Rudy Lopez Negrete, who leads brand partnerships for CAA’s Latin music division, also takes the lead on this initiative along and more than “30 colleagues across the agency businesses and offices” according to Deadline.  

“Latino and Hispanic talent and creators have a large and ever-growing impact on culture globally,” said Negrete and Toby Borg (Head of Global Client Strategy) in an exclusive statement to Deadline.  “Our top priorities are to change how the diverse community is depicted on screen, give greater voice to the work of Latino and Hispanic artists and storytellers and drive new revenue for clients.”

This good news comes on the heels of the recent study conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative which found that Latino representation in the film behind and front of the camera remains stagnant with no improvement in the last 16 years. Even when movies did feature Hispanic or Latino characters, the study found Latino characters were represented on-screen with depictions that were often rampant with stereotypes. Included under the new manner of CAA Latino are America Ferrera (Barbie), Andy Garcia (Father of the Bride), Comedian Gabriel Iglesias, Director Angel Manuel Soto (Blue Beetle), Ariana DeBose (West Side Story), Jenna Ortega (Wednesday), Anya Taylor-Joy (The Menu), Ana de Armas (Ballerina, Blond), Rachel Zegler (Snow White), and Edward James Olmos (Mayans).

The post CAA Launches CAA Latino Initiative first appeared on .

Release Date: January 13, 2023

Directed by: Jean-François Richet

Written by: Charles Cumming

CAST: Gerard Butler, Mike Culter, Yoson An, Daniella Pineda

SYNOPSIS: 

In the white-knuckle action movie Plane, pilot Brodie Torrance (Gerard Butler) saves his passengers from a lightning strike by making a risky landing on a war-torn island – only to find that surviving the landing was just the beginning. The passengers are taken hostage by dangerous rebels, and the only person Torrance can count on for help is Louis Gaspare (Mike Colter), an accused murderer. Daniella Pineda plays Bonnie, the professional and formidable head flight attendant in the movie.

Plane is produced by Di Bonaventura Pictures for Lionsgate.

Magic Mike´s Last Dance 

Release Date: February 10, 2023

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh

Written by: Reid Carolin

CAST: Channing Tatum, Salma Hayek, Nancy Carroll, Carmen Olivares

Synopsis:

“Magic” Mike Lane (Channing Tatum) takes to the stage again after a lengthy hiatus, following a business deal that went bust, leaving him broke and taking bartender gigs in Florida. For what he hopes will be one last hurrah, Mike heads to London with a wealthy socialite (Salma Hayek Pinault) who lures him with an offer he can’t refuse… and an agenda all her own. With everything on the line, once Mike discovers what she truly has in mind, will he–and the roster of hot new dancers he’ll have to whip into shape–be able to pull it off?

Magic Mike’s Last Dance is produced by: Nick Wechsler, Gregory Jacobs, Channing Tatum, Reid Carolin, Peter Kiernan

Creed III

Release Date: March 3, 2023

Directed by: Michael B. Jordan

Written By: Keenan Coogler, Zack Baylin, Ryan Coogler.

CAST: Michael B. Jordan, Tessa Thompson, Selenis Leyva, Teofimo López and Saúl Alvarez “El Canelo”

SYNOPSIS:

After the events of Creed II (2018), Adonis “Donnie” Creed is thriving in both his boxing career and family life. When a childhood friend and former boxing prodigy, Damian “Dame” Anderson, resurfaces after serving a long sentence in prison, he is eager to prove that he deserves his shot in the ring. Tessa Thompson who appeared in the first two Creed film returns as Adonis’ wife.

Creed III is produced by Ryan Coogler, Michael B. Jordan and Sylvester Stallone

Scream 6

Release Date: March 10, 2023

Directed by:  Matt Bettinelli-Olpin ,Tyler Gillett

Written by:  James Vanderbilt, Guy Busick, Kevin Williamson

CAST: Jenna Ortega, Melissa Barrera, Courtney Cox, Tony Revolori, Hayden Panettiere

SYNOPSIS:

In the next installment, the survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter in New York City.  Not much else is known about the future sequel. Jenna Ortega whose hit TV show Wednesday is breaking streaming records on Netflix plays the lead role of Tara Carpenter in Scream 6. Melissa Barrera, the other Latina leas reprises her role from last years Scream. She told Us: “They have us so tight-lipped around here. All I can say is how it feels. I don’t wanna say the wrong word, but it feels scarier…I think people are gonna be surprised.”

