paranormal Activities: The Marked Ones (2014). Latinos have also appeared in supportive roles, most notably in the second film of The Purge series, The Purge: Anarchy (2014), such as Nicholas Gonzalez (The Good Doctor), Justina Machado (One Day At A Time), and Noel Gugliemi (Training Day).]

Paranormal Activities: The Marked Ones, is one of the films from the six-film Paranormal Activities franchise, which had a total franchise budget of $28 million and a worldwide gross of $890.5 million. This film was specifically Latino themed with Latino leads. With a $5 million dollar budget, its worldwide gross was nearly $91 million. Its cast of young Latino actors featured Andrew Jacobs (Trinkets), Jorge Diaz (East Los High), Richard Cabral (Mayans MC), and Carlos Pratts (McFarland USA).

After the financial success of the four The Purge films, (The Purge, The Purge: Anarchy (2014), The Purge: Election Year (2016), and The First Purge (2018), with a combined budget of $35 million dollars, and a total worldwide gross of $457.1 million, that’s when the TV series followed.

In an exclusive interview with Latin Heat, Marci Wiseman, and Jeremy Gold, the two Co-Presidents of Blumhouse Television spoke with us about the importance of Latinos at Blumhouse, both as fans and content creators.

“It makes us enormously proud and happy that these filmmakers of such unique talents are getting recognized and their work is so well received,” Gold explained. “That is incredibly gratifying for us, of course, and for them. And as a studio across both film and television, we are deeply committed to not only discovering, but also continuing to nurture and provide a real platform for upcoming diverse voices.”

The USA/Syfy TV series The Purge (2018-2019) follows the basic plot of the film series. A contemporary America under a totalitarian government, which allows the legalization of all crimes for one day a year, from 7 PM to 7 AM, including the worst kinds of murder possible.

Series regulars in season one featured Gabriel Chavarria and Jessica Garza as brother and sister Miguel and Penelope Guerrero. Miguel, a US marine is desperately looking for Penelope during the Purge, to save her from becoming a Purge sacrifice. While, season two featured Paola Núñez as Esme Carmona, an NFFA government employee. Though Carmona sees herself as a valuable employee, she eventually becomes an enemy of the state. The Latino directorial talent for The Purge includes Jamie Reynoso (S2. E9. “Grief Box”) and Gigi Saul Guerrero (S2. E9. “Hail Mary”).

Gold explained the decision to hire Latino directors and talent in the lead roles for The Purge TV show, “We really value [the Latinx] fan base highly and we actively work to make sure that, that was represented across the series, and it was partially important on that show, [for] both of the talent in front of and behind the camera. And we are very proud of that The Purge series,” he said. “We had lots of Latinx directors and writers. That element of the series really seemed to land with the audience.”

Since 2018, Blumhouse’s streaming horror anthology Hulu series Into the Dark, releases a new installment each month, highlighting American holidays from Fourth of July to Christmas. This series has been a highly successful vehicle for showcasing the work of several Latino directors.

According to Rotten Tomatoes, three out of the top five highest-rated Into the Dark episodes, Culture Shock, Pooka!, and Pooka Lives!, were directed by Latinos.

Culture Shock, directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, takes a gritty look at the border crisis issue. Marisol (Martha Higareda), a young Mexican woman takes the risk of crossing undocumented into America for her “American Dream”, only to find herself in a nightmare beyond her wildest dreams.

When selecting Guerrero to be a part of the Into the Dark series, Wiseman shared, “The feature [film] department is very aware of Gigi’s multitude of shorts, all in the horror space and had been keeping their eye on her.” After Guerrero pitched her take on the material, Wiseman noted, “We loved her take. We loved what she said she was going to do with it. And the rest is history.” The trust in Guerrero paid off. Culture Shock is rated on Rotten Tomatoes at 100%.

