Tony Gonzalez Signs with United Talent Agency

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Gonzalez has new representation…

The 48-year-old part-Mexican American former American football tight end and Pro Football Hall of Famer has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA).

Gonzalez will continue to represented by SMAC Entertainment and Jill Fritzo PR.

Gonzalez is considered one of the greatest tight ends in National Football League (NFL) history. He played in the league for 17 seasons, primarily for the Kansas City Chiefs and then for the Atlanta Falcons for his final five seasons in the league. He’s the NFL’s all-time-leader in touchdowns and yards by a tight end as well as consecutive starts and Pro Bowl appearances by a tight end.

After retiring in 2013, he began working as an analyst for The NFL Today and other NFL programming at CBS. He currently co-hosts Thursday Night Football for Amazon Prime Video.

Gonzalez has branched out into acting in recent years. He’ll guest star in the seventh episode of Season 6 of the CBS comedy series The Neighborhood. He will appear in the episode as Derrick, Calvin’s (Cedric the Entertainer) new physical therapist. Season 6 of the series launched on February 12 after being delayed due to the double writers’ and actors’ strikes.

He also appeared in the Amazon film The Underdoggs opposite Snoop Dogg and Tika Sumpter, the Paramount+ film Fantasy Football, and the Spectrum Originals drama series Long Slow Exhale.

His other credits include XXX: The Return of Xander Cage and multiple episodes of NCIS.

Gonzalez is active in philanthropy as well, working with organizations such as Boys and Girls Clubs, Shadow Buddies, Scholars’ Hope and Give Power.

Jacob Elordi Nominated for BAFTA Film Rising Star Award

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Jacob Elordi’s meteoric rise continues…

The 26-year-old half-Spanish Australian actor has been nominated for the prestigious BAFTA Film Rising Star Award 2024 by the by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Following his breakout roles in The Kissing Booth film trilogy and Euphoria, Elordi led Saltburn opposite Barry Keoghan, Amazon Prime Video’s BAFTA-nominated psychological drama from Emerald Fennell. He also starred as Elvis Presley in the biographical film Priscilla.

Elordi will compete against Bridgerton star Phoebe Dynevor, The Bear’s Ayo Edebiri, Mia McKenna-Bruce, who led hit British indie film How to Have Sex, and Talk to Me’s Sophie Wilde.

Nominees were announced by actor and producer Stephen Graham at a press conference hosted by film critic and radio host, Ali Plumb.

The jury, chaired by Anna Higgs, BAFTA Film Committee Chair, featured actors Daisy Edgar-Jones, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù and Himesh Patel, casting directors Lucy Bevan (The Batman), and Nina Gold (Game of Thrones), film producer Adam Ackland (The End We Start From) alongside leading industry specialists.

Last year’s gong was won by Sex Education’s Emma Mackey and previous winners include Letitia Wright, Daniel Kaluuya, John Boyega and Tom Holland.

“These remarkable individuals represent what BAFTA and the EE Rising Star Award stand for as the future of the film industry, embodying innovation, dedication, and a commitment to storytelling that captivates audiences worldwide,” said BAFTA CEO Jane Millichip.

Host Ali Plumb added: “Each rising star talent deserves this spotlight, having provided extraordinary performances serving as inspiration for the next generation.”

Vico Ortiz Signs with Paradigm

Posted on April 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Vico Ortiz has new representation.

The Latinx, non-binary and gender-fluid actor has signed with Paradigm.

Ortiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.

Born and raised in Puerto Rico, Ortiz’s first breakthrough role was in Amazon Prime Video’s Transparent. They then appeared in recurring roles for Freeform’s The Fosters and Everything’s Gonna Be Okay, and Netflix’s Lucifer. They appeared in Starz’s Vida, where their drag king alter ego Vico Suave made their screen debut.

