Jenna Ortega In Talks to Star in the Horror Thriller “X”

Posted on November 2, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

X marks the spot for Jenna Ortega.

The 18-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress is in final talks to star opposite Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) and Mia Goth in X, the next horror thriller from director Ti West.

The film will be a co-production between A24 and BRON Studios, who will also co-finance.

West will write and direct the pic with A24, Jacob Jaffke, Kevin Turen, Sam Levinson, and Ashley Levinson producing through their Little Lamb Productions. Mescudi will executive produce.

Plot details are being kept under wraps but the film is expected to bare similarities of West’s past films that put him on the map.

Production is expected to start at the top of 2021.

Ortega was most recently seen in the Netflix sequel, The Babysitter: Killer Queen, and several films she has coming out in 2021 including Paramount and Spyglass’s Scream 5, which has her as one of the leads.

Mescudi was most recently seen in HBO and Luca Guadagnino series We Are Who We Are, earning some of the best reviews of his career. On the film side, he was last seen in Bill & Ted Face The Music. He can be seen next in the drama Dreamland opposite Gary Oldman.

Sebastián Lelio to Direct Scarlett Johansson in Apple & A24’s ‘Genre-Bending” Film “Bride”

Posted on October 25, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Sebastián Lelio has found his bride…

The 46-year-old Chilean Oscar-winning director, screenwriter and producer will direct Scarlett Johansson in Bride, a “genre-bending” film from Apple and A24.

Johansson will produce the film, which Lelio is writing with Lauren Schuker Blum and Rebecca Angelo.

The plot follows a woman created to be an ideal wife — the singular obsession of a brilliant entrepreneur. When she rejects her creator, she’s forced to flee her confined existence, confronting a world that sees her as a monster. It is on the run that she finds her true identity, her surprising power, and the strength to remake herself as her own creation.

Lelio previously helmed the female-fronted films like the Academy Award-winning A Fantastic Woman, Disobedience, Gloria and Gloria Bell.

Colman Domingo Signs First-Look Deal with AMC Studios

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a new deal for Colman Domingo…

The 50-year-old Guatemalan American actor, playwright and television/stage director has signed a first-look deal with AMC Studios, the studio behind Domingo’s zombie drama series Fear the Walking Dead.

Domingo made his debut as Victor Strand in a two-episode guest arc during the first season of Fear the Walking Dead, a spinoff from The Walking Dead.

He was made a series regular at the start of Season 2. He made his directorial debut on the show and has directed two episodes to date.

“From the moment AMC viewers first saw Colman Domingo as the mysterious and dynamic Victor Strand in season one of Fear The Walking Dead,they haven’t been able to look away, and neither have we,” said Sarah Barnett, President of AMC Networks Entertainment Group & AMC Studios. “He has become a core character of the series and, as anyone who knows him knows, his talents go far beyond that one character in that one show. He is a writer, producer and performer who can move effortlessly between film, television and the stage and we are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with this extraordinary talent and individual through this first-look deal with AMC Studios.”

Domingo is currently in production on the upcoming sixth season of Fear the Walking Dead and stars in A24’s Zola, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He’s also had a recurring role on HBO’s Euphoria and will be seen in Jordan Peele’s spiritual sequel to the 1992 gothic horror film CandyMan, as well as opposite Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in the Netflix film adaption of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,produced by Denzel Washington.

Domingo, 20-year veteran theater director, co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and for the Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole  musical.

At AMC, he developed a series based on his play Dottwo years ago.

Domingo’s film acting credits also include Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, Selma, Lee Daniels’ The Butler,  Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, First Match, and Spike Lee’s Miracle At St. Ana, Red Hook Summerand Passing Strange.

Colman Domingo to Star in MGM & Jordan Peele’s “Candyman” Reboot

Posted on August 14, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo has landed a sweet (but scary) role…

The 49-year-old Afro-Latino actor has been castin MGMand Jordan Peele’s forthcoming reboot of the classic horror film Candyman, which has begun principal photography in Chicago.

Domingo will star opposite Nathan Stewart-Jarrett,Yahya Abdul-Mateen IIand Teyonah Parrisin the film.

The film will be directed by Nia DaCostaand will be a spiritual sequel to Benard Rose’s 1992 gothic horror movie, which was originally based on Clive Barker’s short story The Forbidden.

The film will be shot entirely in Chicago and feature various locations throughout the city, including the neighborhood where the legend began: the now-gentrified North Side where the Cabrini-Green housing projects once stood.