Scream 6 is produced by Paul Neinstein, William Sherak, and James Vanderbilt for Paramount Pictures.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Release date:  May 5, 2023

Directed by: James Gunn

Written By:  James Gunn, Dan Abnett (comic book) Andy Lanning (comic book)

CAST: Zoe Saldaña, Chris Pratt, Vin Diesel, Dave Bautista, Bradley Cooper, Sylvester Stallone

SYNOPSIS:

American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name.Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3:  Still reeling from the loss of Gamora (Saldaña), Peter Quill (Pratt) rallies his team to defend the universe and one of their own – a mission that could mean the end of the Guardians if not successful.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is produced by Marvel Studios and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, it is the 10th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse 

Release Date:  June 2, 2023

Directed by: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin Thompson

Written by: Christopher Miller, Phil Lord, David Callaham 

CAST: (voices) Shameik Moore, Oscar Issac, Luna Lauren Velez, Natalie Morales

SYNOPSIS:

Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga, an epic adventure that will transport Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man across the Multiverse to join forces with Gwen Stacy and a new team of Spider-People to face off with a villain more powerful than anything they have ever encountered. Miguel O’Hara/Spider-Man 2099, who is once again voiced by Oscar Isaac, is unmasked. Also voices by Luna Lauren Velez, Natalie Morales, and Joaquin Cosio

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse is produced by Marvel Entertainment, Sony Pictures Animation, MÁS.

Flamin’ Hot

Release date: June 9, 2023 on Hulu

Directed by: Eva Longoria

Written by: Linda Yvette Chavez, Lewis Colick

CAST: Annie Gonzalez, Jesse García, Emilio Rivera, Pepe Serna.

SYNOPSIS:

Flamin’ Hot is the story of Richard Montañez played by Jesse Garcia, a janitor in the Rancho Cucamonga, California Frito Lay plant who channeled his Mexican-American upbringing, and and his taste in foods to turn Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into a snack that disrupted the food industry and became a global phenomenon. Rising star Annie Gonzalez plays his wife Judy. This is also Eva Longoria’s directorial debut and for which she is already receiving accolades.

Flamin’ Hot is produced by DeVon Franklin’s Franklin Entertainment and Searchlight Pictures.

Asteroid City

Release Date: June 23, 2023

Directed by: Wes Anderson

Written by: Wes Anderson (screenplay), Roman Coppola

CAST: Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie, Tony Revolori, Scarlett Johansson

SYNOPSIS:

The itinerary of a Junior Stargazer convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.  Asteroid City is an American romantic comedy-drama film written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson. The cast has been described as being “larger than most other Anderson films that are ensemble in nature.” 

Asteroid City is produced by Empirical Pictures and will be released by Focus Features in the United States for a limited release on June 16, 2023, before opening wide on June 23.

Mission Impossible: Dead of Reckoning – Part One

Release Date:  July , 2023

Directed by: Christopher McQuarrie

Written by: Bruce Geller

Produced by: Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie

CAST:  Tom Cruise, Esai Morales, Mariela Garriga, Rebecca Ferguson,Cary Elwes

SYNOPSIS:

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is an upcoming American action spy film written, produced, and directed by Christopher McQuarrie. It is the sequel to Mission: Impossible – Fallout (2018) and is the seventh installment in the Mission: Impossible film series. Esai Morales will appear as the main antagonist in part one and will reprise his role in the sequel Part Two.

Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is produced by Tom Cruise, David Ellison and Christopher McQuarrie

Haunted Mansion

Release Date: August 11, 2023

Directed by: Justin Simien

Written by: D.V. DeVicentis

Produced by: Dan Lin, Jonathan Eirich. 

Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Rideback

CAST: Winona Ryder, Danny DeVito Jaret Leto, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosario Dawson

SYNOPSIS:

The Haunted Mansion remake follows a single mom named Gabbie, played by Dawson, and her 9-year-old son, who move into a mansion in New Orleans. They quickly discover it’s haunted and turn to a priest (Wilson), a psychic (Curtis), a historian (DeVito), and a paranormal investigator (Stanfield).