Pooka! directed by Nacho Vigalondo is a unique Christmas horror tale. After struggling actor Wilson (Nyasha Hatendi) finds success as the Pooka mascot, he starts to see that Pooka bring out aside of him he’s struggling to control. The sequel Pooka Lives!, directed by Alejandro Brugués, takes the Pooka horror online. A group of friends create the online challenge #pookachallange as a joke, only for the challenge to go viral, causing deadly results.

“[Into the Dark] became a really great forum for us to work with all kinds of film makers, from all different walks of life,” Wiseman explained.

The Blumhouse backed Crypt TV is a successful digital network co-founded by Jack Davis and director/writer Eli Roth. Crypt TV focuses on making short horror web content, including individual short horror videos and multiple series of short horror videos. Their YouTube channel has over three-million subscribers and over 460 short videos, with millions of views. Many of the shorts feature diverse talent and content makers, most notably Guerrero.

Earlier this year Blumhouse Television announced it had secured the rights to adapt the popular two-season horror podcast The Horror of Dolores Roach into a drama series for TV. Podcast creator Aaron Mark will serve as showrunner for the Amazon series which follow Roach (Daphne Rubin-Vega) upon her return to her New York neighborhood after a sixteen-year stint in prison.

Mexican writer and director Issa López (Tigers Are Not Afraid) was announced in May 2020, to be writing and directing the film Our Lady of Tears for Blumhouse, based on the article “The Haunting of Girlstown” by VOX.com. In 2007, Villa de las Niñas, an all-girls Catholic boarding school on the fringes of Mexico City, faced an epidemic of mass hysteria, with supernatural origins.

Blumhouse’s outreach within the Latino community was further cemented in January of this year when Blum partnered with LA Collab, an organization which seeks to collaborate with industry talent and entities to create opportunities for Latinos in Hollywood. Blum shared with Latin Heat how he became involved, “One of LA Collab’s co-founders Ivette Rodriguez reached out to Blumhouse’s Head of Marketing, Karen Barragan about the collaboration, and when she told me about the initiative I was eager to throw our support behind the effort.”

Blum went on to explain, “We have found LA Collab to be a great resource in connecting us with top talent and filmmakers, and we really liked that LA Collab had a clearly defined goal of increasing authentic Latino representation (in front and behind the camera) in the entertainment industry by 100% by 2030.”

Blum joined a multitude of Hollywood luminaries and other production entities which include director JJ Abrams, Eva Longoria, Ozzie Areu of Areu Bros. Studios, Warner Media, producer Eli Roth, and actor/producers Edward James Olmos and Eugenio Derbez for the launch of LA Collab, which was founded in partnership with the Office of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti.

Blumhouse has become a leading force in the horror industry by showing its ability to find, nurture, and elevate talent of color in horror. “Traditionally, we have always loved ghost stories and the macabre and Gothic tales,” Edwin Pagan, who runs the horror genre centric latinhorror.com, told NPR in 2015. “They’re just sewn into the fabric of who we are as a people.” And so, the avid Latino audience awaits to see what new “horror” Blumhouse has in store for them.

Paranormal Activity: The Marked Ones is streaming on Apple iTunes, Amazon Prime Video and other major platforms.

The Purge tv series is streaming on Hulu, Amazon Prime Video, and other major platforms.

Into the Dark is exclusively streaming on Hulu.

The post Blumhouse: Finding Horror Success With Latinos first appeared on .

By Justina Bonilla

Comic-Con, the biggest entertainment convention in the world, went virtual this year, allowing everyone globally to attend the vast variety of world-famous programs through the Comic-Con International channel on YouTube. Among the array of topics such as comic books, movies, video games, and lessons in creating original content, was a diversity of ethnic orientated panels, including Asian, African American, Native American, and Latino.

Over the 5-day virtual convention from July 22 – 26, 2020, Latino talent was represented in a number of panels, with talent In front and behind the camera. With such an abundance of scheduled programs, here is a highlighted list of programs about and panels featuring Latino talent.

July 23, 2020 – Thursday

Marvel Storyboards: An interview with Marvel Executive VP, creative director Joe Quesada, about his documentary series Marvel’s Storyboards. Before VP, Quesada started at Marvel as an artist, eventually rising to the editor, then editor-in-chief.

