Nicky Jam Named Ambassador of Fat Joe’s Rewind It 10 Beard Dye Brand

Nicky Jam is adding a little color to his resume…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American urban singer-songwriter has been named the latest ambassador for Fat Joe’s  Rewind It 10 beard dye brand.

Nicky Jam,Nicky Jam’s dark brown beard dye coloring package is now available at CVS, Sally BeautyAmazon and the Rewind It 10 website.  

“I’ve been coloring my beard for years and tried all the other brands, but nothing looks more natural than Rewind It 10,” said Nicky Jam in a statement. “I love Rewind It 10. Thank you to Fat Joe and the whole team at Rewind for the opportunity – let’s go.”

Nicky Jam joins a decorated lineup of Rewind It 10 ambassadors, including Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (who is dating Taylor Swift), DJ Khaled, model Tyson Beckford, Tank, television personality Brody Jenner, MMA fighter Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson and more.

“Nicky Jam is truly a global icon in the music industry. He shattered the mold as a musician and now we’re proud to partner together to break new barriers in the hair and beard coloring industry,” Rewind It 10 co-founder Jeff Aronson added. “He embodies the essence of the product and is a perfect addition to our Rewind It 10 family to ensure we’re continuing to reach a wide-ranging array of consumers.”

Nicky Jam, Rewind It 10,On the music side, Nicky Jam released his Insomnio album in September, featuring Sean Paul, Ryan Castro, Eladio Carrión and more.

“I’m not going to be a singer for the rest of my life,” he told Billboard as part of his September cover story. “I think I’ll probably retire soon … Well, not retire. Singers never retire. You just tone it down.”

Julee Cerda to Star in Kevin James’ Romantic Comedy “Solo Mio”

Julee Cerda has been added to the wedding guest list…

The 46-year-old half-Dominican Korean actress will star in Kevin James’ romantic comedy Solo Mio.

Julee Cerda,Cerda is among a roster of new cast additions that includes Alyson Hannigan, Nicole Grimaudo, Kim Coates, Jonathan Roumie and Julie Ann Emery.

In Solo Mio, Matt (James)’s fiancé has dreamed of a wedding in Italy. He saves up and flies his whole family over for the wedding and has even booked a lavish honeymoon after. When his fiancé stands him up at the altar, he is forced to go on his honeymoon alone, thrusting him into the beautiful culture of Italy and renewing his passion for life and food. Along the way he meets Gia, who reminds Matt that love and happiness is a reality.

The Nickel City Features and Jeffrey Greenstein’s A Higher Standard feature is shooting in Rome based on the script by Patrick Kinnane and John Kinnane and directed by Chuck Kinnane and Dan Kinnane

Cerda’s previous credits include Descendants: The Rise of Red, Vacation Friends 2, You’re Not Alone and The Mighty Ducks: Game Changers

Kenny Ortega Teams Up with Former “Newsies” Team for Special Video to Get Out the Vote

Kenny Ortega is makin’ news(ies) while getting out the vote…

The 74-year-old Spanish American prolific director, choreographer and producer has teamed up with composer Alan Menken and lyricist Jack Feldman have reunited for a non-partisan get out the vote video that features new performances of updated songs from Newsies.

Kenny Ortega, NewsiesThe project is for Broadway Votes, the theater industry’s largest organized get out the vote effort, and features a remix video of Newsies’Carrying the Banner” and “Seize the Day” numbers.

The project reunites Ortega, the director of the 1992 film adaptation of the Broadway musical with Menken and Feldman for the first time since the film.

The songs are reframed for the 2024 election and newly re-recorded. The video was filmed at the Connelly Theater in Manhattan’s East Village.

The performers include leads from the original Newsies Broadway cast such as Ben Fankhauser, Andrew Keegan-Bolger, Kara Lindsay and Tommy Bracco, as well as notable Broadway actors such as Josh Strobl, Justin David Sullivan, Oyoyo Joi and Antonio Cipriano.

The Broadway musical’s book writer Harvey Fierstein was also involved.

