Sony Pictures International Productions Acquires Worldwide Rights to Luis Estrada’s “¡Que Viva México!”

Long live Luis Estrada’s Mexico

Sony Pictures International Productions has picked up the worldwide theatrical rights to ¡Que Viva México!, the latest in a series of political satires from the 61-year-old Mexican film director, producer, and screenwriter.

Luis EstradaThe film is slated for release on more than 3,000 screens across Mexico, via Sony Pictures Releasing International, on March 23.

The film follows Pancho Reyes (Alfonso Herrera), a prosperous and “aspirational” middle class man who 20 years ago, abandoned his hometown and entirely forgot all about his very large and very poor family. One day, he receives unexpected news, when his father informs him that his grandfather, Don Francisco Reyes (Joaquín Cosío), a rich old miner, just passed away, and that he is part of his will and possible heir.

Alfonso Herrera, Que Viva MexicoMotivated by greed, Pancho decides to go back to the remote town of La Prosperidad to meet with his estranged and resented family, taking his wife, kids, and maid with him. But the mere presence of Pancho, his grandfather’s favorite — considered by his whole family as an arrogant and ungrateful showoff — and the possibility that he may be one of the heirs in the will, arises old feelings of envy and hate that have been kept under the surface for so long, causing a grand battle. A war over the inheritance ensues between Pancho and his folksy and tacky family: The Reyes of La Prosperidad.

¡Que Viva México! also stars Damián Alcázar, Ana de la Reguera, Ana Martín and Angelina Peláez.

Estrada directed from his script and story written with Jaime Sampietro, who also served as the film’s producer, with Sandra Solares aboard as executive producer.

Estrada told Deadline that “¡Que Viva México! is an acid social fable and a poisonous political satire; grotesque with a lot of black humor that, like a soulless mirror, shows and portrays us all in these times of polarization and intolerance but not in a realistic or naturalistic tone…but with the distortion given by parody, farce, magical realism and caricature. All framed in that little personal hell to which we all belong and that we all, for better or for worse, have and suffer: The Family.”

Anahi & Her Fellow RBD Band Mates to Kick Off Reunion Tour Later This Year

It’s official… Anahi is re-rebelling

The 39-year-old Mexican actress and singer and her fellow RBD members have confirmed they’re coming out of retirement and launching a world tour.

RBDSlated to kick off later this year, it will mark the best-selling group’s highly-anticipated reunion since disbanding in December 2008 after their last show in Madrid.

The Mexican pop band — comprised of AnahíDulce MaríaChristian ChavezMaite Perroni and Christopher von Uckermann (Alfonso Herrera will not join his bandmates) — is set to visit Mexico, Brazil and the U.S. In total, the 26-date stint will tour 10 stadiums and 16 arenas.

The Live Nation-produced trek will kick off in El Paso, Texas, at the Sun Bowl Stadium on August 25 and will make stops in key U.S. cities like Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles.

“It’s a new era that makes us really excited and it’s a new opportunity to share the stage once again and feel a unique energy,” Perroni tells Billboard. “There’re cycles in life and each one of us had to focus on our careers as actors and musicians and that meant we had to give those projects time, energy and a lot of dedication. It also allowed each one of us to grow professionally and personally. Now, the time [for the reunion] is perfect because we’re now more conscious, more mature, we’ll enjoy it from a different perspective now as adults.”

The comeback tour announcement comes a month after the band’s social media accounts shared a minute-plus video, captioned “Soy Rebelde,” which combines a scene from the telenovela Rebelde and recent footage of the current five group members at an intimate dinner.

Conversations for a live, in-person tour had been happening sporadically but nothing ever came to fruition because of conflicting schedules. It wasn’t until late last year that the conversations became serious after all members attended Perroni’s wedding in October. “When I was planning the wedding, the DJ asked me which songs not to play and I strictly said, ‘No RBD songs,’” Perroni remembers. “I explained that I didn’t want my bandmates, who were my guests, to feel pressured into having to sing.”

Then, something unexpected happened: The day of the wedding, RBD members went to ask the DJ to play “Rebelde” and “Sálvame” and they all started singing in unison. “It was an incredible moment. A few days later we started a group chat, and all agreed it was time to have that reunion tour. We planned it all in a month and a half and here we are.”

When RBD last toured, in total it grossed $72.5 million and sold over 1.5 million tickets, according to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore. On the Billboard charts, RBD had a total of seven entries on the Billboard 200 chart including Rebelde, Celestial and Nuestro Amor, and eight entries on Top Latin Albums with six hitting the top 10.

Over on Hot Latin Songs, the band had 10 total entries and out of those, five hit top 10.

