Guillermo Diaz to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “National Parks”

Posted on March 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Guillermo Diaz is heading to the park(s)…

The 45-year-old Cuban-American actor has landed a series regular role on ABC’s National Parks, the network’s drama pilot co-written and executive produced by Kevin Costner. The project hails from Costner’s Territory Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Television and A+E Studios.

Diaz joins previously announced series regulars Billy Campbell, Angel Parker, Gerardo Celasco, Ashleigh Sharpe Chestnut, Blu Hunt and Tiffany Dupont.

Co-written by Costner, Aaron Helbing and Jon Baird and to be directed by Anthony Hemingway, National Parks follows a small group of elite national parks service agents as they solve crimes while protecting the parks — which, while being known for their sweeping, beautiful landscapes, also attract a vast array of criminal activity.

Diaz will play Vic, a Special Agent and ISB’s unflappable helicopter pilot and botanist who uses these unique skills to investigate and solve crime inside the national parks.

Diaz starred for seven seasons as Huck on ABC’s hit series Scandal and also starred on the ABC comedy United We Fall. He also guest-starred or recurred on I Know This Much Is True, Law & Order: SVU, High Maintenance and Broad City, among others.

Gerardo Celasco to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “National Parks”

Posted on February 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gerardo Celasco is putting his career in Park(s)…

The 38-year-old Salvadoran-American actor has landed a lead role opposite Billy Campbell and Angel Parker in National Parks, ABC’s drama pilot co-written and executive produced by Yellowstone star Kevin Costner.

The project hails from Costner’s Territory Pictures Entertainment, 20th Century Fox Television and A+E Studios.

Celasco will play Lincoln Kane, a fearless ISB Special Agent who is haunted by his past and carries the world on his shoulders. Lincoln’s commitment is never in question as he finds his own way to go above and beyond the call.

Celasco most recently wrapped production on the Swimming with Sharks drama series reboot, starring opposite Diane Kruger and Kiernan Shipka. He co-starred in the Fox sci-fi series Next and recurred as Xavier Castillo on Shonda Rhimes’ ABC drama How To Get Away With Murder.

Celasco’s feature credits include Moneyball opposite Jonah Hill and Pete Berg’s Battleship.

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo to Star in Netflix’s Drama Series “The Lincoln Lawyer”

Posted on January 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Manuel Garcia-Rulfo is ready to represent…

Netflix has given a series order to The Lincoln Lawyer, a drama based on Michael Connelly’s series of bestselling novels, starring the 39-year-old Mexican actor.

Hailing from David E. Kelley and A+E Studios, this is a new incarnation of the project, which originally was set up at CBS with a series production commitment last season.

Garcia-Rulfo has been tapped to play the titular character in the Netflix series as it honors the story’s Latinx origins.

“I’m excited to announce that after a bit of a journey, Mickey Haller will come to life once again on screen — this time in the TV series adaptation of The Lincoln Lawyer coming to Netflix and starring the wonderful and talented Manuel Garcia-Rulfo,” Connelly said in blog post tied to the pickup.

With the casting of Garcia-Rulfo, Mickey Haller will stay true to the character as depicted in Connelly’s books. (In the CBS version, the role was to be played by Logan Marshall-Green; in the 2011 movie, the character was portrayed by Matthew McConaughey.)

“Manuel is the ideal Mickey Haller, who is following in the footsteps of his attorney father with the showmanship of his Mexican movie star mother,” Connelly wrote. “He brings a powerful dynamic and dimension to the role — one that aligns with the books and brings authenticity to the Latinx heritage and roots of this Los Angeles-based story.”

The 10-episode first season is based on the second book in The Lincoln Lawyer series, The Brass Verdict.

Written and executive produced by Kelley and showrunner Ted Humphrey used this source for the story of The Lincoln Lawyer revolves around Mickey Haller (Garcia-Rulfo), an iconoclastic idealist, who runs his law practice out of the back seat of his Lincoln Town Car, as he takes on cases big and small across the expansive city of Los Angeles.