“My gratitude to Broadway Votes for this joyous full circle opportunity to re-visit the spirit and empowering messages of my film Newsies,” Ortega said in a statement, “and for the privilege to collaborate with New York’s extraordinary Broadway and filmmaking communities in this non-partisan musical rally to get out and vote.”

Said Menken, “This medley, blending beloved songs from both the 1992 film and the Broadway production of Newsies, serves as a reminder of the power we hold as people who care about Democracy.” He added, “By reimagining these familiar tunes, we hope to inspire every American to exercise their fundamental right to vote. The magic of music and storytelling has always moved people – now we’re using that magic to move them to the polls.”

Broadway Votes launched in early September with a mission to motivate and mobilize theater lovers around the country to make a plan to vote. For National Voter Registration Day the initiative partnered with over 18 shows to encourage voter registration, and recently threw an all-star free concert in Times Square featuring Broadway actors and musicians.

Anthony Ramos to Star in the Romantic Comedy “Love Language”

Anthony Ramos is embracing his love language

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer will star in the romantic comedyLove Language from Caviar.

Anthony RamosDirected by Joey Power, who wrote the film, Love Language will also star Chloë Grace MoretzManny JacintoIsabel May, Lukas Gage and Billie Lourd.

Caviar is arranging full financing of the project.

Cameras will roll in mid-October in Chicago, Illinois. CAA Media Finance is representing the U.S. rights to the film.

Love Language is produced by Ari Lubet for 3 Arts Entertainment, Colin Jost and Jeff Grosvenor for No Notes Productions, and Bert Hamelinck and Allison Hironaka for Caviar.

Grammy winning Ramos can be next seen in Marvel’s Ironheart series for Disney+.

It was just announced that he’ll star in Kathryn Bigelow’s next film at Netflix in addition to Ryan Murphy’s The Beauty for FX, which he will also executive produce.

Neymar Reportedly ThisClose to Return One Year After Shock Injury

Neymar may be getting back in the game soon…

The 32-year-old Brazilian professional footballer, who plays as a forward for Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal and the Brazil national team, has made significant improvement on his knee recovery and could be fit to play on October 21, per ESPN sources.

NeymarNeymar has been sidelined for a year since sustaining a torn ACL and meniscus in his left knee while on international duty with Brazil.

Neymar returned to train with Al Hilal on September 29. People closely monitoring Neymar’s progress believe the player could return to play in time for Al Hilal’s Asian Champions League game at Al Ain on October 21.

Al Hilal coach Jorge Jesus will have the final say on when Neymar will return to action.

However, he’ll first need the approval of Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar, who carried out Neymar’s surgery.

Lasmar is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days to evaluate the player’s fitness.

Neymar, who is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer, joined the Saudi Pro League side in August 2023 from Paris Saint-Germain but played just five games before getting hurt.

Brazil’s Football Confederation is monitoring the situation closely and is hopeful of having Neymar available in time for the November World Cup qualifiers against Venezuela and Uruguay.

Miel San Marcos to Release Special Holiday-Themed ‘Spotify Singles’ Track “Emmanuel”

Miel San Marcos is getting into the holiday spirit.

The Guatemalan Christian music group, comprised of three brothers Josh, Luis and Samy Morales, is among the artists releasing holiday songs this Christmas season on Spotify.

Miel San MarcosMiel San Marcos perform the single “Emmanuel” as part of the music streamer’s five Spotify Singles, which will be released at the stroke of midnight local time on Tuesday, October 15. 

This year’s annual singles collection — which arrives a little earlier than usual this time — will feature four other artists and their covers of holiday tunes, including Kesha, Max Richter and Dasha.

The featured musicians and their yuletide songs are:

“Emmanuel” by Miel San Marcos
“Holiday Road” by Kesha
“Driving Home for Christmas” by Dasha
“River” by Max Richter
“Run Rudolph Run” by Mark Ambor

“As you’ll hopefully hear, each single really showcases the personality and style of each artist — often reinventing holiday classics in an entirely new way,” Talia Kraines, Spotify’s senior editor of pop, tells Billboard. 