The Haunted Mansion is produced by Jonathan Eirich, Dan Lin, Brigham Taylor for Walt Disney Studios

Blue Beetle

Release Date:  August 18, 2023

Directed by: Angel Manuel Soto

Written by:  Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer

CAST: Xolo Maridueña, Bruna Marquezine, George Lopez, Adriana Barraza, Elpidia Carrillo, Damiàn Alcàzar, Raoul Trujillo, Belissa Escobedo, Harvey Guillen, Felipe Eparza and Susan Sarandon.   

SYNOPSIS:  

A Mexican-American teenager Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña) gains super powers when a mysterious scarab binds to his spine and provides him with a powerful suit of blue alien armor.  Blue Beetle is about an American superhero film based on the DC Comics character Jaime Reyes. It is intended to be the 14th film in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU). 

Blue Beetle is produced by DC Studios, Entertainment One, S&K Pictures, and the Safran Company, and set for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures. 

Kraven the Hunter 

Release Date: October 6, 2023

Directed by: J.C Chandor

Written by: Steve Ditko, Matt Holloway

CAST: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe, Ariana De Bose

SYNOPSIS:

Russian immigrant Sergei Kravinoff is on a mission to prove that he is the greatest hunter in the world. Ariana De Bose plays a voodoo priestess, Calypso, who utilizes magic potions, and besides being an adversary of Spider-Man, she is also the occasional partner and lover of Kraven.

Kraven the Hunter is produced by: Avi Arad, Matt Tolmach, Amy Pascal for Columbia Pictures and Marvel entertainment

The post Movies With Latino Leads to Watch in 2023 first appeared on .

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 .

Oscar-nominated actress and Emmy-winning filmmaker Salma Hayek is getting her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in honor of a career of nearly three decades in the world’s movie mecca. The actress of Frida, Eternals and the upcoming film House of Gucci will get her star in the category of motion pictures Friday, Nov. 19. 

“Salma Hayek Pinault is hailed as one of the entertainment world’s most respected and sought-after actresses,” stated Ana Martinez, Walk of Fame producer. “It is our pleasure to honor this talented actress with her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.” 

Born in Coatzacoalcos, in the Mexican state of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, Hayek started her acting in telenovelas in the late 1980s, including Nuevo Amanecer and Teresa. A few years later, she moved to Los Angeles to try to make it in Hollywood but also continued working in Mexico. 

Initially, with limited English, she secured minor roles in various American TV series like Nurses and films like Mi Vida Loca. She starred in the 1994 Mexican film El Callejón de los Milagros, an adaptation of the novel Midaq Alley by Nobel laureate Naguib Mahfouz which earned Hayek a nomination to the Ariel Awards, Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscars. The same year she broke into the U.S. film market with Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado and Antonio Banderas, followed by two other collaborations with the Mexican-American director and the Spanish actor–the horror flick From Dusk Til Dawn and the action drama Once Upon a Time in Mexico. 

Other films would follow, including Showtime’s In the Time of the Butterflies, Fools Rush In, Dogma, Wild Wild West and Traffic.

Under her own production company Ventanarosa, Hayek starred in and produced Frida, the biopic about renowned Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. She secured an all-star cast that featured Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Roy and Ashley Judd and acclaimed theater director Julie Taymor, as well as permission to film in Kahlo’s former studio. The film received six Academy Award nominations, including a Best Actress nod for Hayek. Her role as Kahlo also earned the Mexican actress best actress nominations for other coveted prizes such as the BAFTA Awards, Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards. Her portrayal of the famous painter also won Hayek Germany’s Golden Camera for Best International Actress.

In addition to Frida, Hayek produced ABC’s Golden Globe and Emmy-winning comedy Ugly Betty–which also earned her an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Guest Actress, and Showtime’s In The Time Of The Butterflies, for which she received a nomination for a Broadcast Film Critics Association Award. Other projects include the Netflix series Monarca and Showtime’s The Maldonado Miracle, marking her directorial debut and for which she won a Best Director Emmy.

She was also featured in the acclaimed NBC comedy series 30 Rock and has starred in several other films in recent years, including Puss in Boots, Savages, Beatriz at Dinner, How to Be a Latin Lover, Bliss and Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.

