Adria Arjona to Star Opposite Edgar Ramirez in Jayro Bustamante’s Dystopian Thriller “El Sombreron”

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Adria Arjona has landed her next role…

The 32-year-old Guatemalan-Puerto Rican actress will co-star opposite Edgar Ramirez in in Jayro Bustamante’s dystopian thriller El Sombreron as The Match Factory launches worldwide sales on the project in Cannes, with CAA Media Finance representing North America.

Bustamante, a Guatemalan director, previously made waves with Mayan drama Ixcanul, which premiered in competition in Berlin, winning the Alfred Bauer Prize (since renamed the Silver Bear Jury prize), and war criminal horror La Llorona, which won Best Director and Best Film in Venice’s Giornate degli Autori in 2019.

Arjona will play an ambitious woman trapped in a marriage as the trophy wife of a violent cartel boss. Desperate for liberation, she seizes the opportunity presented by a mysterious stranger (Ramirez), who promises to smuggle her north. However, once on route, she discovers the harrowing truth about her companion and finds herself thrust into a surreal odyssey.

Bustamante’s La Casa de Produccion, Alejandro De Leon and Brian Clark and Sergio Lira and Lynette Coll for Luz Films will serve as producers.

“In El Sombreron, Jayro fuses magical realism, folklore, and horror to vividly evoke the hell that borders create,” said producers. “We could not have asked for two better guides through the inferno than the immensely talented Adria Arjona and Edgar Ramirez.”

Arjona will next be seen starring in Richard Linklater’s Hit Man opposite Glen Powell, which releases in theaters on May 24 and on Netflix June 7. She’ll also be seen in Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut film Blink Twice, which hits cinemas on August 23.

Ramirez, who clinched Golden Globes nominations for American Crime Story and Carlos, is in Cannes this year for Jacques Audiard’s Competition title Emilia Perez opposite Zoe Saldana and Selena Gomez. Upcoming projects include Eli Roth’s Borderlands, co-starring Cate Blanchett, and Arenas directed by Camille Perton.

Apple TV+ Releases First Look Images of Ricky Martin’s New Series “Palm Royale”

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Ricky Martin has entered Palm Beach’s elite circles…

Apple TV+ has released first look images of Kristen Wiig’s Palm Beach-set comedy series Palm Royale, starring the 51-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning singer and Emmy-nominated actor.

The series is set to premiere on March 20 on Apple TV+.

In addition to Wiig and Martin, the stellar ensemble cast includes Laura Dern, Allison Janney, Josh Lucas, Leslie Bibb, Amber Chardae Robinson, Mindy Cohn, Julia Duffy and Kaia Gerber.

Bruce Dern and Carol Burnett will guest star.

Loosely based on Juliet McDaniel’s novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie and produced by Apple Studios, Palm Royale is a true underdog story that follows Maxine Simmons (Wiig) as she endeavors to break into Palm Beach high society. As Maxine attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots, Palm Royale asks the same question that still baffles us today: “How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?” Set during the powder keg year of 1969, Palm Royale is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.

The first three episodes will be released on March 20, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8.

Martin earned a Primetime Emmy nod for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in American Crime Story.

Laura Vallejo to Star in the Film “Gift of Fear”

Posted on June 22, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a scary gift for Laura Vallejo…

The Latina actress, best known for her work on American Crime Story, will star in the film Gift of Fear, from directors Katy Dore and Jack Kohler.

Vallejo joins a cast that includes Justin Johnson Cortez, Michael Horse, Sam Marra, Elle Beyer and newcomer Isa Antonetti.

Highlighting a major crisis devastating Native populations across America and Canada, the film centers on a young Indigenous woman who goes after a gang of sex traffickers when her friend is kidnapped.

Cortez plays Manny Donovan, a federal agent from the newly formed Missing and Murdered unit, who is half Native American and thrust into two different cultural worlds as he tries to solve the case and bring the missing woman home.

A deeply personal and important film for the Native cast and crew, the project was developed, in part, due to co-director and Hoopa tribal member Kohler’s own experience of having 72 women missing from the Hoopa Valley tribes.

Dr. April Lea Go Forth is serving as an EP on the On Native Ground production, which was written by Carly and Jack Kohler.

“It means so much to me to be part of a project highlighting the very real, yet under reported epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women,” said Cortez. “I hope the film will bring awareness and inspire others to become allies in the movement to keep our Native people safe.”

No word on Vallejo’s character.

Jordana Brewster to Star in the Comedy “Charlie In The Pandemic”

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jordana Brewster is bringing the funny to the Hamptons…

The 41-year-old half-Brazilian Panama-born actress will star in the comedy Charlie In The Pandemic.

