Esai Morales to Star in “So Much For Love”

Posted on September 11, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales is lovin’ his new role…

The 61-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star opposite Finn Wittrock and Sylvia Hoels in So Much For Love, which is currently shooting in Louisville, Kentucky.

A re-teaming filmmaker Lina Roessler with Best Sellers scribe Anthony Grieco, the film follows Sam Davies (Wittrock), a trust fund supported bon vivant and bachelor, who is living his best life – right up until the day he turns 35. Much to his horror, that’s when he learns his deceased parents have a provision in the trust that will terminate his installments and force him to earn his keep. Cast out of his posh Hollywood Hills digs and landing in La Grange, Kentucky, Sam has a calendar year to learn the value of hard work, the meaning of purpose, and the true price of love – or lose it all.

The story is originally by Paul Robarts and Gigi Gaston. The film is being produced by Cassian Elwes’ Elevated Films along with Paul Robarts, Arielle Elwes and Veronica Radaelli).

“I knew this film would be something special when I started collaborating again with Anthony on the script,” says Roessler. “Being back on set and getting to work with Finn, Sylvia and Esai has been absolutely wonderful. It has also been a magical experience working again with Cassian and Arielle along with our amazing crew in Louisville.”

Morales had notable roles in the films Bad Boys with Sean Penn and La Bamba with Lou Diamond Phillips. His television roles include the PBS 2002 drama series American Family, the Showtime series Resurrection Blvd. (2000–2002), portraying Lt. Tony Rodriguez on NYPD Blue (2001–2003), Joseph Adama in the science fiction series Caprica (2009–2010), Camino del Rio in the Netflix original series Ozark (2017), and the DC Comics supervillain Slade Wilson / Deathstroke in the superhero series Titans (2019).

Jessica Alba to Begin Filming Netflix’s “Trigger Warning” This Fall

Posted on July 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Alba is pulling the Trigger…

The 40-year-old half-Mexican American actress and entrepreneur will begin filming the action thriller Trigger Warning for Netflix in New Mexico this fall, starring and executive producing her first feature film in a few years.

Mouly Surya is directing from a script by Josh Olson and John Brancato.

Alba plays a traumatized veteran who inherits her grandfather’s bar, and is faced with a moral dilemma after discovering the truth behind his untimely death.

This is believed to be a possible franchise starter with high hopes for its success, considering the reception of the streamer’s other action films, including Spenser Confidential and Extraction.

Best known for her work on James Cameron’s Dark Angel TV series, and the films Sin City and Fantastic Four, Alba recently starred and executive produced Spectrum Originals’ “LA’s Finest,” alongside Gabrielle Union. The series, an action-packed spinoff from Jerry Bruckheimer’s Bad Boys universe, returned for its second and final season this June.

Alba is also attached to the Disney+ documentary series with the working title Parenting Without Borders, which she will host and executive produce. She’s also the entrepreneur behind the billion-dollar Honest Company and Honest Beauty.

Jesse Garcia to Star in Michael Bay’s Action Feature “Ambulance”

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse Garcia is calling 9-1-1…

The 39-year-old Spanish and Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Michael Bay’s Endeavor Content–Universal Pictures action feature Ambulance.

Garcia joins a growing cast that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza Gonzalez, Garret Dillahunt, A Martinez, Keir O’Donnell, Moses Ingram, rapper Wale Folarin, Cedric Sanders, Jackson White, Colin Woodell and Olivia Stambouliah.

Ambulance is based on the original Danish film Ambulancen and is in the spirit of such 1990s action films as Speed and Bad Boys. Chris Fedak wrote the original screenplay.

Garcia recently wrapped the new season of Narcos and was attached to the Marvel/Hulu series Ghost Rider before it was stalled. Garcia plays Ranger Freddie Gonzalez in the El Rey Network’s From Dusk Till Dawn. He is also known for the award-winning film Quinceañera, written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, executive produced by Todd Haynes. The film won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic Independent Feature Competition. Garcia won Best Actor at the 2007 ALMA Awards for his role as Carlos, a troubled gay teenager. In 2012, Garcia played a supporting role in The Avengers, in addition to roles in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and Manifest Destiny. His TV work also includes Edward James Olmos’ movie Walkout for HBO, recurring roles on Sons of Anarchy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and The Shield.

A Martinez to Star in Michael Bay’s Action Thriller “Ambulance”

Posted on January 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

A Martinez is preparing a medical emergency…

The 72-year-old part-Mexican American actor will star in the Michael Bay-directed action thriller Ambulance.

Martinez joins the list of new additions to the cast list that includes Garret Dillahunt, Keir O’Donnell and Moses Ingram.

The four join current cast members Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Eiza Gonzalez in a feature that’s based off the original Danish film Ambulancen.

While the plot is being kept under wraps, the film is expected to be in the spirit of such 1990s action films as Speed and Bad Boys.

Chris Fedak wrote the original script.

Universal is distributing the movie with Endeavor Content packaging of the project.

Martinez, who gained acclaim in the soap operas Santa Barbara, General Hospital, One Life to Live, The Bold and the Beautiful and Days of Our Lives, recently appeared in the series-long role of Jacob Nighthorse on Netflix’s Longmire, as well as recurring roles on The Bay and Queen of the South. He has also appeared in films including The Cowboys, She-Devil and Powwow Highway.

Eiza Gonzalez to Star Opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Michael Bay’s Action-Thriller “Ambulance”

Posted on December 15, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eiza Gonzalez is calling 9-1-1…

The 30-year-old Mexican actress and singer will star opposite Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in Michael Bay’s action-thriller Ambulance.

Chris Fedak wrote the original script, based on the original Danish Film Ambulancen produced by Nordisk Film Productions.