Currently, Hayek can be seen on the big screen in Eternals, the Marvel Comics superhero feature in which she plays Ajak, the leader of a group of genetically-engineered extraterrestrials who came to Earth. She also stars in the upcoming fashion drama House of Gucci, opposite Al Pacino, Jared Leto, Adam Driver, Lady Gaga and Jeremy Irons. Her role in this film as clairvoyant Pina Auriemma earned her an Independent Spirit Award nomination. 

The Mexican actress has supported many causes throughout her career, such as women’s rights, children and immigrants. She lobbied the U.S. Congress to extend the Violence Against Women Act and later co-founded, with her husband Francois-Henri Pinault, The Kering Foundation, to help liberate women around the world from sexual, physical and emotional abuse. Hayek partnered with Gucci to create Chime for Change, a program advancing education, health and justice of girls and which launched the #StandWithWomen campaign to combat domestic violence against women during the coronavirus lockdowns. 

In 2015, Hayek visited Syrian refugee camps in Lebanon alongside UNICEF and mounted the Chime for Education campaign to raise money to educate refugee children. Hayek is of Lebanese descent. Two years later, she spearheaded fundraising efforts for earthquake victims in Mexico and helped raise nearly a million dollars for UNICEF. During the disaster-relief effort, she also partnered with the Pepsico Foundation and Habitat for Humanity to deliver 180 houses for displaced victims of the quake. She is also a longtime supporter of various leading nonprofits like Girl Effect, which advocates for empowering girls worldwide, and Fondo Semillas, a nonprofit aiming to improve the lives of women and trans people in Mexico. 

Hayek will get star number 2,709 on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, in front of the legendary Chinese Theatre Box Office, located at 6901 Hollywood Boulevard. The Nov. 19 ceremony is slated to start at 6 p.m. (PST). Joining the Eternals star in the unveiling of her star will be actor Adam Sandler, with whom she co-starred in the buddy comedy Grown Ups, and Marvel’s Eternals Academy Award winning Director Chloe Zhao.

The star unveiling ceremony can be watched on www.walkoffame.com

The post Salma Hayek to Get Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame first appeared on .

Review By Bel Hernandez

I love me some Red Table Talk.  It is real talk, not the “show talk, talk.”  Today Salma Hayek joined the table from London, connecting with long-time friend Jada Pinkett Smith virtually.

I have met Salma once or twice, and the one thing I knew from the very get-go is that she is a “Chingona.”  However, In her interview on The Red Table, she takes “Chingona” to the next level.

If you don’t know what a Chingona is, go and watch her latest movie, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and you’ll get it.

But there is more to being Chingona than what you will see in the movie, and in her interview with Jada, Adrienne Banfield-Norris, and Willow Smith at the infamous red table, Salma proves that.

First off, how did Salma and Jada become such close friends?  They met when they were both screen testing for the role of Trinity in The Matrix and have been lifelong friends since then.

But aside from briefly mentioning the movie and when they met, this is not your typical celebrity interview. Instead, insight into a friendship and a closer look into who Salma is. There is also talk about family and the secret to her 12-year marriage, kids, and yes, menopause. 

Salma “goes there” and very insightfully talks about middle-aged women and their journey through menopause, at one point proclaiming “Power to middle-aged women.”  She reveals how her bustline has grown through the years, and no, it was not a boob job. It happened in stages, with the last growth spurt happening during menopause.

She is not only a successful actress, wife, and mother, she is an entrepreneur, and it seems she might also consider being a life coach as she has a knack for giving sage advice as proven in the segment where Salma takes questions from guests.  Her answers were thoughtful and empowering. 

Salma is a true trailblazer and a source of pride for the U.S Latino/a community.  Her journey from being a Mexican telenovela star to her first U.S. film role in 1993, playing a “chola” in Allison Anders’ Mi Vida Loca and then starring in her breakout film two years later role in Robert Rodriguez’s Desperado. Fast forward and Salma is now a noted producer and leading lady in some of Hollywood’s top films.  A true Chingona, a Badass.

Featured Photo and Video: Red Table Talk

The post Salma Hayek Gets Very Real on Red Table Talk first appeared on .

In the 2017 American action comedy film The Hitman’s Bodyguard, Salma Hayek played the minor role of Sonia, the volatile, over-the-top wife of a relentlessly reckless hired gun. Starring Ryan Reynolds and Samuel Jackson, the feature was a moderate success at the box office, bringing in $176 million worldwide but left Hayek somewhat dissatisfied. “I wished I could be her much longer,” she recalls. “I remember thinking, I hope there’s a sequel because I love Sonia so much.” 