Brewster will star alongside Reid Scott, Adam Pally and Dylan Penn as leads on the project.

Xavier Manrique and his Blind Bulldog Films has teamed up with Jason Dubin, Perry Street Films and Nicholas Schutt to produce the feature. David Frankel is executive-producing. Manrique is set to direct a script penned by Schutt.

In the movie, the COVID-19 bubble is popped when a New York City family hiding out in the Hamptons is surprised by a Bloody Mary-swilling, pot-smoking ‘Charlie’ from their past who brings a lifetime of hurt that might heal them all.

The film is now in pre-production and is set to shoot in New York City and the Hamptons later this month.

Brewster is best known for her work on the Fast & Furious films, including the most recent F9 film. Her other credits include Dallas, Lethal Weapon and American Crime Story.

Edgar Ramírez to Star in Netflix Series “Florida Man”

Posted on April 19, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Ramírez is headed to the Sunshine State…

The 44-year-old Venezuelan actor will star in Florida Man, which has received a formal eight-episode series from Netflix.

Ramirez, the star of the streamer’s popular film Yes Day, will headline the hourlong series from veteran television writer/producer Donald Todd and Jason Bateman & Michael Costigan’s Aggregate Films.

In Florida Man, created by Todd, when a struggling ex-cop (Ramírez) is forced to return to his home state of Florida to find a Philly mobster’s runaway girlfriend, what should be a quick gig becomes a spiraling journey into buried family secrets and an increasingly futile attempt to do the right thing in a place where so much is wrong. The series is described as a wild odyssey into a sunny place for shady people in the spirit of Body Heat and Elmore Leonard’s Out of Sight.

The series is not related to limited series Florida Man starring Joel Edgerton, which is in development at Anonymous Content. It’s based on Tom Cooper’s novel, with Graham Gordy writing.

Ramírez stars opposite Jennifer Garner in Netflix’s movie Yes Day, which was estimated to be seen by 53 million households in the first four weeks. He recently starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in HBO’s high-rated and award-winning limited series The Undoing. He soon will begin production on Borderlands and next will star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise and Universal’s The 355.

Ramírez is a two-time Golden Globe nominee for his performances as Carlos the Jackal in Carlos and as Gianni Versace in American Crime Story.

Ivonne Coll to Star in The CW’s “Jane the Virgin” Spinoff, “Jane the Novela”

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more Jane in Ivonne Coll’s future…

The 71-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star has landed a series regular role in Jane the Novela, the CW’s Jane the Virgin spinoff pilot.

The project will be headlined by Jacqueline Grace Lopezand narrated and executive produced by Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez, with Coll providing a little continuity from the original series in front of the camera.

The telenovelaanthology offshoot will also star Remy Hii, Hunter Parrish, Benito Martinez and Holland Roden.

Written/executive-produced by Jane the Virgin writer Valentina Garza, directed/exec produced by Jane the Virgin EP Brad Silberling and executive-produced by Jane the Virgin creator/EP Jennie Snyder Urman, Jane the Novela is a soapy, telenovela-inspired anthology series in the tradition of Jane the Virgin, where each season is based on a different fictional novel “written by” Jane Villanueva and narrated by the author herself.

The first installment takes place at the intersection of Napa Valley wine country and the San Francisco art scene and pairs family secrets and sins of the past with twists, tropes and a bloody bottle of red. It centers on Estela (Lopez), an up-and-coming art curator who has spent years playing it safe and coloring within the lines. But a shocking secret changes everything and forces her to live a double life.

Being “in the tradition” of Jane the Virgin, Jane the Novela mirrors the setup of the original series. It too follows a driven, imaginative twentysomething Latina woman (Lopez) who is torn between her boyfriend, Luen (Hii), and Felix (Parrish), a handsome, rich guy. In this case, Luen is head of security while Felix is in the wine business vs. Jane Villanueva’s cop boyfriend Michael and love interest Rafael, a hotel heir.

Hii’s Luen is Estela’s sweet, dependable, long-term boyfriend. When the life he’s planned for himself and Estela is threatened by Felix, Luen will stop at nothing to win back the woman he loves.

Coll will play Camila, Estela’s adoptive mother. Camila would do anything to protect her daughter and the life they have built, even lie to her. On Jane the Virgin, Coll plays Jane’s grandmother and Xo’s mother Alba.

Martinez portrays Raul, the winery’s enigmatic riddler. Nobody knows Napa’s terrain like he does – he specializes in collecting dirt on everyone.