“The Lincoln Lawyer series will be adapted to serve up the complex and mysterious arcs fans know and love with a mix of light-hearted humor and a dose of family dynamics,” Connelly said.

The creative team of the project remains the same as it was for the CBS version, with Kelley and Humphrey executive producing alongside Connelly and Ross Fineman (Goliath, Big Sky).

On-screen, two roles are being recast: Mickey and Lorna, his second ex-wife and constant confidante, who was to be played by Kiele Sanchez on CBS. A search is underway for a director.

At CBS, The Lincoln Lawyer was picked up to pilot, which was days away from starting production when the coronavirus pandemic shut down all filming in March. After CBS’ surprise May decision not to go forward with the high-profile project, A+E Studios immediately took it it out to streamers. (The show’s serialized storytelling was considered better suited for a digital platform than a traditional network.)

While different suitors were rumored, including Amazon Prime Video, which has the long-running series Bosch, centered on Mickey’s half-brother, serious conversation with Netflix started over the summer.

The Lincoln Lawyer reunites Garcia-Rulfo with Kelley and Fineman after he had a major recurring role on Prime Video’s Goliath, co-created/exec produced by Kelley and exec produced by Fineman. The Lincoln Lawyer and Goliath are two of the many legal series Kelley, an attorney by trade, has created/co-created. The list also includes the Emmy-winning The Practice and Ally McBeal.

Garcia-Rulfo is best known for his role as Vasquez in The Magnificent Seven remake and Gallo in Sicario: Day of the Soldado. He recently was seen in features Greyhound and 6 Underground, and his television credits also include From Dusk to Dawn: The Series.

The Lincoln Lawyer book series launched in 2009. The latest, sixth installment, The Law of Innocence, was published in November, seven years after the fifth novel.

Carmelo Anthony Executive-Producing “Blood Brothers” Limited Series About Muhammad Ali & Malcom X’s Friendship

Posted on November 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carmelo Anthony continues to expand his empire beyond basketball…

A+E Studios has put in development Blood Brothers (working title), an eight-episode limited series based on the 2016 non-fiction book Blood Brothers: The Fatal Friendship Between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X by historians Johnny Smith and Randy Roberts.

The project hails from the 36-year-old Puerto Rican NBA star, writer-producer Charles Murray and Narrative Film Group.

Written by Murray, Blood Brothers is described as a unique examination of the friendship between two of our generation’s most prominent Black figures: Muhammad Ali, the future heavyweight champion of the world, and Malcolm X, the controversial public voice of the Nation of Islam. Beginning with Ali’s (then known as Cassius Clay) initial meeting and eventual bond with Malcolm X, the series will explore their personal lives and instantaneous friendship, as well as the relationship’s eventual demise due to America’s socio-political tensions and divisiveness within the Nation of Islam.

“A+E Studios is honored to tell this provocative, untold story of the bond between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X,” said Barry Jossen, President and Head of A+E Studios, and Tana Jamieson, EVP, Creative Affairs, A+E Studios in a joint statement. “Under the thoughtful guidance of our dear friend Charles Murray and an extraordinary group of executive producers, the series will add to the legacies of these two icons who left an indelible imprint on America.”

Blood Brothers is an A+E Studios production. Murray serves as executive producer and showrunner through Raising Kane Films, along with Anthony and Asani Swann’s Creative 7.

“At Creative 7, we are passionate about sharing stories of remarkable individuals whose resilience and determination changed the course of history,” said Anthony and Swann, co-founders of Creative 7. “It’s an honor to be working with A+E Studios to tell the story of the complex bond between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X, two civil rights leaders who had a lasting impact both in and beyond Black America. We believe this story has the power to resonate with audiences on a global scale and are excited to bring this unique and inspiring tale to life.”