“20 years later, we’re closing a cycle of our lives that was so important and so spectacular. Our intention this time around is to enjoy it to the fullest, to share, thank everyone and have some sort of closure that I don’t think we had last time around. We had a goodbye tour back then, but it didn’t feel like we really said goodbye.”

This time around, Anahí, Dulce María and Perroni will be touring as mothers. Anahí has two kids, Dulce María one and Perroni recently announced she’s expecting her first child. “I’m preparing myself physically and mentally for this new stage in my life, which will be challenging but a great opportunity as well. My friends, Dulce and Anahí, who already have experience in motherhood will be there to guide me and give me tips. It will be a very special year for all of us.”

Tickets for RBD’s Soy Rebelde Tour are set to go on sale January 27 at 10:00 am.

Check out the tour dates and details here.

Jenna Ortega Earns First SAG Awards Nomination for Netflix’s “Wednesday”

Jenna Ortega is celebrating another first…

The Screen Actors Guild has revealed the nominees for this year’s SAG Awards, with the 20-year-old Mexican and Puerto Rican actress – a first-time Golden Globe nominee this year – earning her first nod.

Jenna Ortega, WednesdayOrtega is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in Netflix’s acclaimed series Wednesday, which has been renewed for a second season.

Ana de Armas is also a first-time SAG Awards nominee…

The 34-year-old Cuban and Spanish actress is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role category for her starring turn as Marilyn Role in Netflix’s Blonde.

Diego Calva has picked up his first SAG Awards nod.

The 30-year-old Mexican actor, the breakout star of Babylon, and co-stars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category.

Nelson Bonilla, Alfonso Herrera, Felix Solis and their Ozark co-stars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category.

It’s Solis’ second SAG Awards nomination for Ozark and the first for Bonilla and Herrera.

Aubrey Plaza has picked up her first SAG Awards nod.

The 38-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress and her The White Lotus co-stars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category.

Liza Colon-Zayas is celebrating her first SAG Awards nod.

The 51-year-old Puerto Rican actress and her The Bear costars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series category.

Selena Gomez is a second-time SAG Awards nominee…

For the second year in a row, the 30-year-old Mexican American actress/singer and her Only Murders in the Building costars are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series category.

The SAG Awards will air on Netflix’s YouTube channel this year and then move to the streamer in 2024.

The ceremony will take place Sunday, February 26, at Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles.

Here’s a complete look at the nominees:

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Steve Carrell (“The Patient”)
Taron Egerton (“Black Bird”)
Sam Elliott (“1883”)
Paul Walter Hauser (“Black Bird”)
Evan Peters (“Dahmer”)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Emily Blunt (“The English”)
Jessica Chastain (“George and Tammy”)
Julia Garner (“Inventing Anna”)
Niecy Nash Betts (“Dahmer”)
Amanda Seyfried (“The Dropout”) 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan (“Barry”)
Bill Hader (“Barry”)
Steve Martin (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Martin Short (“Only Murders in the Building”)
Jeremy Allen White (“The Bear”) 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate (“Dead to Me”)
Rachel Brosnahan (“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”)
Quinta Brunson (“Abbott Elementary”)
Jenna Ortega (“Wednesday”)
Jean Smart (“Hacks”) 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary”
“Barry”
“The Bear”
“Hacks”
“Only Murders in the Building” 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Jonathan Banks (“Better Call Saul”)
Jason Bateman (“Ozark”)
Jeff Bridges (“The Old Man”)
Bob Odenkirk (“Better Call Saul”)
Adam Scott (“Severance”) 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge (“The White Lotus”)
Elizabeth Debicki (“The Crown”)
Julia Garner (“Ozark”)
Laura Linney (“Ozark”)
Zendaya (“Euphoria”) 

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“Ozark”
“Severance”
“The White Lotus”

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Angela Bassett (“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”)
Hong Chau (“The Whale”)
Kerry Condon (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Jamie Lee Curtis (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Stephanie Hsu (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”) 

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Paul Dano (“The Fabelmans”)
Brendan Gleeson (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Barry Keoghan (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Ke Huy Quan (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)
Eddie Redmayne (“The Good Nurse”) 

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Cate Blanchett (Tár”)
Viola Davis (“The Woman King”)
Ana de Armas (“Blonde”)
Danielle Deadwyler (“Till”)
Michelle Yeoh (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Austin Butler (“Elvis”)
Colin Farrell (“The Banshees of Inisherin”)
Brendan Fraser (“The Whale”)
Bill Nighy (“Living”)
Adam Sandler (“Hustle”) 

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
“Babylon”
“The Banshees of Inisherin”
“Everything Everywhere All at Once”
“The Fabelmans”
“Women Talking”

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
“Avatar: The Way of Water”
“The Batman”
“Black Panther: Wakanda Forever”
“Top Gun: Maverick”
“The Woman King” 

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Television Series
“Andor”
“The Boys”
“House of the Dragon”
“The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power”
“Stranger Things”

Veronica Falcón to Star on Netflix’s Drama Series “Ozark” for Fourth & Final Season

Veronica Falcón is heading to the Ozarks

The 54-year-old Mexican actress, choreographer and Queen of the South scene stealer has joined the cast of Netflix’s drama series Ozark for its fourth and final season.