Salma Hayek got her wish. The film’s sequel, The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, is now playing nationwide. “She is back and now I have a very, very big role,” Hayek exclaims. “You are going to get a lot of Sonia in this one.” Also helmed by the original’s director Patrick Hughes, the film reprises the roles played by Reynolds as the bodyguard, Jackson and Hayek, with Frank Grillo, Tom Hopper, Antonio Banderas and Morgan Freeman joining the cast. 

Getting to see a lot of Hayek has been a rewarding experience since she made her U.S. debut in the film 1995 Desperado. The Mexican-American actress and producer began her career in Mexico, starring in the telenovela Teresa. She moved to Hollywood in 1991 and also worked in other films such as From Dusk till Dawn in 1996 and Dogma and Wild Wild West, both in 1999. That same year Hayek formed her own production company, Vetanarosa, to ensure she would always find good projects for herself. 

But at the 2001 Television Critics Association press tour, she said jokingly, “If I was only concerned about roles for myself, I wouldn’t have co-produced a film that is going to feature three of the most beautiful women on earth.” Hayek is referring to Mia Maestro, Lumi Cavazos and Pilar Padillo, who co-starred with her in the tragic Showtime film In the Time of the Butterflies, the true story of the Mirabal sisters, political dissidents who were assassinated by the Dominican Republic dictator Rafael Trujillo, portrayed by Edward James Olmos.    

Hayek’s breakthrough role was in the 2002 film Frida as Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, co-starring Alfred Molina as legendary muralist Diego Rivera. She was also a producer on the film and was nominated for best actress at the Oscars. 

Hayek went on to get more praise. She picked up a Daytime Emmy Award for outstanding directing of the family special for The Maldonado Miracle in 2004. Three years later she received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for outstanding guest starring actress in the ABC comedy-drama series Ugly Betty, which she also produced. “That was pretty funny,” says Hayek. “On Ugly Betty, I played a telenovela star who goes through some pretty intense physical comedy while shooting her show.” She also appeared on the NBC comedy series 30 Rock. In 2017 she was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for her role in Beatriz at Dinner. 

Other Hayek films include Grown Ups, Puss in Boots with Banderas, Grown Ups 2, Tale of Tales, Sausage Party and the more recent Like a Boss, which came out last year. 

At the moment, Hayek is ecstatic to be back in the Hitman franchise. “Sonia is a female action lead and she steals most of the movie,” she says. The actress exudes great satisfaction to be playing such a role at age 52. “She is definitely a kick-ass,” Hayek adds. “It proves that strong women can be very enchanting at any age for the audience.”  

Hayek credits her success in the film to the working relationship she has with her director Hughes, who has given her a lot of room to explore her character. “What I am proudest about creating this character is that she’s crazy but not grandly crazy,” she says. “I was very specific about the choices. She’s full of contradictions but I have my own ideas about how she thinks.” Hayek was impressed that she was encouraged to improvise on the set with her fellow castmates. “I love (that) freedom,” she says. “I am very grateful to Patrick for trusting me that way.”  

Utilizing improvisation is an ideal way for the characters to move through the fast-moving plot structure of this film. The bodyguard Michael Bryce (Reynolds) is set on leaving the bodyguard business until Sonia asks for his help to recover her hitman husband, Jackson’s Darius, when he is taken hostage by mobsters. After managing to get him back, Sonia and Michael are interrupted by Interpol agent Bobby O’Neill (Grillo), who needs their help in locating a terrorist mastermind Banderas’ Aristotle Papadopoulos. 

“I think Sam and I immediately clicked,” said Hayek. “We have great chemistry and energy together. This is an action movie but it also tells a story of being in love.” Hayek was happy that Darius and Sonia were able to stay in love through all the conflict and the messiness of the action. “I found that refreshing,” she adds. 

Hayek is equally ecstatic about her other co-stars. “In the first movie, I didn’t get to have any scenes with Ryan,” she recalls. “In this film, it has been such a delight. We improvised a lot together. And it was such a great reunion to be with Banderas again.” Hayek says she woke each day enthused about the adventure of finding out what she was going to do on set each day, delighted and grateful to be working with such a great cast. “I learned so much from all of them,” she says. “And I learned so much about me from working with them that I will forever have a great memory of this movie.”

