A very busy week for Latinos in Hollywood.  From film premieres to castings, distribution news and award recognition. However, the top story goes to Gina Rodriguez.  This powerhouse actress, producer and outspoken advocate for Latinos in Hollywood is killing it.

Gina Rodriguez Owns This Week’s News

Coming off the premiere of her animated Netflix TV Show Carmen SanDiego (where she voices the title character) last week, this week is all about Gina Rodriguez playing a badass in Miss Bala which premieres today.  

There is only one new film release going wide this weekend due to the Superbowl and that is Miss Bala.  The preview screenings on Thursday brought in $650,000 at the box office with critics agreeing that Gina has a future as an action hero!

The unity that the famous 2017 Power Brunch organized by Gina and America Ferrera instigated was still evident as Latinas came out to support Gina at the L.A. the red carpet premiere of Miss Bala. In Attendance were America Ferrera, Eva Longoria, Gina Torres, Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, casting director Blanca Valdez and so many more.

Gina made more news this week with the buzz around the Jane the Virgin Spinoff from the CW that she will narrate and produce; the Carmen SanDiego live action feature she is woking on; and her new film she is set to star in for Warner Bros., Bobbie Sue.

So for all you action hero film fans, Miss Bala is about a badass woman – in this case a Latina, go see it. Then make sure to go to Rotten Tomatoes and let them know how you liked it! #WomenActionHeroes, #BadassWomenUnite #LatinaBadass #MakeBoxofficeNews

Vergara Ventures off to The Big Screen

According to a Deadline, Sofia Vergara will not only be producing an upcoming untitled “female ensemble comedy with action” film with Original Film but she will also be producting.  Baywatch and Last Vegas writing duo Kyle Pennekamp & Scott Turpel will write

Dune A-Listers

Hunky Oscar Isaac (Star Trek) and Javier Bardem (Loving Pablo) will be joining director Denis Villeneuve in the adaptation of the 1965 Frank Herbert classic novel Dune.  Isaac will play Duke Leto Atreides, Timothee Chalamet dad in the film and Bardem will play Stilgar, the leader of planet’s nomadic tribes known as Fremen.

Dune is a sci-fi literary classic.  It tells the story of a fallen noble family’s attempt to control a desert planet named Arrakis.  Latinos into the sci-fi future!

Bryana Salaz to Star in Team Kaylie

Actress/Singer Bryana Salaz will be starring in the live-action comedy series Team Kaylie for Netflix. Salaz will play a selfie obsessed celebrity who assigned to community service, Created by Emmy-winning producer Tracy Bitterolf (Emma Approved).

Known to The Voice audiences for her appearance on NBC’s reality TV singing competition for season 7 in 2014.  Since then she has been cast in a pilot (Urban Cowboy) starred in Best Friends Forever for Disney and several other TV show and a few independent films.  You will be hearing more about her, so stay tuned!

Congrats to…

…Red Hot Busy Showrunner of Starz drama Vida, Tanya Saracho who was honored at the Final Draft Screening Awards this week. Here she is flanked by members of her cast and creatives on the red carpet. Gloria Calderon Kellett (another awesome talented showrunner (Netflix’s One Day at a Time) presented her with the award.

But wait there is more. Both of these talented showrunners, Saracho (Vida)  and Calderon Kellett (One Day at a Time), have been nominated for their respective for a GLAAD Award this week! This, just the latest in accolades they have received.

Chisme

Off of social media… @TanyaSaracho gave us an early glimpse of what she has cooking

Tanya Tweet – Jan 16th “Aaww! I’m so happy you like it! My play Enfrascada is sort of the inspiration or jumping off point for my next (hopefully) series called Brujas!” 

Sounds great!  We will light the “velitas” and hope to see “Brujas” soon.

And congratulations to Sophia Santi, a character actress whose work encompasses both TV and film, for receiving the Best Performance award for her role in the short film Sin Cielo at the PA Indie Shorts Film Festival 2018.  Her performance of a strong matriarch dealing with the injustice brought upon the women in Juarez, Mexico was highlighted with this award.

More Castings

Rosario Dawson has joined the cast of Zombieland 2 which is the next installment of the post-apocalyptic zombie comedy from Sony.  She joined Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, and Emma Stone. Ruben Fleischer will be back to direct the sequel.

Corey Hawkins has been cast in the role of Benny in the Quiara Alegria Hudes and   Lin-Manuel Miranda in the feature adaptation of In The Heights a Warner Bros. Prod.  He joins Hamilton’s star Anthony Ramos who will be playing the lead role of Usnai; Rita Moreno (One Day at a Time) as Abuelita Claudia, Joseph Velez as Kevin Rosario (Stranger Things, Iron Man 3)  and Daymien Valentino (Billions)

Jon M. Chu (Crazy Rich Asians) is set to direct; Anthony Bregman, Mara Jacobs, Scott Sanders and Miranda are producing. Marc Klein wrote the script, with musical book by Hudes.

Indie Film News

Congratulations Writer/Director Anthony Solorzano on the upcoming release of his film Varsity Punks on February 26th.  If you have followed his journey this coming of age film about high school kids, you know his hands approach in creating buzz, 4-walling this film — could only lead to a wider distribution.  Stay tune for the full story but meanwhile here is the trailer

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