Gina Rodriguez to Star Opposite Zachary Levi in the Comedy Adventure “Lost and Found”

Gina Rodriguez has (lost &) found her next project…

The 36-year-old Golden Globe-winning Puerto Rican actress and former Jane the Virgin star is set to star in Amazon Studios’ comedy adventure Lost and Found.

Gina Rodriguez

Rodriguez will star opposite Zachary Levi, with Steve Pink set to direct. Pink and Jeff Morris wrote the script, about a headstrong lawyer and an off-the-grid renegade who reluctantly team up to find a long-lost buried treasure by the Mississippi River.

Levi is producing through his Wyldwood Studios along with Rodriguez and Molly Breeskin under their banner I Can and I Will Productions, and Pink through his Pink Machine banner.

Rodriguez most recently starred in Kajillionaire for Focus Features, the Netflix rom-com Someone Great and Scoob! 

Her past past films include Deepwater Horizon, Ferdinand, Annihilation and the Miss Bala remake.

She voices the title character in the Netflix animated action-adventure series Carmen San Diego and is producer of the Disney+ series Diary of a Future President.

Tessa Thompson Launches Production Company ‘Viva Maude’

Tessa Thompson is expanding her Hollywood reach…

The 37-year-old part-Panamanian and part-Mexican American actress is moving into the production arena with a new production company, a first-look deal at HBO and HBO Max and executive-producing two big book adaptations – Who Fears Death and The Secret Lives of Church Ladies.

Tessa Thompson,

Thompson, who stars on HBO’s Westworld, has launched Viva Maude with a two-year deal at the WarnerMedia-owned cable network and streaming service.

“I’m beyond thrilled to officially launch my production company, Viva Maude, which has been a real passion project and labour of love over the last few years,” said Thompson. “I’m elated to begin this partnership and to bring entertaining and impactful television projects to my friends and collaborators at HBO and HBO Max. Together we are committed to developing interesting and inclusive stories with inventive creators and to discover new voices and visionaries.”

Thompson, who stars in and executive produced the Amazon Studios feature film Sylvie’s Love, will exec produce the two projects in development at HBO and HBO Max as part of the deal.

Who Fears Death is an adaptation of Nnedi Okorafor’s eponymous book. In the works at HBO since 2017 with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin as one of the exec producers, Aïda Mashaka Croal, a writer on Jessica Jones and Luke Cage, has also come board as showrunner, writer and exec producer.

Who Fears Death tells the coming of age tale of Onyesowu in post-apocalyptic North Africa where her story makes her an outcast.  She must go on a journey from self-reproach to love, but to do so she’ll have to overcome untold obstacles—defeating her hated sorcerer father and becoming the instrument of prophetic deliverance for a land of oppressed people, all the while fighting to master the terrifying powers growing inside her.

At HBO Max, Thompson is also exec producing an adaptation of The Secret Lives of Church Ladies. The short story collection, written by Deesha Philyaw, was published in September and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Fiction. It contains nine stories about Black women, church, and sexuality.

The Secret Lives of Church Ladies explores the raw and tender places where Black women and girls dare to follow their desires and pursue a momentary reprieve from being good. Different generations of women characters grapple with who they want to be in the world, caught as they are between the church’s double standards and their own needs and passions. With their secret longings, new love, and forbidden affairs, these church ladies are as seductive as they want to be, as vulnerable as they need to be, as unfaithful and unrepentant as they care to be, and as free as they deserve to be.

Thompson will exec produce with author Philyaw, who is also writing the adaptation.

Thompson’s other credits include Thor: Ragnarok, Avengers: Endgame, Annihilation, Sorry to Bother YouSelmaand Dear White People and she co-stars alongside Ruth Negga in Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut feature film Passing as well as Creed III and Thor: Love and Thunder.

She is also a producer on QCode’s fiction podcast The Left Right Game, which Amazon purchased the rights to adapt into a television series, with Thompson exec producing the series.

Oscar Isaac Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Oscar Isaac has new representation…

The 39-year-old Cuban and Guatemalan actor, who most recently starred in and produced Chris Weitz’s MGM film Operation Finaland will reprise his role as Poe Dameron in Star Wars: Episode IX, has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME) for representation in all areas.