The original movie followed the urban legend of the titular character and starred Tony Toddas Candyman, a former slave turned artist who fell in love and with a white woman and fathered a child during the late 1800s. Because of this forbidden relationship, his lover’s father hired a lynch mob to kill him. He was smeared with honey and bees attacked him. He was burned to death and his ashes were scattered upon what became the present-day the Cabrini-Green housing project. The story of his death became an urban legend and by saying his name five times in the mirror, he comes and murders you. The horror became popular among the masses and spawned two sequels.

Universal Pictureswill distribute Candymanglobally with the U.S. release date set for June 12, 2020.

A Tony andLawrence Olivier-nominated actor and playwright, Domingo is known for his role as Victor Strand on Fear the Walking Dead. He also appears on HBO’s Euphoria. He can next be seen in A24’s Zola, Noah Hawley’s Lucy in the Skyand The God Committeealongside Kelsey Grammarand Julia Stiles. He is currently filming Ma Rainey’s Black Bottomwith Viola Davisand Chadwick Boseman.

Sebastián Lelio’s “Gloria Bell,” the English Reimaging of His Hit “Gloria,” Opens Big in Limited Release

Posted on March 10, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Sebastián Leliois making waves with his own English-language adaptation of his hit Spanish film…

The 45-year-old Chilean director’s Gloria Bell handily took the best specialty debut mantle over the weekend with one of the highest opening weekend per-theater averages for a limited release title this year.

The A24 feature starring Julianne Moore, John Turturro and Michael Ceragrossed an estimated $154,775 in three-days, averaging $30,955.

Gloria Bellis the re-imagined English-language and L.A.-set drama of a free-spirit, based on Lelio’s 2014 title, Gloria, set in Santiago, Chile, which took in over $2.1M via Roadside Attractions stateside.

Gloria Bell’s nearly $31K opening PTA outpaced Lelio’s 2014 original, Gloria, which took in over $56K in its opening weekend in January of that year, averaging $18,818. That film, however, was set in Chile, was in Spanish and starred a veteran Chilean actor, Paulina García, who is not well known to North American audiences. The film proved to have legs though with its $2.1M North American cume, which in part made it attractive for a re-make in English starring a well known actor here.

Lelio adapted the story into English and then went on to direct his other projects, including Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman ($2.02M cume) and Disobedience starringRachel Weiszand Rachel McAdams. That film, released by Bleecker Streetlast April, continues to be the filmmaker’s North American benchmark with a $237K opening weekend in five theaters ($47,479 PTA). It went on to cume over $3.49M on this continent.

Lelio and Moore reconnected after the director completed Disobedience. “She finished her other projects and we had a window in 2017,” said Lelio earlier in the week. “We put financing together very quickly and built a ‘family’ around Julianne including John Turturro and Michael Cera. I’ve always loved John Turturro’s work.”

A24 reported “enthusiastic sellouts” for Gloria Bell in New York and L.A. throughout the weekend. The company will roll the title into top markets this week ahead of a nationwide expansion set for March 22.

NEW RELEASES
3 Faces (Kino Lorber) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $7,196
Babylon (Kino Lorber Repertory / Seventy-Seven) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $20,096
Badla (Reliance) NEW [94 Theaters] Weekend $614,328, Average $6,535
Ferrante Fever (Greenwich Entertainment) NEW [1 Theater] Weekend $4,000
Gloria Bell (A24) NEW [5 Theaters] Weekend $154,775, Average $30,955
The Kid (Lionsgate Premiere) NEW [267 Theaters] Weekend $505,000, Average $1,891

Alfonso Cuaron’s “Roma” Awarded Two Prizes by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association

Posted on December 10, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuaron is the LA critics’ choice…

The Los Angeles Film Critics Association has announced its annual awards with the 57-year-old Mexican filmmaker earning two trophies for his critically acclaimed drama Roma.

Cuaron’s “deeply personal” film tookhome honors for Best Picture, while he was named Best Cinematography for his work on the Spanish language film.

He was the runner up in the Best Director and Best Editing categories.

The group will honor its winners January 12 at a gala dinner at the InterContinental Hotel in Century City, where Japanese director and animator Hayao Miyazaki will receive the Career Achievement award.

Last year, Sony Pictures Classics’ Call Me By Your Name was voted the LAFCA’s Best Picture, with A24’s The Florida Project runner-up for Best Picture. The former went on to earn an Oscar Best Picture nom.