Currently Ortiz is a series regular on Our Flag Means Death, appearing opposite stars Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby. They play Jim, the first non-binary pirate to exist in a period piece. Their additional credits include S.O.Z: Soldados o. Zombies, American Horror Story: 1984, Criminal Minds, 9-1-1, Ray Donovan and Jane The Virgin.

Beyond television, they were a co-lead in The Syed Family Xmas Eve Game Night, which premiered at TIFF in 2021. Ortiz also received a 2021 Queerties Award nomination for their performance in the buzzed about queer digital series, These Thems.

Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center..

Ortiz is a known for their work in HBO Max’s Our Flag Means Death and The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Starz’s Vida.

Beyond their on-screen work, Ortiz is an activist and advocate for LGBTQ+ rights. They championed organizations including The Dru Project and the Los Angeles LGBTQ Center.

Amazon Studios Releases Extended Trailer for Javier Bardem’s Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Film “Being the Ricardos”

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem is embracing his moment of being a Ricardo…

Amazon Studios has released the first extended look at the 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor’s Desi Arnaz and Nicole Kidman’s Lucille Ball in the new trailer for Being the Ricardos.

The project is writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s peek behind the scenes of television’s pioneering sitcom I Love Lucy.

In the trailer, Ball and Arnaz are depicted at one of the couple’s many pivotal moments: This time, it’s the House Un-American Activities Committee’s investigation into Ball’s early ties to the Communist Party.

“We’ve been through worse than this,” Bardem’s Arnaz assures his wife. “We have?,” replies Kidman’s Ball in a throaty voice and with the perfect comic timing that would make Lucy a legend.

The trailer also unveils J.K. Simmons as William Frawley and Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance, and features a tense scene on the Lucy set as Ball makes her first appearance following news of the FBI investigation.

In addition to Kidman, Bardem, Simmons and Arianda, Being the Ricardos features Jake Lacy, Tony Hale and Alia Shawkat.

Amazon Studio’s Being the Ricardos opens in theaters on December 10, and premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 21.

Penélope Cruz Begins Filming New Drama “On The Fringe”

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Penélope Cruz is on the fringes of another acclaimed performance…

Principal photography has begun on the 47-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress’ new drama On The Fringe (En Los Márgenes).

The film is directed by Juan Diego Botto, and written by Botto and Olga Rodríguez.

Currently filming on location in Madrid, the Spanish-language film stars an ensemble cast which includes Cruz, Luis Tosar, Aixa Villagrán, Adelfa Calvo, Nur Levi and Christian Checa.

Told over the course of one day, the movie will follow interweaving stories, including that of a woman (Cruz) who has 24 hours to prevent herself and her family being evicted from their home by a bank intent on repossessing it. Cell 211 star Tosar will play a passionate lawyer and activist.

The film is a Spanish-Belgian co-production and is produced by Cruz and Álvaro Longoria for Morena Films.

The duo recently teamed up on Asghar Farhadi’s Cannes Film Festival title Everybody Knows. Co-producers are Amazon Prime Video and RTVE with the support of Ayuntamiento de Madrid.

Spanish distribution will be handled by Squirrel Media’s film distribution arm, Vértice Cine, which will release theatrically. Amazon Prime has first window rights in Spain after the theatrical bow.

The film marks actor Botto’s directorial debut after recent performances in movies including The Suicide Squad and Netflix series White Lines.

Amazon Prime Video Releases Trailer for Kid Cudi Documentary “A Man Named Scott”

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Kid Cudi’s life story is headed your way…

The 37-year-old part-Mexican American rapper, singer, songwriter, guitarist, record producer and actor, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, will be the subject of Amazon Prime Video’s new documentary A Man Named Scott.

The documentary comes 13 years after Kid Cudi’s debut mixtape A Kid Named Cudi catapulted him into the hip-hop scene in 2008.

Helmed by director Robert Alexander, who has previously directed episodes of LeBron James‘ HBO talk series The Shop, the film will cover Kid Cudi’s decade-plus tenure in the spotlight as both a “musical star and cultural hero.”