His Dark Materials Virtual Panel and Q&A Session: The panel of the HBO adaption of the global bestselling trilogy book series His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman, features executive producers and six cast members (Lin-Manuel Miranda) discussing the influence the series has had on them artistically and the upcoming second season this fall.

Collider: Directors on Directing: Three directors, including Robert Rodriquez, Colin Trevorrow, and Joseph Kosinski, go in-depth about their experiences in directing, including the artistic craft of directing, projects of the past, current projects, and those to come.

Dubbing American into Latin American – A Chat with Dub Actors: With syndication of American English language shows into Latin America, especially Mexico, is a need for skilled Spanish speaking dub voice actors. Featured are some of the top dubbing voice actors of Mexico sharing their professional experiences in this field. The conversation is in Spanish. English subtitles are not automatic, however, are available through the setting corner of the screen. 

The State of the Industry: Animation Superstars: Taking a deep inside look at the animation world and the work it takes to become an animator, with a special array of contemporary animation talents (including Jorge Gutierrez and Alonso Ramirez Ramos).

July 25, 2020 – Saturday:

Cosmos: Possible Worlds: The scientific and creative talent for this third series of Cosmos, including with Afro-Puerto Rican host astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan (creator, executive producer, director, and writer), and an introduction by Seth MacFarlane emphasizes the importance of science literacy today, the history of the original Cosmos series, and the exciting topics and stories to come this season.

Latin American Horror Cinema 2: Sometimes they Come Back: Part two from Comic-Con 2019 highlights directors of the new wave of horror from Latin America, featuring Issa Lopez (Tigers Are Not Afraid), Alejandro Brugués (Juan of the Dead), Isaac Ezban (The Incident), Demián Rugna (Terrified) and Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock).

Guillermo del Toro and Scott Cooper on Antlers and Filmmaking: Oscar-winning director Guillermo del Toro is producing the upcoming supernatural horror film Antlers, about a folklore creature causing on a bloodthirsty spree in a small isolated town. He discusses alongside the film’s director Scott Cooper about the film and their experiences as filmmakers and film lovers.

Latinx & Native American Storytellers: Latinx and Native American Writers from comics to children’s literature, evaluate the history of Latinx and Native American characters in media, while also discussing the increased demand and possibilities available for Latinx and Native American storytellers and characters.

Mexico’s Magnificent Stop-Motion Seven: With Mexican cinematic talent, especially animation, continuing to get increased recognition by the foreign market, this panel the contemporary masters of Mexican stop motion animation. Panel spoke in Spanish, with English subtitles.

Mexican Lucha Libre: History, Tradition, Legacy: In Mexican pop-culture history, a beloved image is the Lucha Libre wrestlers, most notably the hero El Santo. The panelist explores just how impactful this type of entrainment is in Mexico, including its influence in cinema. Panel spoke in Spanish, with English subtitles.

What We Do in the Shadows: Recently nominated for a 2020 Emmy for Best Comedy Series, the main cast (Harvey Guillén, Matt Berry, Kayvan Novak, Natasia Demetrious, and Mark Proksch), writers/producers (Paul Simms and Stefani Robinson) and special guest Haley Joel Osment of What We Do in the Shadows go in-depth of different elements of the show including personal behind the scene stories. The series has been greenlit for a much-anticipated 3^rd season.

July 26, 2020 – Sunday 

Aztec Depictions in Pop Culture: 500 Years After the Fall: In current American pop-culture, the Aztec empire is one of the most referenced classic pre-colonialist empires, alongside the Greek, Egyptian, and Roman empires. Panelist (David Bowles, Javier Rayón, Mario Fuente, Flora Alexandra Reese-Arredondo, Paul Guinan, and Anina Bennett) use the Aztec culture and history as inspirations to their stories, while also evaluating how our prior knowledge of the Aztec empire is continually growing.  

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