“With ‘Holiday Road,’ Kesha has taken this really fun ’80s song – which wasn’t originally a holiday song – and brought it to the modern day. We just knew she would sound amazing singing it, and she does. Her vocals make me think of The Go-Gos or The Bangles here. It feels like a monumental year for Kesha, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it – she’s reclaiming her joy and owning her own voice,” she adds of the Grammy nominated artist. “It also seemed fitting to have Kesha make a holiday song with us because her music actually hits a high each year on Spotify during the holiday season.

Tracks like ‘Tik Tok’ and ‘Timber’ have come to be known as New Year’s and celebration anthems.”

Dandelooo Closes Sales on Fictional Animated Film About Frida Kahlo, “Hola Frida!,” in Mexico, Spain & Greece

The animated homage to the late Frida Kahlo is going global…

Emmy-winning French animation producer-distributor Dandelooo has closed sales for the animated feature Hola Frida! in Mexico, Spain and Greece.

Frida KahloDandelooo gave audiences at Annecy an early look at footage and music from Hola Frida! back in June, but a full premiere is just around the corner, with the film set to join Coco among the ranks of animated features to world premiere at Mexico’s prestigious Morelia International Film Festival.

Hola Frida! will screen on October 25 at Morelia’s Cineteca Nacional and at Kahlo’s Casa Azul museum.

After its Morelia debut, the film will be released in France on February 12, where it will be distributed by Haut et Court Distribution.

In March, Pack Màgic will release the film in Spain.

In spring, Maison 4:3 will release the film in Canada and Rosebud21 in Greece, although specific dates have not yet been revealed.

Hola Frida!Hola Frida! tells a fictionalized story of the childhood adventures of real-life artist Frida Kahlo, growing up in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Fascinated by the world around her, the girl overcomes adversity by using her vibrant imagination.

Directed by Karine Vézina and André Kadi,“Hola Frida! is aimed at kids ages six and up and their families. The film was written by Sophie Faucher, Anne Bryan and André Kadi and produced by Haut et Court in France and Tobo Media and Du Coup Studio Production in Canada.

“It’s a great honor to be selected by Morelia International Film Festival and to present Hola Frida! at Cineteca Nacional and la Casa Azul,” said Dandelooo’s International Sales & Acquisitions Manager Luna Sirvin. “The launch of Hola Frida! could only have happened in Frida’s homeland, Mexico. These screenings are a fitting tribute to an amazing artist, as well as a starting point for the film’s global journey.”

Zoe Saldana to Receive Critics Choice Association‘s Groundbreaker Award

Zoe Saldana is a special Critics Choice honoree 

The 46-year-old 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican American actress is among the honorees from the Critics Choice Association‘s 4th Annual Celebration of Latino Cinema & Television taking place on October 22, 2024 at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood.

Zoë SaldañaSaldaña will receive the Groundbreaker Award for her starring role in Netflix’s Emilia Pérez, which won the Best Actress prize for the ensemble cast at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. 

The Director Award – Film will be awarded to Pablo Larraín for his directorial work on Netflix’s Maria.

The film competed in the Venice Film Festival and was one of the official selections for both the Telluride Film Festival and the New York Film Festival this year.

The Vanguard Award will be given to filmmaker Fede Alvarez for his writing and directorial work in creating 20th Century Studios’ Alien: Romulus.

The film notably earned $45.1 million in its domestic opening weekend at the box office and became the highest grossing horror film in IMAX history.

Emmy-nominated director, writer and producer Issa López will receive The Director Award – Series for her directorial work on the HBO Original Series True Detective: Night Country.

The series received 19 Emmy nominations, the most for any limited or anthology series this year and won star Jodie Foster the award for Best Actress in a Leading Role for a Limited Series, Anthology, or Television Movie.