Featured Photo: Ryan Reynolds, Salma Hayek and Samuel Jackson in ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard’s Wife (Credit: Lionsgate)

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The next phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is quickly approaching with Black Widow, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings and now, Eternals.

The first trailer for Eternals introduces the new team of immortal superheroes who must reunite to fight The Deviants.

Eternals stars Salma Hayek as Ajak; Richard Madden as Ikaris; Gemma Chan as Sersi; Kumail Nanjiani as Kingo; Lauren Ridloff as Makkari; Brian Tyree Henry as Phastos; Lia McHugh as Sprite; Don Lee as Gilgamesh; Barry Keoghan as Druig; Angelina Jolie as Thena and Kit Harrington as Dane Whitman.

Hayek will be the first Latina playing a superhero in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and it’s her voice the audience hears in the trailer above.

Eternals is directed by Academy Award–winner Chloé Zhao and will be in theaters this November.

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La Máscara del Amor, or The Mask of Love, is a dating game with a new twist which goes from fun games to romantic passion. Five masked suitors come to seduce and earn the love of one “Protagonist” through a series of games and challenges. Through the process of elimination, the Protagonist and contestants get to know each other throughout the episodes culminating with romantic fun dates with the last two suiters standing. The winning Suitors will then reveal if they are choosing the Love of the Protagonist or if they were playing for the cash prize.

“I’m excited to join the Estrella TV team in hosting this unique and fun dating show La Máscara del Amor,” says Vale. “Many of my single friends say how hard it is to meet someone. This series is a new twist on how people make personal love connections beyond typical first date pleasantries.” Adds the Mexico City-born actress, “I’m excited to host this unique show and hopefully help these singles make a real love connection.”

PRODUCTION WITH PROTOCOLS
The show is already in production at the network’s studios in Burbank, California following COVID-19 protocols, according to Estrella TV.

“Angélica is a natural fit for this unique role, as it’s a hybrid of hosting and being the fairy godmother to an entertaining group of singles looking for love,” says Ivan Stoilkovich, executive vice president of TV programming for Estrella Media, the parent company of Estrella TV.

An entertainer since age two, Vale is a multifaceted artist in film, television, theatre and radio. With credits in dozens of telenovelas, she is best known for leading the smash-hit Mexican soap opera La Fea Más Bella. This series was based on another internationally successful Colombian telenovela titled Yo Soy Betty, la Fea, which also had a successful American adaptation, ABC’s Golden Globe winner Ugly Betty. Vale herself made a cameo appearance in that English-language version executive produced by Oscar-nominated actress Salma Hayek.

BETWEEN HOLLYWOOD & MEXICO
Vale moved to the U.S. in 2016 and the following year she starred in the Telemundo telenovela La Fan. She has kept on working on projects in Hollywood and Mexico, including an appearance in Jane the Virgin, the animated action series Seis Manos and the telenovela Y Mañana Será Otro Día Mejor.

With her new show, Vale will now be splitting her time between radio and TV in Southern California. She currently hosts a morning show on the Los Angeles-based reggaeton radio station KLLI Cali 93.9.

The Mexican entertainer is the daughter of legendary actress and singer Angélica María and actor/comedian Raúl Vale.

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Eugenio Derbez is one of Mexico’s more successful comedic actors and directors. He was born into entertainment royalty in Mexico City. The son of actress Silvia Derbez, one of Mexico’s highly regarded actresses of film and television, known worldwide. Derbez followed in her steps, only on the comedic side, and soon was working under an exclusivity contract at Mexico’s Televisa, which at the time was the largest Spanish-language media conglomerate in Latin America. He was most known for the Mexican family sitcom La familia P. Luche which he created and which ran for ten years. Around 2011 he decided it was time to make a move and leave his comfort zone to expand his horizons. Many thought his decision to leave Televisa would be the end of his career, but as we all know now, it was only the beginning of his cross-over career into Hollywood.