Veronica Falcon

Starring and executive produced by Jason Bateman, the series was created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams.

Ozark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Missouri Ozarks. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.

Falcón will recur as Camila Elizonndro. She is the sister of drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Felix Solis) whose son Javi Elizonndro (Alfonso Herrera) is scheming to take over his uncle’s cartel. Once she acknowledges her long dormant ambition, Camila quietly works behind the scenes to become a formidable player in her family’s drug empire.

In addition to Bateman, Ozark stars Laura Linney, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, John Bedford Lloyd, and Joseph Sikora.

Chris Mundy returns as showrunner, writer and executive producer for Season 4. The series hails from MRC Television.

Falcón’s credits also include Room 104, Perry Mason, Perpetual Grace LTD, Why Women Kill and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.

She will appear alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Apple’s Mr. Corman and in Netflix’s Gentefied.

Her film credits include Jungle Cruise, The Purge, The Starling and Voyagers.

Alfonso Herrera to Star on the Fourth & Final Season of Netflix’s “Ozark”

Alfonso Herrera is heading to the Ozarks…

The 37-year-old Mexican actor/singer has joined the cast for the fourth and final season of Netflix’s critically acclaimed series Ozark.

Alfonso Herrera

Meanwhile, 49-year-old Puerto Rican actor Felix Solis, who has a recurring role in Season 3, have been promoted to series regular for the new season.

Bruno Bichir and CC Castillo have been tapped for recurring roles in the series starring and executive produced by Jason Bateman.

Created by Bill Dubuque and Mark WilliamsOzark is a thrilling drama set in the present-day and follows the Byrde family’s journey from their normal, suburban Chicago life to their dangerous criminal enterprise in the Ozarks, Missouri. The series explores capitalism, family dynamics, and survival through the eyes of (anything but) ordinary Americans.

Herrera will play Javi Elizonndro, a member of the Navarro family who walks a fine line between playing the obedient lieutenant and scheming to take over his uncle’s cartel.

Solis plays Omar Navarro.

Bichir will recur as Navarro’s Priest. Navarro’s confessor and confident; works for the cartel because he deeply believes he belongs where God is needed most.

Castillo is Sheriff Leigh Guerrero, Missouri law enforcement who refuses to play on anyone’s terms but her own.

They will join series stars Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, John Bedford Lloyd, and Joseph Sikora in the new season.

As previously announced, Season 4 will be released in two parts, 7-episodes each and is set to begin production this year. Chris Mundy will return as showrunner, writer and executive producer.

In Season 3, with the casino up and running, Marty (Bateman) and Wendy (Linney) fought to keep control of their family’s destiny. Marty preached keeping the status quo. Aided by an alliance with Helen (McTeer) and drug cartel leader Omar Navarro (Solis), Wendy plotted for expansion. But when Wendy’s brother Ben (Tom Pelphrey) came into town, everyone’s lives were thrown into chaos.

Since its 2017 premiere, the series has racked up thirty-two Emmy nominations with three wins, to date, for Bateman for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series and two for Garner for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series. The most recent third season received 18 Emmy nomimations. The series from MRC Television has also garnered two Golden Globe nominations and six SAG Awards nominations for its performances by Bateman, Garner and Linney.

Diane Guerrero to Star in Crypt TV’s Animated Horror Series “Woman In The Book”

Diane Guerrero is getting animated…

The 34-year-old Colombian America actress will star in Crypt TV’s first animated horror series Woman In The Book.

Diane Guerrero

The Latinx series is multilingual, using both Spanish and English, and follows the lives of three estranged siblings who reunite at an aging Mexican hacienda to wrestle for their inheritance, but inadvertently unleash a book-bound horror upon them that has plagued their family for generations.

Joining Guerrero in the series are Alfonso Herrera, Jose Ruiz-Gonzales and Bryan Greenberg.

Crypt TV is the company behind Facebook Watch’s The Birch.

Guerrero starred in DC’s Doom Patrol and Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black.

The show was developed by Crypt TV’s Daniel Persitz and is written by Eva Gonzalez Szigriszt and Pamela Garcia Rooney. Jeanette Moreno King will serve as director and will work with Jeanette Jeanenne.

Production will begin later this month and the project is set to air in early summer 2021. It is based on a 2016 Crypt TV digital series produced by Allison Vanore and written and directed by Justin Martinez, who will both serve as co-producers.