Amazon Prime Video will release the documentary globally on November 5.

The documentary will explore the creative choices that went into Kid Cudi’s records, including those outside the Man on the Moon trilogy, along with the personal struggles that affected his life throughout the process. The trailer features clips and dialogue from Kid Cudi about his philosophy as an artist, from fans about his music’s impact on their lives, and thoughts from his closest collaborators about Kid Cudi’s artistry.

Kid Cudi is most celebrated for his Man on the Moon album trilogy, which includes songs about topics like depression, anxiety and loneliness.

Before Man on the Moon: The End of Day‘s 2009 release, those subjects were treated as taboo in the hip-hop world, with the exception of influential records like frequent collaborator Kanye West‘s 808s and Heartbreaks, which came a year prior.

The documentary comes almost a year after Kid Cudi released his last full-length project, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen, in December 2020 to close out the trilogy, which debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, selling 144,000 album-equivalent units, and at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.

Amazon Prime Video to Stream Selena Gomez’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania Globally in January

Posted on October 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez will be Transform(ania)ing around the globe January…

Amazon’s Prime Video will stream Sony Pictures Animation’s Hotel Transylvania: Transformania, featuring the 29-year-old Mexican American actress/singer, on January 14, 2022, in 240 countries and territories.

Amazon licensed the rights to the fourth installment in the franchise from Sony earlier this year, extending its opportunistic streak as COVID-19 continues to disrupt the film marketplace.

The discussions were aimed at enabling the film to avoid a head-to-head matchup with another major animated title, Addams Family 2. Both had been scheduled to come out in early October.

Sony, which is unique among major studios for not having its own streaming platform to supply, has made moves during the pandemic like selling Greyhound to Apple and reaching a major overall agreement with Netflix.

The Hotel Transylvania franchise has grossed $1.3 billion. The new outing is directed by Jennifer Kluska and Derek Drymon. It features voice work by Gomez, Brian Hull, Jim Gaffigan, Andy Samberg, Kathryn Hahn, Steve Buscemi, Molly Shannon, David Spade, Keegan-Michael Key, Fran Drescher, Brad Abrell and Asher Blinkoff.

“The success of the Hotel Transylvania franchise over the years speaks for itself,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios. “Audiences around the world have fallen in love with the films created by the brilliant Genndy Tartakovsky, and the latest installment is the perfect ending to an incredible journey. We could not be more excited to work with Sony, Genndy, Jennifer Kluska, Derek Drymon, Selena Gomez and the talented producing team to bring this funny, heartwarming film to our customers early next year.”

Sony Pictures Animation chief Kristine Belson said the Hotel Transylvania films, the first of which was released in 2012, “have thrilled audiences and paved the way for so many artists working in CG animation. … We are thrilled to work with Amazon to bring this film to families everywhere.”

Olga Merediz Starring in Dave Franco-Directed Amazon Original Film “Somebody I Used to Know”

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Olga Merediz is in the Know…

The 65-year-old Cuban actress/singer, who originated the role of Abuela Claudia in the Broadway musical In the Heights, has been cast in Somebody I Used to Know, the Amazon original film being directed by Dave Franco and starring Alison Brie, Jay Ellis and Kiersey Clemons.

Merediz is among a list of cast newcomers that includes Julie Hagerty, Haley Joel Osment, Amy Sedaris, Danny Pudi, Zoe Chao, Evan Jonigkeit, Ayden Mayeri and Kelvin Yu.

With the cast filled out, production is underway in Oregon on the romantic comedy co-penned by Franco and Brie.

The film hails from Temple Hill Entertainment and Black Bear Pictures and marks a reteam of Franco, Brie and Black Bear after last year’s horror pic The Rental, directed by Franco and starring Brie.