Derbez’s first foray into the U.S. came in 2005 when he was cast in Rick Najera’s theatrical production Latinologues, which ran for three months on Broadway at the Helen Hays Theater.  In film, he starred in the Mexico/USA, bilingual feature Under The Same Moon/La Misma Luna, written by Ligiah Villalobos (Go Diego Go). Made for $2.7 million and earning $23.3 million at the box-office made Under The Same Moon/La Misma Luna a bonafide indie hit. 

An audition in 2011 for Adam Sandler’s Jack and Jill, landed him his first studio film co-starring role alongside Sandler, Katie Holmes, and Al Pacino. He had gotten Hollywood’s attention.

Life moved swiftly for Derbez after the release of his 2013 Mexican comedy-drama Instructions Not Included which he co-wrote, directed, and starred in. It went on to become the most successful Spanish-language film released in the U.S., breaking box-office records, earning more than $100 million worldwide.  U.S. Latinos were key to its success as they came out in droves to see a Latino star, many of whom knew of his work in Mexico.  Derbez was undoubtedly encouraged by the film’s success, which to date is still the most successful Spanish-language movie in America. 

“I remember a U.S. cinema-goer thanking me for Instructions Not Included,” recalled Derbez in a 2019 Deadline interview. “The person who saw the film told me, ‘That’s the first time I’ve seen a Latino in a movie here where they’re not a criminal.’ My character didn’t speak English, but he was a great dad, he was a hard worker, he was a good guy.” 

Derbez moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and in 2014 he ramped up a partnership with Pantelion’s former president of production Benjamin Odell. Together they founded 3Pas Studios (“tripas,” which means “guts” in Spanish) with the mission to focus on Spanish and English-language films targeted at all audiences, and specifcally U.S. Latinos.

How to Be a Latin Lover was Derbez’s next lead role after Instructions Not Included, however, this time in a U.S. film for Lionsgate. In this comedy film he plays the lead, Maximo, a gigolo dumped after twenty-five years of marriage, who now has to survive until he finds his next rich wife. The film made for $10 million, grossed $62.5 million worldwide and continued to solidify Derbez’s star power. How to Be a Latin Lover was written by Chris Spain and Jon Zack and directed by Ken Marino. Its stellar cast included Derbez, Salma Hayek, Raquel Welch, and major stars Rob Lowe, Kristen Bell, Rob Riggle, Linda Lavin, and Rob Huebel rounding out the cast. How to Be a Latin Lover further cemented his standing as one of the few Mexican actors with international crossover appeal, an actor who can “open a film”. Where in Mexico Derbez would get the American film dubbing gigs for movies such Shrek, he was now starring in them.

Recently he starred alongside Anna Farias and Eva Longoria in Lionsgate’s Overboard and in Sony’s Miracles From Heaven, he played Dr. Nurko opposite Jennifer Garner.  In 2019, Derbez starred in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, an American live-action film adaptation of the Nick Jr. animated television series, Dora the Explorer. The film also starred Isabela Moner, Michael Pena and Eva Longoria, with Danny Trejo as the voice of Boots and Benicio del Toro as the voice of Swiper.

Recently 3Pas upped their production team to keep up with their projects, bringing on board Carlos Aguirre as their VP, Features, Sonia Gambaro (VP of Television), and Javier Williams (SVP of Spanish Content). 

Williams, who has been working in Mexico for more than 25 years, heads 3Pas Studios’ new production services company, Visceral, which includes two production arms, Offa Entertainment and Banana Media, focusing on a range of unscripted as well as scripted programming. 

Former Televisa producer Pablo Calasso has also been brought on board to run Offa Entertainment and Banana Media’s day-to-day operations. Based in Mexico, Calasso is versed in producing both scripted and unscripted content. 3pas intends to create content for bilingual and multicultural audiences, which means planting roots both in the U.S. and in Mexico. 

“We’re doubling down on our commitment to develop superior content for bilingual and multicultural audiences with the hires of Javier and Pablo and the development of Offa Entertainment and Banana Media,” said Odell in another interview with Deadline. “We’re excited to plant roots in Mexico to further expand our production services in the region.”

Derbez who Variety, called “the most influential Hispanic male in the world,” is on to something.  3Pas Studios films seem to have captured the attention of the #1 (per capita) film-going audience in the U.S., Latinos.  The production company has successfully developed numerous bilingual and English language series and features, including How To Be A Latin Lover and Overboard which this coveted demographic is responding to.