Coll’s other television credits include Switched at Birth, Teen Wolf, Glee, East Los High and Nip/Tuck.

Martinez is known for his portrayal of Los Angeles politician David Aceveda for seven seasons on FXpolice drama The Shield. He had a starring role in John Ridley’s anthology series American Crime Story alongsideFelicity Huffmanand Regina Kingand can next be seen in the upcoming seasons of 13 Reasons Why, The Blacklist, Jack Ryan, and the feature film Queen & Slim.

FX to Premiere Edgar Ramirez’s Limited Series “The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story” in January

Posted on November 2, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Edgar Ramirez will be in fashion this January…

FX has slotted Wednesday, January 17, 10:00 pm ET for the premiere of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, starring the 40-year-old Venezuelan actor.

It’s the second installment of the acclaimed limited series from Ryan Murphy, Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson.

The 10-episode Versace series examines the shocking July 1997 assassination of Gianni Versace (portrayed by Ramirez) on the steps of his Miami Beach mansion by sociopath and serial killer Andrew Cunanan (Darren Criss).

Penelope Cruz and Ricky Martin also star.

Tom Rob Smith penned the script and Murphy directs the premiere episode. The series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.

Versace was initially scheduled to air after the Katrina installment of the limited series, which tells the story of America’s response to the devastating 2005 storm, but Versace was much farther along in production and Katrina was pushed to early 2018.

FX’s first ACS installment The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story received 22 Emmy nominations and won nine Emmys among a slew of awards.

Cannavale to Appear in “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors” Series

Posted on April 2, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale is ready to talk shop…

Variety and PBS SoCal have announced the line-up for the fourth installment of their awards season series “Variety Studio: Actors on Actors,” with the 45-year-old half-Cuban American actor making the final cut.

Available to stream on Variety.com, the new “Actors on Actors” season will feature one-on-one discussions between this year’s Emmy contenders.

Along with Cannavale, who stars in HBO’s Vinyl, this year’s conversations, which will be printed in the June 7 issue of Variety, will also include Aziz Ansari (“Master of None”), Rachel Bloom (“Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”), Emilia Clarke (“Game of Thrones”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Scream Queens”), Kirsten Dunst (“Fargo”), Jay Duplass (“Transparent”), Billy Eichner (“Difficult People”), Sam Heughan (“Outlander”), Tom Hiddleston (“The Night Manager”), Felicity Huffman (“American Crime”), Lady Gaga (“American Horror Story”), Jennifer Lopez (“Shades of Blue”), Rob Lowe (“Grinder”), Rami Malek (“Mr. Robot”), Thomas Middleditch (“Silicon Valley”), Aaron Paul (“The Path”), Sarah Paulson (“American Crime Story”), Krysten Ritter (“Jessica Jones”), Tracee Ellis Ross (“Black-ish”), Patrick Stewart (“Blunt Talk”), John Travolta (“American Crime Story”), Courtney B. Vance (“American Crime Story”) and Kerry Washington (“Confirmation”).

“Variety is thrilled to cover the best actors on television in this season’s ‘Actors on Actors’ for PBS stations,” said Variety‘s executive TV editor Debra Birnbaum in a statement. “This season’s lineup includes actors from some of the top new television programs and showcases the wide diversity of roles for actors on broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.”

PBS SoCal will premiere the segment in two episodes, one on June 12 and the other on June 19.

“Through their craft, the actors interviewed on ‘Actors on Actors’ effortlessly spark our imaginations and take us to new places,” said PBS SoCal president and CEO Andy Russell in a statement. “Through this partnership with Variety we are pleased to enhance the experience of fans of great television – providing them greater insight into the people who bring them their favorite dramas, comedies and more.”

Valderrama’s “Minority Report” Receives “Most Exciting New Series” Honor

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Wilmer Valderrama is one of the minorities to watch next season…

The Broadcast Television Journalists Association has named eight honorees for its Most Exciting New Series category, including Fox’s drama pilot Minority Report, starring the 35-year-old Colombian and Venezuelan American actor.

In addition to Valderrama’s Minority Report, which also stars Meagan Good, the honorees include American Crime Story (FX), Aquarius (NBC), Blindspot (NBC), The Muppets (ABC), Scream Queens (Fox), Supergirl (CBS), and UnREAL (Lifetime).

All are dramas except for comedy The Muppets and horror comedy Scream Queens, which stars Lea Michele and Diego Boneta.

The honorees were chosen by BTJA members from pilots, early episodes and trailers from series premiering after May 1.

The fifth annual Critics’ Choice Television Awards will air live May 31 on A&E from the Beverly Hilton. Cat Deeley is hosting.

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