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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Christmas may be months away but Disney has announced what could be considered an early yuletide gift for America with a strong Latino flavor. The company announced the Disney Channel Original Movie Christmas Again, a heartwarming family dramedy starring Disney fan-favorite Scarlett Estevez, will premiere Dec. 3.

Directed by Paul Fickman, who has a long string of comedies and family films under his belt such as Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2 and Race to Witch Mountain, the new Disney movie is a story about a Latino blended family that thankfully also features several talents with Spanish-language surnames in prominent roles. 

Several Latino actors stand out in the Disney movie. In addition to Estevez (Bunk’d, Daddy’s Home) also featured are Alexis Carra (Grey’s Anatomy), Ashlyn Jade Lopez (The Vampire Diaries), Priscilla Lopez (Maid in Manhattan) and newcomer Jacob F. Perez. 

Being a mixed family, Christmas Again also stars Daniel Sunjata (One for the Money), Beth Lacke (Mr. 3000) and Gary Anthony Williams (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows). Italian-American Tony Amendola (Annabelle) plays a Latino abuelo.

Estevez’s leading character is Rowena “Ro,” an energetic teen experiencing a dull Christmas. Her parents’ recent divorce has upended her life and wishes things to go back to the way they were. Her dad (Sunjata) has a new girlfriend (Lacke) and son, whom she wants out of the picture. Ro wants their family traditions to remain the same. After a disappointing celebration with her family, including her sister Gabriela “Gabby” (Ashlyn Jade Lopez), Abuela Sofia (Priscilla Lopez) and abuelo Hector (Amendola), the teen girl makes a wish to a neighborhood Santa (Williams) for a “do-over” and unexpectedly finds herself reliving Christmas day over again and again. To break the magical loop, Ro must learn to appreciate her loving family as it is and the true meaning of Christmas.

Thirteen-year-old Cuban-American Estevez started acting at age 3 in TV commercials and a couple of years later shot her first feature film, And Then There Was You, starring Garcelle Beauvais. She co-starred in the Nickelodeon movie The Massively Mixed-Up Middle School Mystery and was a supporting lead in the films Daddy’s Home and Daddy’s Home 2 playing the daughter of Mark Wahlberg. She is currently a series regular as Trixie Espinoza on Fox’s Lucifer. Currently the star of Disney’s Bunk’d, she will co-star also in the Disney upcoming lucha libre superhero series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion.

Carra, who is of Spanish, Cuban and Argentine descent, started as a series regular in the short-lived ABC series Mixology. Her credits include Grey’s Anatomy, Castle, The Mentalist and Bones. A trained ballet dancer since the age of two, she has performed on Broadway and is a choreographer for film and TV projects.

Up-and-coming actress Ashlyn Jade Lopez was only age 9 when she starred as young Nadia in The Vampire Diaries series. Her film and TV credits include Lifetime’s movie The Wrong House and the Netflix film Beneath the Leaves.

With a long career that included a child role in the Academy Award-winning 1961 film West Side Story, Priscilla Lopez may be best known for her work on the 2002 rom-com Maid in Manhattan alongside Jennifer Lopez, playing the pop singer’s lead character. Priscilla Lopez has also appeared in the comedy Revenge of the Nerds II: Nerds in Paradise and Sleeping With the Fishes, the latter of which won her an Imagen Award nom for Best Actress/Supporting Actress.

Christmas Again marks the feature film debut for newcomer child actor Jacob F. Perez. He appeared in the Silver Telly Award-winning short The Audition, a drama written and starred by Isaías Pérez about a Latino actor who doesn’t fit the Hollywood stereotype and goes to great lengths to make casting directors notice his talent. Jacob was also featured in the Fox series Proven Innocent. 

Christmas Again was filmed in Chicago. Director Fickman also executive produces with long-time producing partner Betsy Sullenger, both of whom worked together in the Disney Channel hit series Liv & Maddie. Christmas Again was written by Doan La (Black Friday).

Featured Photo: Disney’s Christmas Again stars Scarlett Estevez as Rowena “Ro”. (Credit: Disney/Ed Herrera)

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Villareal (Akeela and the Bee) will play Cruz De La Vega, a luchador wrestling coach with the secret superhero identity Black Scorpion in Disney Channel’s new live-action comedy series Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion. The other name in the title refers to character Violet Rodriguez, a teenager chosen by a magical luchador mask to be a superhero, just like her uncle De La Vega. Rodriguez/Ultra Violet is played by Scarlett Estevez (Bunk’d). 

De La Vega replaces Blue Demon Jr., a famous Mexican wrestler. While Disney did not explain the change, media outlets have reported the ousted luchador was accused of domestic violence just months after the series had cast him in the superhero role early in the year. The show was originally titled Ultra Violet & Blue Demon. The luchador was also dropped as an executive producer.

According to the newspaper El Heraldo de Mexico, Blue Demon Jr.’s wife Mónica Carrillo publicly accused the wrestler of spousal abuse over two decades of marriage. The publication reported Carrillo filed a complaint with authorities. The woman also said she received death threats after going public with her story on the YouTube show No Chisme Like, the newspaper reported.

The “luchador enmascarado” also got involved in politics after being cast in Ultra Violet & Blue Demon Jr. He was also reportedly running for a mayoral seat in one of Mexico City’s 16 municipalities.  

Villarreal is a budding Texas-born actor best known for his role as Javier Mendez in the 2006 family/school drama Akeelah and the Bee, starring alongside KeKe Palmer and Angela Bassett. He was later featured in the Millennium Film action-drama Bobby Z along with Paul Walker and Laurence Fishburne. His credits include indie drama Magic City Memoirs, executive produced by Academy Award-nominated actor Andy Garcia, and Paramount’s comedy Ghost Team One. Other credits include guest appearances on FX’s The Bridge, Fox’s House M.D., Lifetime’s Strong Medicine and CBS’s Ghost Whisperer as well as mainstream series like Cold Case, Without a Trace and CSI: Miami.

Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion also star Marianna Burelli (Paramedicos) as Violet’s mother, Nina; Juan Alfonso (American Princess) as Violet’s father, Juan Carlos; Brandon Rossel (Fast Layne) as Violet’s brother, Santiago; Zelia Ankrum (Les Moore) as Violet’s best friend, Maya Miller-Martinez; and Bryan Blanco (Screwball) as Violet’s classmate, Luis León.

The series also names two new executive producers, Eric Garcia and Leo Chu, who also serve as showrunners. Also executive producing is Joe Nussbaum in addition to previously confirmed Dan Hernandez and Benji Samit, a pair that collaborated in Pokémon Detective Pikachu.

Featured Photo: Disney’s ‘Ultra Violet & Black Scorpion’ stars Scarlett Estevez as Violet Rodriguez and J.R. Villarreal as Cruz De La Vega. (Credit: Disney/Brian Roedel)

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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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