Oscar Isaac

Isaac, who won a Golden Globe in 2016 for HBO’s Show Me a Hero, has several film projects in the works including starring in JC Chandor’s ensemble Triple Frontier, the long-gestating dramatic thriller set up at Netflix.

He also voices Gomez Addams in MGM’s upcoming animated The Addams Family movie.

Additionally, Isaac plays Paul Gauguinopposite Willem Dafoe’sVincent van Goghin At Eternity’s Gate, the biopic directed by Julian Schnabelthat CBS Filmswill release on November 16.

His credits include Alex Garland’s Ex Machina in 2014, the same year he starred in Chandor’s A Most Violent Year; both films were in that season’s awards mix. He also starred in Garland’s follow-up Annihilation, which bowed this year. He nabbed his first Golden Globe nomination for the Coen brothers’ Inside Llewyn Davis in 2013.

Star Wars: Episode IX, which returns JJ Abrams to direct in the finale of the Skywalker saga franchise, has a December 20, 2019 release date.

Isaac had been at UTA for almost a decade with that agency sealing the deals that helped him grow into an A-list name, breaking out in Nic Refn’s Drive opposite Ryan Gosling.

Gina Rodriguez Among the Latinos Invited to Join The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Gina Rodriguez is joining the club…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued 928 invitations to new members, the Oscar-granting body announced Monday, including an invite to the 33-year-old actress and Jane the Virgin star.

Gina Rodriguez

The number is higher than the 774 invitations sent out in 2017. As the Academy has sought to diversify its ranks, it invited in 683 new members in 2016 and 322 in 2015 in an effort to include more women, people of color and international filmmakers.

In addition to Rodriguez, who has starred on the bog screen in the films Deepwater Horizon and Annihilation, this year’s potential Latino members include Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin co-star Jaime Camil, Javier Bardem’s actor brother Carlos Bardem, Alice Braga, Melonie Diaz, Eugenio Derbez and Like Water for Chocolate author Laura Esquivel.

Forty-nine percent of the class of 2018 are female, and, should all accept membership, that will bring overall percentage of women in the Academy to 31 percent. Thirty-eight percent of the new invitees are people of color, which, should they all accept, would bring their overall percentage of the Academy to 16 percent.

Each of the Academy’s 17 branches draws its own list of new members, and candidates must be sponsored by two members of the branch they will be invited to join. The general requirement is that a candidate must have “demonstrated exceptional achievement in the field of theatrical motion pictures,” although each branch has its own specific requirements. Actors, for example, must have a minimum of three theatrical features under their belt, while directors must have a minimum of two helming credits. Academy Awards nominees are automatically considered for membership, although an invite is not guaranteed.

Here’s a look at the Latino invitees:

Actors
Damián Alcázar – “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” “El Crimen del Padre Amaro”
Carlos Bardem – “Assassin’s Creed,” “Che”
Diana Bracho – “A Ti Te Queria Encontrar,” “Y Tu Mamá También”
Alice Braga – “I Am Legend,” “City of God”
Javier Cámara – “Talk to Her,” “Sex and Lucia”
Jaime Camil – “Coco,” “Pulling Strings”
Tantoo Cardinal – “Wind River,” “Dances With Wolves”
Elpidia Carrillo – “Nine Lives,” “Predator”
Ricardo Darín – “Wild Tales,” “The Secret in Their Eyes”
Natalia De Molina – “Kiki, Love to Love,” “Food and Shelter”
Rossy De Palma – “Broken Embraces,” “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”
Eugenio Derbez – “Overboard,” “How to Be a Latin Lover”
Rosana DeSoto – “La Bamba,” “About Last Night…”
Melonie Diaz – “Fruitvale Station,” “Be Kind Rewind”
Verónica Echegui – “Let Yourself Go!,” “Katmandú, un Espejo en el Cielo”
Paulina García – “The Desert Bride,”Gloria”
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo – “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” “Murder on the Orient Express”
Daniel Giménez Cacho – “Zama,” “Blancanieves”
Ernesto Gómez Cruz – “El Crimen del Padre Amaro,” “El Imperio de la Fortuna”
Blanca Guerra – “Santa Sangre,” “El Imperio de la Fortuna”
Javier Gutiérrez – “Assassin’s Creed,” “Marshland”
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez – “Bordertown,” “El Norte”
George Lopez – “Rio,” “Real Women Have Curves”
Mía Maestro – “The Motorcycle Diaries,” “Frida”
Carmen Maura – “Volver,” “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”
Ángela Molina – “Broken Embraces,” “That Obscure Object of Desire”
Jordi Mollà – “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” “Blow”
Eduardo Noriega – “Vantage Point,” “Open Your Eyes”
Rubén Ochandiano – “Biutiful,” “Broken Embraces”
John Ortiz – “Kong: Skull Island,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Pedro Pascal – “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” “The Adjustment Bureau”
Gina Rodriguez – “Annihilation,” “Deepwater Horizon”
María Rojo – “Under the Same Moon,” “Esmeralda Comes by Night”
Emma Suárez – “Julieta,” “The Mosquito Net”
Daniela Vega – “A Fantastic Woman,” “The Guest”

