Redband Trailer Released for Sony/Marvel’s “Kraven the Hunter,” Featuring Ariana DeBose

Ariana DeBose is kraven box office attention…

The first redband trailer for Kraven the Hunter, featuring the 32-year-old Afro-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress, has been released.

Ariana DeBose,The film stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the story of an epic journey that leads Sergei Kravinoff to become one of Marvel’s most iconic villains.

DeBose stars are Calypso, a voodoo priestess and Kraven’s love interest.

In the comics, Kraven has encountered Venom, Black Panther and many others as well as served as one of Spider-Man’s best-known and most-formidable enemies.

Weakness is not tolerated, as the future Kraven is told repeatedly. Suffice it to say that eventually is not a problem.

In addition to Taylor-Johnson and DeBose, the film also stars Russell Crowe, Fred Hechinger, Alessandro Nivola and Christopher Abbott.

Sony Pictures’ first R-rated pic from its litany of Marvel characters is directed by J.C. Chandor from a screenplay by Art Marcum & Matt Holloway and Richard Wenk.

The studio opens the film wide in theaters on October 6, after originally being slated for January 13 this year.

Marc Menchaca to Star in Apple TV+’s Limited Series “The Big Cigar”

Marc Menchaca is going undercover…

The 46-year-old half-Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Apple TV+’s six-episode limited series The Big Cigar, which is centered on Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton.

Marc MenchacaMenchaca, who most recently starred on Netflix’s Ozark, will star alongside André Holland, Don Cheadle, Alessandro Nivola and Tiffany Boone in the project.

Based on the eponymous Playboy magazine article by Joshuah Bearman, the series tells the extraordinary, hilarious, almost-too-good-to-be-true story of how Newton relied on his best friend, Bert Schneider (Nivola), the Hollywood producer behind Easy Rider, to elude a nationwide manhunt and escape to Cuba while being pursued into exile by the FBI.

Menchaca will portray Agent Sydney Clark. A former lawyer and Vietnam vet from Oklahoma, Clark lives undercover as a dirty hippie while pursuing Newton, who is wanted on charges of killing a teenage prostitute.

NAACP Image Award winner Janine Sherman Barrois is serving as The Big Cigar‘s showrunner. Jim Hecht wrote the show’s first episode, with Cheadle directing and executive producing the first two.

The show hails from Warner Bros. Television, where Barrois and her Folding Chair Productions are under an overall deal. Barrois and Hecht are executive producing alongside Bearman, Joshua Davis and Arthur Spector through their production company Epic, a division of Vox Media Studios.

Menchaca is best known for his scene-stealing turns as Jack Hoskins on HBO’s hit series The Outsider, and as Russ Langmore on the Emmy-winning Netflix drama series Ozark.

He will next be seen in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, HBO’s miniseries The White House Plumbers, John Hyams’ thriller Sick and Gareth Edwards’ sci-fi pic True Love for New Regency.

 

His additional television credits include Black MirrorHomelandMacGyverBlue BloodsChicago P.D.Sleepy HollowThe Blacklist, Law & Order: SVU, CSI and Law & Order: Criminal Intent.

IFC Films & AMC+ Acquire North American Rights to Aubrey Plaza’s “Spin Me Round”

Aubrey Plaza will be spinning into theaters this summer…

IFC Films and AMC+ have acquired the North American rights to Jeff Baena’s Spin Me Round, starring the 37-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/comedian.

Aubrey Plaza, Spin Me RoundThe film, which made its world premiere at SXSW last month, will open in theaters and VOD and stream exclusively on AMC+ this summer.

Spin Me Round represents filmmaker Baena’s reteam with Alison Brie, Plaza and Molly Shannon, who star in the film.

Brie co-wrote and produced Spin Me Round, in which she plays the manager of an Italian restaurant chain who wins the opportunity to attend the franchise’s educational immersion program in Italy. What she thought would be a romantic getaway devolves into chaos and catastrophe.

Baena and Brie previously teamed on Horse Girl, she starred in and co-wrote with Baena, who also directed. Brie also appeared in Baena’s The Little Hours and Joshy. Plaza has starred in Baena’s The Little Hours, Joshy and Life After Beth. Shannon starred in Baena’s Little Hours, Horse Girl and Life After Beth.

Spin Me Round also marks the third IFC Films feature with Brie, who most recently starred in The Rental, the Dave Franco-directed thriller that was a hit at drive-ins nationwide and on VOD in the summer of 2020, when a majority of theaters were closed down due to COVID-19; that pic grossed $1.6M.

Rounding out the cast is Alessandro Nivola, Zach Woods, Ayden Mayeri, Ben Sinclair, Tim Heidecker, Debby Ryan and Fred Armisen.

Spin Me Round is a Duplass Brothers and Limelight Production. Limelight’s Chris Parker and Dylan Sellers produced and fully funded Spin Me Round.