With a first-look deal in place with Lionsgate’s Pantelion Films and a first-look TV deal with Universal Television, 3Pas is set to start rolling out their new projects. In varying stages of production, they include Ponce, a dramedy about Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon and his legendary quest for the fountain of youth; remakes of the Argentinian comedy Un Cuento Chino about a Mexican, a Chinese boy and the cow that brought them together. They are also developing the French comedy The Valet, a remake of the 2006 French comedy from Francis Veber about a parking valet, and Ms. Granny the story about a woman in her 70s who magically finds herself in the body of her 20-year-old self.

On the Spanish language content end, 3Pas recently produced ¿Y Cómo Es Él? with Mexico’s comedic talent Omar Chaparro who has 10 million followers on social media. They are also developing a remake of the hit Korean film, Ms. Granny to star Mexico’s beloved telenovela actress Veronica Castro and Natasha Dupeyrón. 3Pas Studios is also producing streaming content, including the hit Amazon series LOL: Last One Laughing, hosted by Derbez and De Viaje Con Los Derbez.

On the animation side, Derbez is slated to voice the lead “mouse” on the Warner Bros. film Speedy Gonzalez, about the iconic mouse character from Warner’s Looney Tunes. He will also serve as executive producer under the 3Pas banner.

When Latin Heat asked for an update on the 3Pas production schedule for 2021, Odell replied, “Unfortunately, right now, we have a couple of big projects prepping and need all our attention on them.  Please check in July when we are out of the weeds.”

As Derbez and Odell continue to move through the “weeds,” Derbez is convinced that something is changing in America. In the same aforementioned Dateline interview, he proclaimed. “There are a lot of people who want to see themselves reflected on screen. Now it’s time for Latinos. There are 58 million of us in the U.S., is so in Hollywood, it’s not about just hiring a Martinez or a Hernandez — screw that — it’s about telling stories that are interesting to different kinds of audiences.” Derbez and producing partner Odell know this better than most, given the growing success of 3Pas Studios. “We need different types of stories,” Derbez proclaims. “Stories that can inspire and make us feel good. That’s the way to conquer the Latino market.” 

Featured Photo: Hispanic Heritage Awards

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Get ready to be sucked into the mind-bending film that is Bliss. Starring Salma Hayek (Like a Boss, The Hummingbird Project) and Owen Wilson (Wonder, Wedding Crashers), Bliss takes viewers through a distorted love-story between the two.

Hayek plays Isabel, a woman who seemingly lives in the streets of a shattered world, convinced that the polluted, broken world around them is only a computer simulation. Wilson plays Greg, a recently divorced man who just got fired and whose world is falling apart. After the two connect, they both end up believing they are living in a simulated reality, created to make society appreciate the beautiful world they truly live in.

The distorted story only becomes more complicated as Greg struggles to determine which of the two worlds is reality and which is the simulation. He is swayed by Isabel and his daughter played by Nesta Cooper (The Edge of Seventeen, #Realityhigh) in his quest to choose what is real.

The sci-fi drama was written and directed by Mike Cahill. Cahill is no stranger to the science fiction realm having written and directed both I Origins and Another Earth. The latter was co-written with Brit Marling.

The Bliss also includes Madeline Zima (Californication, Heroes) and Joshua Leonard (The Blair Witch Project, If I Stay). 

We last saw Hayek in The Roads Not Taken and Like a Boss in 2020. This year will bring the Mexican actress to our screens a lot more. Hayek will star alongside Angelina Jolie (Maleficent) and Richard Madden (Game of Thrones, 1917) in Marvel Studios’ Eternals where she plays a superhero worshipped by the Incas. The blockbuster is scheduled to release this coming Nov. 5 as part of Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU).

Hayek will also return to the big screen in the title role of The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, the sequel to The Hitman’s Bodyguard, where she will reprise her role as Sonia Kincaid. The actress will star alongside Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool, Detective Pikachu) and Samuel L. Jackson (The Hateful Eight) who plays her husband.

Hayek will share her Bliss leading man, Wilson with another powerhouse Latina in 2021. Wilson and Jennifer Lopez (Hustlers) star in the romantic-comedy Marry Me. This film is tentatively scheduled for a May 2021 release.

Bliss is set to be released on Feb. 5 by Amazon Studios on Prime Video.

Featured Photo: Hilary-Bronwyn for Amazon

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