Cinematographers
Céline Bozon – “Félicité,” “Black Heaven”
Benjamín Echazarretta – “A Fantastic Woman,” “Gloria”
David Gallego – “Siete Cabezas (The Sacrifice),” “Embrace of the Serpent”
Dana Gonzales – “Shot Caller,” “Incarnate”

Costume Designers
Gabriela Diaque – “Babel,” “Amores Perros”
Caroline Eselin – “Moonlight,” “The Paperboy”
Mariestela Fernández – “La Dictadura Perfecta (The Perfect Dictatorship),” “El Infierno (Hell)”
Lala Huete – “El Greco,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Graciela Mazón – “The Flowers of War,” “Nacho Libre”
Luis Sequeira – “The Shape of Water,” “Mama”

Designers
Cecilia Montiel – “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Desperado”

Documentary
Claire Aguilar – “The Interrupters,” “Last Train Home”
Everardo González – “La Libertad del Diablo (Devil’s Freedom),” “Drought (Cuates de Australia)”
Carla Gutierrez – “RBG,” “When Two Worlds Collide”
Tatiana Huezo – “Tempestad,” “The Tiniest Place”
Gema Juarez Allen – “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” “Soldado”
Pedro Pimenta – “A Ilha dos Espíritos (Island of Spirits),” “Memories of Dreams”
Maria Augusta Ramos – “Morro dos Prazeres (Hill of Pleasures),” “Justice (Justiça)”
Bernardo Ruiz – “Kingdom of Shadows,” “Reportero”
Juan Carlos Rulfo – “Those Who Remain,” “In the Pit”

Executives
Tony Vinciquerra

Film Editors
Felipe Lacerda – “Secrets of the Tribe,” “Garapa”
Elena Ruiz – “Eva,” “The Orphanage”
Soledad Salfate – “A Fantastic Woman,” “Gloria”
Ana Lozano – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “Volver”

Music
Carlinhos Brown – “Rio,” “Capitães da Areia”

Producers
Lisa Cortés – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “Shadowboxer”

Public Relations
Dora Candelaria
Fabian Castro
Melissa Martinez
Alicia Ramirez-Wyld

Short Films and Feature Animation
Sofia Carrillo – “Cerulia,” “La Casa Triste (The Sad House)”
Pedro Collantes – “Serori,” “Eskiper”
Sergio Pablos – “Rio,” “Despicable Me”
Ruben Perez – “The Boss Baby,” “Penguins of Madagascar”
Carlos Fernandez Puertolas – “The Boss Baby,” “Home”
Gini Cruz Santos – “Coco,” “The Good Dinosaur”
Cesar Velazquez – “Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”

Sound
Antonio Diego – “Duck Season,” “Amores Perros”
Nelson Ferreira – “The Shape of Water,” “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”
Ruy Garcia – “Novitiate,” “Y Tu Mamá También”

Visual Effects
Nelson Sepulveda – “Kong: Skull Island,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”