“We have long admired Jeff Baena’s films and are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with him and his incredible filmmaking team on this fun and hilarious ride,” said Arianna Bocco, President of IFC Film. “Jeff, Alison and the Duplass Brothers are true creative geniuses and icons of independent cinema, and we can’t wait for audiences to experience this all-star cast over the summer.”

Baena added: “I was really impressed with Arianna and her team’s passion, thoughtfulness and innovation coupled with their track record of ushering in so many incredible independent films. I’m so grateful to have an opportunity to finally partner with IFC Films and share Spin Me Round with the world.”

Courtney Thomasma, General Manager of AMC+, said: “Spin Me Round is the perfect summer fare for our subscribers, who continue to come to AMC+ as a premium destination for compelling new feature films with their favorite stars. We are huge fans of Alison Brie, who our audience knows well from the iconic Mad Men, and we’re excited to be working with her, Jeff Baena and the entire producing team on this delightful new movie.”

Aubrey Plaza to Star in the Indie Comedy “Spin Me Round”

Aubrey Plaza is going for a Spin…

The 36-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress will star in Spin Me Round, an indie comedy directed by Jeff Baena from a script he wrote with Alison Brie, who will also star.

Aubrey Plaza

In addition to Plaza, best known for her work on NBC’s Parks and Recreation, and Brie, the cast also includes Alessandro NivolaMolly Shannon and Lil Rel Howery.

The film will be produced by the Duplass Brothers Productions and Limelight, the latter of which is fully financing the picture. Production begins next month in Italy.

Tim Heidecker, Ben Sinclair, Fred Armisen, Ayden Mayeri, Debby Ryan, Zach Woods, Ego Nwodim, Lauren Weedman, and Jake Picking round out the cast.

Brie plays the manager of the Bakersfield, California franchise of the Italian chain eatery Tuscan Grove. She wins an all-expenses trip to the company’s gorgeous “institute” outside of Florence, Italy, and the chance to meet the restaurant chain’s wealthy and charismatic owner (Nivola). Along with a mismatched group of local American franchise managers, Amber finds a far different adventure than the romantic fantasy she had imagined.

Gloria & Emilio Estefan to Appear at This Year’s Tony Awards

Emilio and Gloria Estefan may be bringing their life story to The Great White Way in the near future… But first they’ll be appearing as part of Broadway’s biggest night.

The Estefans will be appearing at this year’s Tony Awards.

Gloria Estefan Emilio Estefan

In addition to the multi-Grammy winning musicians and producers, the upcoming ceremony, honoring the best of Broadway will also feature appearances by Bradley Cooper, Kevin Bacon, Carole King, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Will Ferrell, Liev Schreiber, Emmy Rossum, Kate Mara, Zachary Quinto, Zachary Levi, Lucy Liu, Clint Eastwood, Patricia Clarkson, Leighton Meester, Ethan Hawke, Zach Braff, Matt Bomer, Anna Gunn, Tony nominee Audra McDonald, Fran Drescher, Wayne Brady, Kenneth Branagh, Tony Goldwyn, Vera Farmiga and Alessandro Nivola, it was announced Tuesday.

Hugh Jackman will hosted this year’s show.

The 68th annual Tony Awards, presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, will broadcast live from New York City’s Radio City Music Hall on June 8 on CBS.

Isaac to Star in J.C. Chandor’s Thriller “A Most Violent Year”

Oscar Isaac will experience a most violent year

The 34-year-old Guatemalan/Cuban actor will star alongside Alessandro Nivola, Jessica Chastain and Albert Brooks in J.C. Chandor’s thriller A Most Violent Year.

Oscar Isaac

From Participant Films and Image Nation Abu Dhabi, the thriller is set during the winter of 1981 in New York — one of the most violent years on record in the city’s history.

The story “follows the lives of an immigrant and his family trying to expand their business and capitalize on opportunities as the rampant violence, decay and corruption of the day drag them in and threaten to destroy all they have built.”

A Most Violent Year, written and directed by Chandor, will be distributed by A24 in North America.

A24 acquired the rights at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year.

Peña, Louis C.K. & Their “American Hustle” Co-Stars Earn Palm Springs Film Fest Award

Michael Peña and Louis C.K. will be spending the New Year in Palm Springs.

The 37-year-old Mexican American actor, 46-year-old Mexican American actor and their American Hustle co-stars will be feted on January 4 during an awards gala at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.

American Hustle

Peña, Louis C.K. and the cast of David O. Russell‘s fictional film based on the 1970s Abscam scandal will receive the Ensemble Performance Award.

In addition to Peña and Louis C.K., the film’s talented ensemble cast includes Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Jeremy Renner, Lis Rohm and Alessandro Nivola.

“David O. Russell has created a viscerally powerful film,” said PSIFF Chairman Harold Matzner. “American Hustle grabs you from the start and is populated by a group of eminently believable characters as brought to life by this brilliant cast.” The 25th edition of the Palm Springs International Film Festival runs January 3-13.