Diany Rodriguez to Star in “NCIS: Origins,” CBS’ “NCIS” Prequel Series

Diany Rodriguez has found her origin(s) story…

The Latina actress joined the cast of NCIS: Origins as a series regular.

Diany RodriguezCBS’ prequel to the venerable procedural has a straight-to-series order for the 2024-2025 broadcast season.

In the CBS Studios-produced series, Rodriguez joins previously cast stars Austin Stowell, Mariel Molino and Kyle Schmid, as well as new addition Tyla Abercrumbie.

Executive produced and narrated by Mark HarmonOrigins begins in 1991, years prior to the events of NCIS, and chronicles Leroy Jethro Gibbs’ younger years. In the prequel, Gibbs (Stowell) starts his career as a newly minted special agent at the fledgling NIS Camp Pendleton office where he forges his place on a gritty, ragtag team led by NCIS legend Mike Franks (Schmid).

Rodriguez will portray Special Agent Vera Strickland, a no-nonsense, sharp-witted Brooklynite who’s tough as nails and never minces words. She’s spent her entire career being underestimated by misogynistic morons (as she calls them), but if it’s a fight those good ol’ boys are looking for, then it’s a fight they’re going to get.

Molino plays Special Agent Lala Dominguez.

Mark Harmon and his son Sean Harmon executive produce alongside David J. North and Gina Lucita Monreal who are co-writing the premiere episode and serving as co-showrunners. Jason Kennedy, Krysti Baxter and Meredith Goble are the casting directors.

Rodriguez recurred as Weecha Xiu on NBC’s The Blacklist.

Her recent credits include an arc on Peacock’s Twisted Metal and a guest spot on CBS’ drama series The Equalizer.

Sony Acquires Rights to Gabino Iglesias’ Novel “The Devil Takes You Home”

Gabino Iglesiasdevilish work will be brought to life…

Sony has reportedly picked up the Latino author/filmmaker’s novel The Devil Takes You Home in a competitive situation, a project that Cuban filmmaker Alejandro Brugués will adapt and direct.

Gabino Iglesias

Brugués is a director on El Rey’s From Dusk Till Dawn series and recently helmed the thriller The Last Will and Testament of Charles Abernathy starring Peyton List, Rachel Nichols and Austin Stowell.

Iglesias’ novel follows Mario who has but no choice, but to be a hitman to cover his family’s bills, especially his daughter’s medical tab. He’s presented with an offer: One last score that will either pull him out of poverty forever or put a bullet in the back of his skull. A man named Juanca needs help stealing $2 million dollars from a drug cartel. Together, they begin a journey to an underworld where unspeakable horrors happen every day.

The project and its storyline are still in early development.

Iglesias is a writer, journalist, professor, and literary critic living in Austin, TX. He wrote the critically-acclaimed and award-winning novels Zero Saints and Coyote Songs, which racked up nominations for the Bram Stoker Award, the Locus Award and the Wonderland Book Award.

Coyote Songs was lauded with the Wonderland Book Award. Iglesias has also served as a juror for the Shirley Jackson Awards twice and the Millions Tournament of Books.

Brugués’ feature directing credits include the segment “The Thing in the Woods” from 2018’s Nightmare Cinema, Juan of the Dead and Personal Belongings.

Alex Rosario is the executive on the project at Sony.

Gomez to Star in “Parental Guidance Suggested”

She may be a pop princess… But Selena Gomez will rockin’ out on the big screen in the near future.

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American singer/actress, who was just nominated for her first MTV VMA award, has signed on to star in the indie film Parental Guidance Suggested, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Gomez will appear opposite Nat Wolff in the offbeat coming-of-age comedy, while The Secret Life of American Teenager’s Austin Stowell will co-star as the overbearing boyfriend of Gomez’s character. The cast also includes Dylan McDermott and Cary Elwes.

Based on Ric Browde‘s novel While I’m Dead … Feed the Dog, the story centers on 16-year-old Ric Thibault (Wolff) and his crush Nina Pennington (Gomez) as they embark on a rock ‘n’ roll-themed odyssey.

Gomez, who recently wrapped up work on the film Spring Breakers, will next voice a character in Adam Sandler’s Hotel Transylvania.

Parental Guidance Suggested will shoot in Los Angeles.