The Showrunner Award will recognize Emmy-nominated television writer and producer Francesca Sloane for her work on Prime Video’s series Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The series was nominated 16 times at this year’s Emmys and was awarded two wins.

Oscar and Emmy-nominated actress Adriana Barraza will be honored with the Actress Award – Film for her role in Roadside Attractionsfilm My Penguin Friend.

Barraza previously earned an Academy Award nomination in 2007 for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s film Babel and just received a 2024 International Emmy nomination for Best Actress for her work in the award-winning Netflix film El último vagón.

Actress and writer Fernanda Torres will receive the Actress Award – International Film for her role in Sony Pictures Classics’ film I’m Still Here, which notably garnered the Best Screenplay award at this year’s Venice Film Festival and has been selected as Brazil’s 2024 submission for Best International Feature Film at the Oscars.

Emayatzy Corinealdi will accept the Actress Award – Series for her performance on Hulu/Onyx Collective’s Reasonable Doubt.

Corinealdi also recently appeared in the HBO series Ballers and in the Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead. STARZ will bestow Emayatzy Corinealdi’s award with a special STARZ #TakeTheLead designation as part of its ongoing commitment to amplifying narratives by, about, and for women and underrepresented audiences.

Ramón Rodríguez will be awarded with the Breakthrough Actor Award – Series for his starring role in the ABC series Will Trent.

Rodríguez was also nominated in the Best Actor in a Drama Series category for season one at last year’s Critics Choice Awards.

The Comedy Series Award will be bestowed upon the acclaimed Apple TV+ series Acapulco, starring Emmy-winner Eugenio Derbez, Enrique Arrizon, Fernando Carsa, and Camila Perez.

The International Series Award will recognize the Apple TV+ Spanish-language drama series Familia de Medianoche, which features an entirely Latino cast and crew led by performers Renata Vaca, Joaquín Cosío, and Diego Calva.

The Celebration honors standout performances and work, both onscreen and offscreen from the Latino entertainment community.

Carlos Rodón to Start for New York Yankees in Game 1 of American League Championship Series

It’s game on for Carlos Rodón.

The 31-year-old Cuban left-handed pitcher will start the American League Championship Series (ALCS) opener for the New York Yankees against the Cleveland Guardians on Monday night.

Carlos Rodón, Rodón rebounded to a 16-9 record with a 3.96 ERA over 175 innings in 32 starts in his second season with the Yankees after signing a six-year, $162 million contract.

He went 3-8 with a career-worst 6.85 ERA over 14 outings in a 2023 season that didn’t start for him until July 7 because of a strained left forearm and back stiffness.

Rodón took the loss in Game 2 of the AL Division Series against the Kansas City Royals on Monday.

He pitched shutout ball until giving up a leadoff homer to Salvador Perez that sparked a four-run fourth inning. Tommy Pham, Garrett Hampson and Maikel Garcia added RBI singles in a 4-2 win that evened the best-of-five series.

Rodón’s wife, Ashley, said she received online harassment following his defeat.

“It’s not the first time nor will it be the last time,” the pitcher said. “I think Ashley and I spoke about it that night, and she said, and I quote, she said, ‘I have thick skin, so I’m going to be OK.’ And she does. She’s a tough lady, my wife, very tough, probably tougher than I am. For me, on my phone, I have accounts, but I do not have social media on my phone.”

Ace Gerrit Cole starts Game 2 on Tuesday, followed by Clarke Schmidt in Game 3 at Cleveland on Thursday and rookie Luis Gil the following day in Game 4.

“It was really kind of choosing between Clarke and Carlos,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Sunday about his Game 1 decision. “It just felt like it was close, and I feel like this kind of keeps them on rhythm as much as possible without giving one guy a huge, long layoff.”

Boone said it was possible that first baseman Anthony Rizzo could be added to the roster but no decision had been made. Rizzo has been sidelined since fracturing a pair of fingers when hit by a pitch September 28.

“He did a lot more yesterday and did pretty well, but I want to see more today,” Boone said before the workout. “There’s a chance.”