Writers
Guillermo Calderón – “Neruda,” “The Club”
Laura Esquivel – “Like Water for Chocolate,” “Chido Guan, el Tacos de Oro”
Mateo Gil – “Realive,” “Open Your Eyes”
Gonzalo Maza – “A Fantastic Woman,” “Gloria”
Gibrán Portela – “The Untamed,” “La Jaula de Oro”
Fernando E. Solanas – “A Journey to the Fumigated Towns,” “La Guerra del Fracking”

Members-at-Large
Robert Alonzo
Jordi Casares
Mary Ramos

Isaac in Talks to Star in Steven Spielberg’s “The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara”

Oscar Isaac is Amblin-g for a new role…

The 37-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor and Star Wars star is in talks to star opposite Mark Rylance in Amblin Entertainment’s The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.

Oscar Isaac

Steven Spielberg is putting together the true-life religious drama to tackle after he wraps the sci-fi thriller Ready Player One.

Tony Kushner, who worked on Spielberg’s Lincoln and Munich, wrote the script adapting the David Kertzer novel, which has been in development with the filmmaker since 2008.

The true story centers on a 6-year-old Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy, in 1858 who was seized by the police and removed from his parents’ home. He was subsequently raised as a Catholic and became a priest in the Augustinian order. Rylance will star as Pope Pius IX.

Isaac had a breakout year in 2015 with a buzzy turn in Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Ex Machina then scene-stealing work in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He last appeared as the villain in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Isaac recently wrapped Star Wars: Episode VIII as well as the Paramount sci-fi thriller Annihilation, which reteamed him with Garland.

Isaac In Talks to Star in the Post-Apocalyptic Horror Adventure “Annihilation”

Oscar Isaac is facing annihilation

The 37-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor is in talks to reteam with Alex Garland, his director for the acclaimed sci-fi movie Ex Machina, for Annihilation, a post-apocalyptic horror adventure feature for Paramount Pictures.

Oscar Isaac

Isaac, who was a standout as X-wing pilot Poe Dameron in the Star Wars: The Force Awakens, would star opposite Natalie Portman and Gina Rodriguez in the film, which is an adaptation of a book by Jeff VanderMeer.

The story follows a biologist, to be played by Portman, as she embarks on a four-person expedition into Area X, a territory cut off from civilization. While there, she must deal with a mysterious contamination, disappearing colleagues, a deadly animal and a being known as the Crawler, all while searching for clues regarding her husband’s disappearance.

Isaac will play Portman’s husband, who may not have disappeared after all.

Isaac starred with Alicia Vikander and Domhnall Gleeson in Ex Machina, in which he played the Steve Jobs-like owner of a search engine tech company creating artificial intelligence.

Star Wars: The Force Awakens, meanwhile, blasted box office records and currently has grossed over $933 million domestically, $2 billion worldwide

Rodriguez Signs with 42West

Gina Rodriguez is heading (42) West

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star has signed with 42West for publicity.

Gina Rodriguez

42West is one of the leading full-service public-relations firms in the entertainment industry.

Rodriguez, who may co-star opposite Natalie Portman in the sci-fi film Annihilation, won her first Golden Globe in January for her starring role the CW’s Jane the Virgin.

Rodriguez In Talks to Star Opposite Natalie Portman in the Sci-Fi Film “Annihilation”

Gina Rodriguez is ready to annihilate Hollywood

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress is in talks to star opposite Natalie Portman in the sci-fi film Annihilation.

Gina Rodriguez

The post-apocalyptic horror adventure film will be helmed by Ex Machina‘s Alex Garland.

The feature is an adaptation of a book by Jeff Vander Meer.

The story follows a biologist, to be played by Portman, as she embarks on a four-person expedition into Area X, a territory cut off from civilization. While there, she must deal with a mysterious contamination, disappearing colleagues, a deadly animal and a being known as the Crawler, all while searching for clues regarding her husband’s disappearance.

Garland wrote the script, adapted from Vander Meer’s book, which hit stores in February 2014 and is the first in a trilogy.

Rodriguez stars on the CW‘s Jane the Virgin.