History Renews Raba’s Navy SEAL Drama Series “Six” for Second Season

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Pablo Raba has six reasons to celebrate…

History has ordered a 10-episode second season of its breakout Navy SEAL drama series Six, starring the 40-year-old Colombian actor, up from its current eight-episode first season.

From A+E Studios and Weinstein Television, and created by father/son duo William and David Broyles, Six has been a strong ratings performer for History, averaging 2.9 million total viewers in Live+3 over the first four weeks. The January 18 premiere drew 3 million total viewers in Live+7, including 1.4 million in adults 25-54 and 1.2 million in adults 18-49.

Six follows members of Navy SEAL Team Six, modern American warriors, whose covert mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan goes awry when they uncover a U.S. citizen working with terrorists. In the first season, former SEAL Team Six troop leader, Richard ‘Rip’ Taggart (Walton Goggins), is captured by Boko Haram and it’s up to his former SEAL Team Six brothers – led by Joe Graves (Barry Sloane), Alex Caulder (Kyle Schmid) and Ricky “Buddha” Ortiz (Raba) – to put their differences aside to locate and rescue their former troop leader.

Edwin Hodge, Dominic Adams, Brianne Davis, Nadine Velazquez, Jaylen Moore, Donny Boaz, and Nondumiso Tembe also star.

“Six is a captivating drama series that embraces our recent history, while being immensely relevant in the climate of today’s culture,” said Jana Bennett, President & General Manager of History. “It has struck a genuine chord with our audience and we’re proud to continue to tell the courageous stories, both on and off the battlefield, of the complex lives of this elite military group.”

Six is part of the post-election shift in television toward more patriotic fare spotlighting America’s heroes in the military. Six followed the breakout success of new USA Network drama Shooter, about a heroic former Marine, which also was renewed for a second season. The broadcast networks have followed suit with four military drama pilots this season: NBC’s For God and Country, Fox’s Behind Enemy Lines, CBS’ SEAL project and the CW’s Valor.

Six, which airs Wednesdays at 10 PM, may have put an end to a lengthy search by History over the last several years for a second strong scripted series to join flagship Vikings.

The renewal announcement comes ahead of the show’s March 8 Season 1 finale.

Production is set to begin this summer.

Luna & Garcia Bernal Partner with A&E to Bring Mexican Medical Drama “Niño Santo” to the U.S.

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Luna and Gael García Bernal may soon have their first American television series.

A&E Network has teamed up with the Mexican actors/filmmakers and Steven Spielberg’s Amblin TV for Niño Santo, based on the Mexican spiritual medical drama series executive-produced by Luna and Garcia Bernal.

The project has been put in fast-track development with an order for multiple scripts. A+E Studios is producing with Amblin TV and the original show’s producer Canana.

Niño Santo centers on a group of young doctors who are sent to vaccinate the locals in a remote village, where they encounter an unusual cult headed by an enigmatic faith healer. The curiosity of the doctors leads them to become involved with this group in the name of science. As they witness Niño’s “miracles,” they begin to weigh scientific impossibility against the possibility of faith.

The creative and producing team of the original series will be involved in the adaptation. Mauricio Katz and Pedro Peirano, who created the Mexican series with Pablo Cruz, will write the script.

“We are in constant pursuit of projects featuring great characters, compelling drama and the outstanding storytelling uniquely suited to the A&E brand, and Niño Santo fits all of those criteria,” said A&E EVP and General Manager David McKillop. “What sets this apart from other format adaptations is that we have the original creative team in place guiding the process to ensure their authentic vision remains intact for the American audience.”

Alejandro to Star in the A&E Drama Series “The Returned”

Posted on June 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Kevin Alejandro is returning to television once again…

The 38-year-old Mexican American actor will star opposite Mark Pellegrino in Carlton Cuse’s 10-episode A&E drama series The Returned.