Herrera to Star in Fox’s Drama Pilot “The Exorcist”

Alfonso Herrera is ready for a little exorcise

The 32-year-old Mexican actor and former RBD member will star in The Exorcist, Fox’s drama pilot inspired by William Blatty’s 1971 book.

Alfonso Herrera

Penned by Jeremy Slater, the project is described as a modern reinvention of the book, previously adapted into William Friedkin’s classic horror film.

It’s a propulsive, serialized psychological thriller following two very different men — Father Tomas Ortega (Herrera) and Father Marcus Lang (Ben Daniels) — tackling one family’s case of horrifying demonic possession and confronting the face of true evil.

Herrera’s Father Tomas is the warm, selfless and compassionate leader of a small but hearty little church. Daniels’ Father Marcus is the intense holy warrior carrying out an occupation that the church no longer acknowledges in public.

Herrera got the attention of Fox and 20th Century Television casting executives last year when he was cast as the male lead in their pilot Urban CowboyHe made his American acting debut with a recurring role on the Netflix drama series Sense8 

He’s well established in Latin America where he is a telenovela star and has done a slew of popular TV series in movies in his native Mexico, including hit telenovela Rebelde and high-grossing feature The Perfect Dictatorship.

 

Olmos to Star Opposite Alfonso Herrera in Fox’s Drama Pilot “Urban Cowboy”

Edward James Olmos is going urban

The 68-year-old Mexican American actor has landed a series regular role in Fox’s drama pilot Urban Cowboy, a modern reimagining of the 1980 Paramount Pictures film starring John Travolta and Debra Winger.

Edward James Olmos

Olmos will play Alfonso “Al” Robles, a former hitman for a Mexican cartel who came to Texas 20 years ago to reinvent himself. Now married with a daughter and an upper-level management job, Al seemingly is living the American dream. But he’s forced to confront old demons when he helps his niece and nephew flee a bad situation in Mexico.

The television adaptation, written and directed by Craig Brewer, follows star-crossed young lovers Kyle (Alfonso Herrera) and Gaby as they pursue their dreams and passions through the sweat of line dancing in honky tonks, the grime of the oil refineries and the glamour of modern Texas.

Olmos, a Battlestar Galactica alum, recently appeared in Marvel’s Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Dexter.

Urban Cowboy comes from Paramount Studios Television and 20th Century Fox Television.

Salaz to Star Opposite Alfonso Herrera on Fox’s Drama Pilot “Urban Cowboy”

Bryana Salaz, is ready to honky tonk her way onto the small screen.

The 18-year-old Latina singer/actress, a contestant on Season 7 of NBC’s The Voice, has landed a series regular role opposite Alfonso Herrera and Jim Belushi in Fox’s drama pilot Urban Cowboy.

Bryana Salaz

The project is beild hailed as a modern, Latin music-fueled reimagining of the 1980 Paramount Pictures film starring John Travolta and Debra Winger.

Urban Cowboy follows star-crossed young lovers Kyle aka Juan Miguel (Herrera) and Gaby as they pursue their dreams and passions through the sweat of line dancing in honky tonks, the grime of the oil refineries and the glamour of modern Texas.

Salaz will play Anita, Kyle’s (Herrera) sister who flees with her brother to the US after he upsets the local drug cartel.

Salaz, kike Herrera and Belushi, has a music background. She finished in the Top 5 of Team Gwen on The Voice, with her early-round performances going viral online.

Salaz’s “Problem” blind audition has garnered more than 2.1 million views, while her Knockouts rendition of “Heart Attack” has amassed more than 3.1 million streams.

Bautista to Star in Netflix’s Sci-Fi Drama “Sense8”

Ness Bautista is preparing for a sense8-ational role.

The Latino actor has landed a recurring role on Sense8, Netflix‘s 10-episode sci-fi drama series from Lana and Andy Wachowski and J. Michael Straczynski, which has been called as “a gripping global tale of minds linked and souls hunted” that incorporates the Wachowskis’ storytelling style.

Ness BautistaNess Bautista

“The series follows eight characters around the world who, in the aftermath of a tragic death, find themselves linked to each other mentally and emotionally,” Straczynski told Deadline.com last month. “They can not only see and talk to each other as though they were in the same place, they have access to each other’s deepest secrets. Not only must they figure out what happened and why and what it means for the future of humanity, they must do so while being hunted by an organization out to capture, kill or vivisect them.”

There’s no word on Bautista’s character in the series, which also stars Alfonso Herrera, Tuppence Middleton, Aml Ameen, Freema Agyeman, Tena Desae, Doona Bae, Max Riemelt,  Erendira Ibarra, Jamie Clayton and Miguel Silvestre.

He currently recurs on TNT’s The Last Ship and previously starred on The Shield, Beauty and the Beast and Prime Suspect.