 

Monica Barbaro Named to Variety’s “10 Actors to Watch” List for 2024

Monica Barbaro has earned must-watch status…

The 34-year-old part-Mexican American actress has been named to Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch list for 2024.

Monica Barbaro,Previously seen as a pilot in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick, Barbaro will play legendary singer Joan Baez opposite Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s A Complete Unknown.

But Barbaro isn’t the only Latina/o actor to make this year’s list.

Karla Sofía Gascón has earned a spot on the coveted list after playing the title role in Emilia Pérez in the film of the same name. The Spanish actress shared the best actress prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival with her co-stars Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez.

Josh Rivera is also an actor to watch.

He made his film debut in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story and can currently be seen playing the title role in Ryan Murphy’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez for FX.

The annual list names breakthrough and up-and-coming actors whose stars are on the rise.

Over the years, the list has included more than 35 Oscar winners and nominees, including Viola Davis, Mahershala Ali, Timothée Chalamet and Brie Larson.

The10 to Watch lists have been a Variety staple since 1997, with Actors to Watch highlighted since 1998, with many performers from awards season prospects.

This year is no exception, including actors in such high-profile upcoming films as “Emilia Pérez,” “Queer,” “A Complete Unknown” and “Gladiator II.”

The honorees will be profiled in the October 17 issue of Variety and feted at a special brunch on October 20 at the Newport Beach Film Festival Honors presented by Visit Newport Beach.

“The Newport Beach Film Festival is immensely proud to host Variety’s 10 Actors to Watch. Variety has a long history of identifying key talent that will impact our creative environment,” says Gregg Schwenk, CEO and co-founder of the fest. “This year’s class is a great reflection of the diversity and depth of talent that exists in the industry today.”

“The fall film festival season is once again in full swing and once again screens everywhere are filled with exciting, dynamic performances by emerging actors who renew our faith in the future of cinema,” adds Variety’s senior VP global content/executive editor, Steven Gaydos. “As Variety has done since 1997, we’ve selected 10 talented performers from current films of all genres who all share one common characteristic: the capacity for greatness.”

This year’s 10 Actors to Watch are:

Monica Barbaro – Previously seen as a pilot in the blockbuster “Top Gun: Maverick,” Barbaro will play legendary singer Joan Baez opposite Timothée Chalamet as Bob Dylan in James Mangold’s “A Complete Unknown.”

Zoë Chao – After starring roles in “The Afterparty” and “Party Down,” Chao will be seen in “Nightbitch” with Amy Adams and “The Roses” with Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman.

Ryan Destiny – The actress/singer/songwriter delivers a breakthrough performance as Olympic boxer Claressa “T-Rex” Shields in “The Fire Inside,” written by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins and directed by Oscar nominee Rachel Morrison.

Karla Sofía Gascón – The Spanish actor plays the title role in “Emilia Pérez,” for which she shared the best actress prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival with her co-stars Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez.

Fred Hechinger – After starring in “Thelma,” Hechinger’s busy year includes roles in “Gladiator II,” “Nickel Boys” and “Kraven the Hunter.”

Ella Hunt – Previously seen in the series “Dickinson,” Hunt portrays the legendary Gilda Radner in Jason Reitman’s film “Saturday Night” and appears in Kevin Costner’s “Horizon: An American Saga” films.

David Jonsson – After his acclaimed film debut in “Rye Lane,” Jonsson stole scenes in “Alien: Romulus” and will next be seen in the films “The Long Walk” and “Wasteman.”

Josh Rivera – Rivera made his film debut in Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story” and can currently be seen playing the title role in Ryan Murphy’s “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” for FX.

Drew Starkey – The “Outer Banks” star is earning raves for his breakthrough film role opposite Daniel Craig in Luca Guadagnino’s “Queer.”

Toby Wallace – Following a standout turn in “The Bikeriders,” Wallace will next appear in Ron Howard’s “Eden,” Justin Lin’s “Last Days” and “Inside” with Guy Pearce.”