Somebody I Used to Know centers on Ally (Brie), a workaholic who on a trip to her hometown spends a night reminiscing with her ex-boyfriend Sean (Ellis), which makes her start to question everything about the choices she’s made and the person she’s become. And things only get more confusing when she meets Cassidy (Clemons), a younger woman who reminds her of the person she used to be.

The film is expected to debut exclusively on Prime Video worldwide next year.

Merediz’s other credits include appearances on Shades of Blue and Netflix‘s Orange Is the New Black.

Pantaya & Amazon Prime Video Renew Ana de la Reguera’s Eponymous series “Ana” for Two More Seasons

Posted on September 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ana de la Reguera isn’t done opening up about her life just yet…

The 44-year-old Mexican actress’ eponymous series based on her life for Pantaya in collaboration with Amazon Prime Video has been renewed for seasons 2 and 3.

Ana—produced by VIS, a division of ViacomCBS— is a bilingual comedy created, produced, written, and starring de la Reguera about an aging actress trying to find her place in the world and in Hollywood as she nears her 40s.

“I am really happy to continue sharing this story and that the audience has received it as we expected,” de la Reguera said in a statement. “The next two seasons will be a lot of fun! Thanks to ViacomCBS, Amazon Prime Video, and Pantaya for all the trust since the beginning of this project. They have allowed me to grow a lot as a creator and I will be infinitely grateful to them.”

In season 2, Ana will try to keep her sanity and continue to deal with her mother who now lives with her in Los Angeles, while starring in a television series of bad 90s sitcoms.

In the third part of the series, Ana must rebuild her life and regain her credibility as an actress.

Series co-stars include Carlos Miranda, Tina Romero, Paulina Dávila, Ali Gardoqui, Augusto Gardoqui, Paly Duval and Eduardo “Lalo” España.

Ana’s forthcoming seasons will premiere exclusively on Pantaya in the United States and Puerto Rico and Amazon Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories around the world.

Season one, which was nominated for a GLAAD Award for Best Television Series Scripted in Spanish, is available to stream now via Pantaya and Amazon.

Camila Cabello Brings “Cinderella” Character to James Corden’s “Crosswalk the Musical” Segment

Posted on September 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Cabello isn’t afraid to walk the (cross)walk…

Late night television host James Corden has debuted another segment of his Crosswalk the Musical on The Late Late Show, and this time he welcomed the 24-year-old Cuban and Mexican singer/actress and their Cinderella co-stars Billy Porter and Idina Menzel.

The segment opened with Corden dressed as the fairy godmother, quipping that he gave Porter the wrong address because he’s “intimidated.” “Billy Porter is the only actor I’ve ever encountered who is almost as talented as I am,” the late-night host joked.

Porter eventually joined Cabello and Menzel, immediately calling out Corden and reminding him that he’s “the only one that’s going to be playing the Fairy Godmother” whereas Corden can play “the rat” like he does in the film, to which Corden argued was a mouse.

The co-stars then changed into their characters from Amazon’s Cinderella and stopped traffic to perform songs from the film in the somewhat busy streets of Los Angeles. The Cinderella actors and singers sang along to a few of the tunes they cover in the musical, including the mash-up of Janet Jackson’s “Rhythm Nation” and Des’ree’s “You Gotta Be.”

A few drivers looked amused and confused while others appeared slightly annoyed that their commute was delayed.

The modern version of the classic fairy tale, now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, depicts the princess, played by Cabello, as an independent woman who is focused on achieving her fashion dreams. The jukebox musical features the cast’s versions of popular songs like Madonna’s “Material Girl,” Queen’s “Somebody to Love,” and Ed Sheeran’s “Perfect.” The film marks Cabello’s acting debut.

The segment ends with Porter, who plays the Fabulous Godparent dubbed “Fab G” in the film, turning Corden into an actual mouse. “Bibbidi-bobbidi bye bitch,” Porter says to the camera.

Amazon’s Cinderella is streaming now.

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