Here’s the complete list of winners:

Best Picture:
Winner: ROMA
Runner-up: Burning

Best Director
Winner: Debra Granik, Leave No Trace
Runner-up: Alfonso Cuaron, ROMA

Best Actor
Winner: Ethan Hawke, First Reformed
Runner-up: Ben Foster, Leave No Trace

Best Documentary
Runner-up: Minding the Gap
Winner: Shirkers

Best Screenplay
Winner: Nicole Holofcener, Jeff Whitty, Can You Ever Forgive Me?
Runner-up: Deborah Davis, Tony McNamara, The Favourite

The Douglas Edwards Experimental Film Award
Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson and Guy Maddin, The Green Fog

Best Animation
Winner: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Runner-up: Incredibles 2

Best Actress
Winner: Olivia Colman, The Favourite
Runner-up: Toni Collette, Hereditary

Best Supporting Actress
Winner: Regina King, If Beale Street Could Talk
Runner-up: Elizabeth Debicki, Widows

Editing
Winner: Joshua Altman and Bing Liu, Minding the Gap
Runner-up: Alfonso Cuarón and Adam Gough, Roma

Best Production Design
Winner: Hannah Beachler, Black Panther
Runner-up: Fiona Crombie, The Favourite

Supporting Actor
Winner: Steven Yeun, Burning
Runner-up: Hugh Grant, Paddington 2

Best Music/Score
Winner: Nicholas Britell, If Beale Street Could Talk
Runner-up: Justin Hurwitz, First Man

Best Cinematography
Winner: Alfonso Cuaron, Roma
Runner-up: James Laxton, If Beale Street Could Talk

Career Achievement Award
Hayao Miyazaki

Universal Pictures to Release Tyler Posey’s Supernatural Thriller “Truth or Dare” in April 2018

Posted on November 10, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Tyler Posey is ready to play some Truth or Dare next spring…

Universal Pictures will release Blumhouse Productions’ supernatural thriller Truth or Dare, starring the 26-year-old half-Mexican American actor and Teen Wolf star, on April 27, 2018.

In the film, a harmless game of ‘Truth or Dare’ goes sideways when someone—or something—begins to punish those who tell a lie—or refuse the dare.

Truth or Dare, directed by Jeff Wadlow, also stars Lucy Hale, Violett Beane, Nolan Gerard Funk, Hayden Szeto and Sophia Taylor Ali.

Truth or Dare will go up against Lionsgate’s Traffik, Orion’s Every Day and A24’s untitled horror film.

Lucas, who played Jennifer Lopez‘s son in the romantic comedy Maid in Manhattan, plays Lucas in the film.

Participant Media Releases Trailer for Isaac’s Thriller “A Most Violent Year”

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac’s most violent role could finally earn him an Academy Award nomination…

Participant Media has released the trailer for the 35-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor’s latest film “A Most Violent Year.”

Isaac and Jessica Chastain star in the film, which was written and directed by J.C. Chandor (All is Lost).

“A Most Violent Year” is set in New York City during the winter of 1981 — one of the most violent years in the city’s history. The film follows the lives of an immigrant family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities amid violence, decay and corruption.

A24 has given an awards-season release date of December 31 for the thriller.

It will open in Los Angeles and New York on New Year’s Eve before expanding during January.

Dawson’s “The Captive” to His U.S. Theaters This Fall

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Rosario Dawson will keep movie audiences captive this fall…

A24, in partnership with DirecTV, has acquired the rights to The Captive, which stars the 35-year-old Puerto Rican and Afro-Cuban American actress.

Directed by Atom Egoyan, the film stars Ryan Reynolds as the father of a young girl who disappears fromtheir pick-up truck in a diner parking lot. The psychological thriller examines how the kidnapping destroys the relationships among those involved.

In addition to Reynolds and Dawson, who portrays the character of Nicole, the film also stars Scott Speedman, Mireille Enos, Kevin Durand and Bruce Greenwood.

“A24 is an extremely exciting company right now with a very smart vision of the future,” says Harold van Lier, president of eOne Films International. “Despite other serious offers on the table, they demonstrated the level of passion and commitment that we were looking for. We look forward to celebrating Atom’s film in Cannes with A24 and our other distribution partners around the world.”

A24 will release the film in the U.S. this fall.

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

Tag Archives: A24