Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion revolves around a U.S. Latino family.  It’s about superheroes, family with they their beautiful culture at the centerpiece.  The cast is headed by Scarlett Estevez (Bunk’s Lucifer) who plays Violet Rodriguez AKA  Ultra Violet and her Uncle Black Scorpion played by J.R. Villareal (United We Fall).

After reading the first script of the show, Leyva’s mind raced back to the 90s films he grew up watching. “I automatically thought of the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, 1989 Batman,” he explained.  “All movies that I idolized, all with a specific look.”   

Leyva went in for his first interview with Disney with his ideas on how he would shoot the show.  “I turn words into pictures. I told them that this was something that had to be stylized, single-camera as much as possible.”  

After shooting UltraViolet, he was off to Atlanta to shoot a project for the multi-hyphenate, entertainment disrupter, Tyler Perry.  Although Leyva has shot several movies of the week and several TV shows including Crackle’s The Oath and Deadly Affair, working with the Disney Channel and now with Perry could prove to be the breakthrough Leyva has been waiting for.  Shooting another project for Perry, in the works could be the clue.

“I just returned from Atlanta where I shot something for Academy Award-winning filmmaker Tyler Perry that was really incredible.” Leyva said but when asked about it, he had to explain, “I signed an NDA so I can’t talk about it.”

However, he did share the news that he felt that he had “passed the test” because he was asked to collaborate on a second feature film with Perry, which is in the works, and this one he could talk about.  “We’re up for a feature film for Netflix.  It’s a big one, a suspense thriller,” Leyva recounted excitedly.  “I am already in talks with the studio.”

Leyva’s is after all the ASC’s American Rising Star.

CAST:  Marianna Burelli as Nina, Violet’s mother; Juan Alfonso as Juan Carlos, Violet’s father, Brandon Rossel as Santiago, Violet’s brother; Zelia Ankrum as Maya Miller-Martinez, Violet’s best friend; Bryan Blanco as Luis León, Violet’s goody-two-shoes classmate

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Mexican Luchadores are all the rage lately and Disney has joined the lucha libre craze with their live-action comedy entitled Ultra Violet & Blue Demon. The Disney Channel has ordered the pilot which stars Mexican professional wrestler Blue Demon Jr. and Scarlett Estevez (BUNK’D).

The series revolves around a Mexican-American girl with a special legacy family. Ultra Violet & Blue Demons has a predominantly Latino cast, with creators, executive producers, and writers who will lend authenticity to the story. The title of the Disney series includes the name of one of the most famous wrestlers in Mexico, the late Blue Demon which should delight luchador fans around the world. Blue Demon Jr., his adopted son carries on his legacy while creating his own.  

In 2008 Blue Demon Jr. became the first Mexican professional wrestler, as well as first masked luchador, to win the NWA World Heavyweight Championship when he defeated the then champion, Adam Pearce.  In 2014 he appeared in Robert Rodriguez El Rey network’s television series Lucha Underground and one of the wrestlers and appeared in a cartoon version in an episode of ¡Mucha Lucha! On Kids WB.

Estevez, whose acting career started at the age of three and has a long list of credit, plays a 13 year old student dealing with the angst that is middle school. When she is selected to wear the magical luchador mask that allows her to become Ultra, she begins training with her famous Mexican wrestler uncle, Blue Demon Jr. who is also a superhero in disguise. Together they teach each other, Ultra trains with her uncle to attain her superhero status and Uncle Blue discovers he can also learn a thing or two from his modern Gen-Z niece.

“Blue Demon Jr. is a Mexican cultural icon and we are looking forward to introducing him—and the luchador mythology—to our viewers,” said Rafael Garcia, vice president, Development, Disney Branded Television. “With Violet and her family, we also have the opportunity to present an authentic Mexican American family in a series that combines humor and adventure in a unique Latinx shake-up of the superhero genre.”

The cast includes: Venezuelan actress Marianna Burelli plays Violet’s mother; Juan Alfonso as Violet’s father; Brandon Rossel is Violet’s brother; Zelia Ankrum is Violet’s best friend; and Bryan Blanco as Violet’s goody-two-shoes classmate.Blue Demon Jr. is set to co-executive produce the series alongside fellow co-executive producers Moxie 88’s Dan Carrillo Levy and Eugenio Villamar who brought the IP to Disney. Jorge Garcia Castro will also serve as a co-executive producer. The pilot episode was written and executive produced by Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit (Pokémon Detective Pikachu, One Day at a Time) and directed by Alejandro Damiani (“M.A.M.O.N.”).

— Bel Hernandez

Featured Photo” (Disney/Mitch Haaseth)

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Ana Perez

Demi Lovato Returns to Scripted TV

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moonfall is set to hit theaters in 2022.

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

Demente Animation Studio and Masked Republic Partner Up

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

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

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

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The scripted Mexican series Heroes of Lucha Libre, featuring a cast of professional wrestlers like Rey Mysterio Jr., Mil Mascaras, Tinieblas Jr., and Blue Demon, is coming to the U.S. The 11-part scripted series directed by Alfredo Widman (The Red Thread) will launch Wed., Nov. 25 on Crackle Plus, a free streaming ad-supported video-on-demand network.

Heroes of Lucha Libre celebrates and honors the rich cultural tradition of the Lucha Libre sport while integrating an imaginative comic book storyline. With a contemporary spin on the action in the ring, the series features superhero elements making it unique to other content of its genre. The miniseries presents luchadores as superheroes who emerge from the decades-long tradition of Mexico’s lucha libre. Other wrestlers in the series include Mistico, Dragon Lee, Trumposo, Rayo de Jalisco Jr. and Lady Gaviota, according to the industry website IMDb.com.

Heroes of Lucha Libre was created and produced by Joaquin Vodanovich and Alejandro Ortiz, with the latter also writing the series. “I grew up watching these heroes with my grandfather in Mexico,” says Ortiz. “Now I want to share all those emotions and admiration with the world and help to inspire future generations.” 

Vodanovich, says that “lucha libre tradition has been in our culture for over 100 years and we want to honor that heritage in the way it deserves.” He adds, “We think Crackle is the best partner to do just that.”

The miniseries is distributed worldwide by Screen Media, a Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment company and the supplier of exclusive and original content for Crackle Plus.

Crackle linear and VOD networks are reportedly available in the U.S. and can be accessed on up to 27 devices and services by the end of the year, including Amazon FireTV, RokuTV, Apple TV, Smart TVs (Samsung, LG, Vizio), gaming consoles (PS4 and XBoxOne), Plex, iOS and Android mobile devices and on desktops at Crackle.com.

The deal was negotiated by Patrick Hughes, Harvey Russell and Pablito Vasquez of Foundation Media, who are also executive producers on the project

Featured photo: screenshot of ‘Heroes of Lucha Libre’

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