Directed by Keith Gordon. The Returned, from A+E Studios and FremantleMedia, focuses on a small town that’s turned upside down when several local people who’ve long been presumed dead suddenly reappear, bringing with them both positive and detrimental consequences.

Alejandro will play the town’s authoritative but accessible Sheriff Tommy Moran.

Alejandro is best known for his roles on the crime drama Southlandand HBO’s supernatural thriller True Blood. Most recently he had a recurring role on CW‘s Arrow.

Machado Starring in Lifetime Film’s “The Last of Robin Hood”

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Justina Machado hasn’t heard the last of Robin Hood…

The 41-year-old Puerto Rican actress has a role in Lifetime Film’s The Last of Robin Hood, which was recently acquired by Samuel Goldwyn Films for U.S. distribution.

The Kevin Kline-starrer was co-written and co-directed by Richard Glatzer and Wash Westmoreland.

The biopic focuses on the final years of Errol Flynn’s life (Kline), as well as his May-December romance with starlet Beverly Aadland (Dakota Fanning), and the role of Aadland’s mother (Susan Sarandon) had in encouraging the relationship.

“The Last Of Robin Hood captures a very unique aspect of Hollywood and celebrity,” Samuel Goldwyn Films SVP Peter Goldwyn said in announcing the pickup.

“The film takes place in 1959, but it might as well be 2014. You have an aging superstar struggling to maintain his fame, a starlet chasing her big break, a manipulative ‘stage’ mother, and the public’s timeless curiosity, almost obsession with, ‘celebrity.’ The non-stop, sensational tabloid coverage of Errol Flynn’s life and relationship mirrors exactly the kind of coverage this story would receive in Hollywood 55 years later.”

The Last of Robin Hood also stars Bryan Batt, Max Casella, Jason Davis, Matt Kane, Patrick St. Esprit and Ric Reitz.

Samuel Goldwyn Films is planning a fall theatrical release for the biopic.

Lifetime network-affiliated Lifetime Films was launched as a division of A+E Studios in June 2013 and develops, produces and acquires female-focused indie movies. Robin Hood was its first project. It since has partnered with Viola Davis, Julius Tennon’s JuVee Prods. and Sara Risher’s ChickFlicks to produce Lila And Eve, starring Davis and Jennifer Lopez.

Machado’s previous credts include Welcome to the Family, The Fosters, Private Practice, Switched at Birth and Desperate Housewives.

Martinez to Star in History’s “Texas Rising” Miniseries

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Olivier Martinez’s stock is rising with a new project…

The 48-year-old half-Spanish actor has joined the cast of History’s miniseries Texas Rising (working title) from A+E Studios and ITV Studios America.

Executive produced by History’s Leslie Greif (Hatfields & McCoys), the project will detail the Texas Revolution against Mexico and the rise of the legendary Texas Rangers.

The miniseries, consisting of eight hour-long episodes, will be directed by Roland Joffé.

Martinez will portray Mexican general Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna.

Other members of the all-star cast include Christopher McDonald, Trevor Donovan, Bill Paxton, Brendan Fraser, Ray Liotta, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Thomas Jane, Chad Michael Murray, Michael Rapaport and Max Thieriot.

Lopez Starring Opposite Viola Davis in “Lila and Eve”

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez is heading to a local support group…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge has signed on to star opposite Viola Davis in Lila and Eve.

The independent film, from A+E Networks’ Lifetime Films and A+E Studios, centers on a grief-stricken mother (Davis), who in the aftermath of her son’s murder in a drive-by shooting, attends a support group where she meets Eve (Lopez), who has lost her daughter. The two women soon embark on a killing spree of their own, as they work to the top of the chain of drug dealers to avenge the murder of Lila’s son.

Shea Whigham portrays Detective Holliston, who is investigating Lila and Eve’s crimes.

Directed by Charles Stone III from a script by Pat Gilfillan, Lila And Eve is now filming for a festival premiere and theatrical release in late 2014/early 2015.

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