The logline is being kept under wraps, but insiders say the film is the vein of the great action thrillers of the ’90s like Speed and Bay’s Bad Boys.

The script has been highly coveted for years but never able to lock down a director before Bay got his hands on it and instantly fell in love.

Universal Pictures recently finalized the deal to distribute the film with Endeavor Content handling the packaging of the project.

Production is expected to start in January.

Gonzalez’s 2021 looks to be quite busy as she can be seen next in the thriller I Care A Lot, which also stars Rosamund Pike and Peter Dinklage. The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and was picked up by Netflix for a 2021 release.

She also has the tentpole Godzilla vs. Kong, which will bow in 2021 in theaters and on HBO Max day and date.

Esai Morales to Star in DC’s “Titans” Series

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales has landed a Titan-ic role…

The 56-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been cast in the series Titans.

He’ll portray Deathstroke, the fan-favorite assassin and archenemy of Teen Titans leader Dick Grayson.

The Titans, the first original programming franchise for the DC Universe subscription steaming site, launched in September and finished its first season in December. The weekly show follows the superhero squad that’s led by Batman’s former sidekick, Robin, aka Dick Grayson (Brenton Thwaites), and includes the hot-tempered alien princess Starfire (Anna Diop), the mysterious empath Raven (Teagan Croft), and the green-skinned shape-shifter Beast Boy (Ryan Potter).

That Titans line-up of characters was introduced with much fanfare in the pages of DC Comicsback in 1980. The team, created by Marv Wolfmanand George Perez, didn’t have to wait long to find their signature antagonist: Deathstroke the Terminatorwas introduced in issue No. 2 of The New Teen Titans in December 1980.

The character bio from the show’s producers: “Slade Wilson is known for being DC’s deadliest assassin. While serving his country, Slade became an elite soldier before government testing enhanced his physiology to near superhuman levels, putting him on a path of darkness and revenge. To his family, Slade is a father and husband, but to the rest of the world, he is feared by many as the infamous Deathstroke; selling his services to the highest bidder as the ruthless assassin that never gives up and never misses.”

The character is well known to fans of the popular Teen Titans animated series from Cartoon Network as well as the show’s 2018 tie-in feature film Teen Titans Go! to the Movies. Deathstrokehas also been portrayed by Manu Bennett in 36 episodes of The CWseries Arrow while Joe Manganiello (True Blood) appeared as the assassin in the 2017 feature film Justice League but only with an uncredited cameo.

The DC Comics character represents an interesting footnote in Marvel Comicshistory. The character Deadpool, portrayed by Ryan Reynoldsin the popular R-rated Foxfilm franchise, was created by Fabian Niciezaand Rob Liefeldin 1990 as a thinly disguised version of the DC villain. Not only do the characters share similar costumes, Deadpool’s alias is Wade Wilson, which in fact rhymes with Slade Wilson.

Adding a bit more confusion, both Deadpool and Deathstroke have similar attributes to Deadshot, a DC Comics villain introduced in the 1970s and portrayed by Will Smithon the big screen in Suicide Squad in 2016.

Morales, rose to acclaim in his feature film breakthrough role as Bob Morales in Taylor Hackford’s La Bamba, the landmark 1985 biopic about Ritchie Valens.

Morales’ feature film credits include Bad Boys, Mi Familia, Fast Food Nation, The Line, The Disappearance of Garcia Lorcaand Gun Hill Road, a film he executive produced and starred in. Gun Hill Road was a grand Jury Nominee at the Sundance Film Festivalin 2011. Most recently he starred in Sony’s Superfly and the indie film The Wall of Mexico.

Morales’ recent television credits include Ozark (Netflix), Mozart In The Jungle (Amazon Prime), Curb Your Enthusiasm (HBO), and Chicago PD (NBC). Morales also had notable credits over the years on shows such as NYPD Blue (ABC), Miami Vice (NBC), Fame (NBC) Law and Order: SVU (NBC), Caprica (Syfy), and Criminal Minds (CBS).

David Fumero Lands Role on Spectrum’s “Bad Boys” Spinoff Series “L.A.’s Finest”

Posted on October 11, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a Finest hour for David Fumero…

The 45-year-old Cuban actor has landed a recurring roles on L.A.’s Finest, Spectrum’s 13-episode series starring Gabrielle Union and Jessica Alba.

The spinoff from the Bad Boys movie franchise hails from writers Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier, Sony Pictures Television, Jerry Bruckheimer Television and 2.0 Entertainment.

It follows Burnett (Union), who last was seen in Miami taking down a drug cartel. She now has left her complicated past behind to become an LAPD detective. Paired with a new partner, Nancy McKenna (Alba), a working mom with an equally complex past, Burnett is pushed to examine whether her unapologetic lifestyle might be masking a greater personal secret. These two women don’t agree on much, but they find common ground when it comes to taking on the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles.

Fumero will play Lt. Jason Calloway, an LAPD lieutenant with the Narcotics Division. He and Syd had a one-night stand that colors their occasionally adversarial relationship around the office. A good cop and a total pro; not above arresting any cop who crosses the line.

Union and Alba executive produce alongside co-showrunners Margolis, Sonnier, and Pam Veasey.

Fumero was a series regular on the Starz drama Power.

Fumero, who first began as an international fashion model for such fashion powerhouses as Versace, Armani, John-Paul Gauthier, and Dior, rose to fame on the ABCsoap opera One Life to Live.

Charter Communications Gives Straight-to-Series Order to Jessica Alba’s “LA’s Finest”

Posted on June 27, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jessica Alba is officially one of LA’s Finest…

Charter Communications has given a 13-episode straight-to-series order to LA’s Finest, the drama pilot starring the 37-year-old half-Mexican American actress and Gabrielle Union.

From writers Brandon Margolis and Brandon Sonnier, Sony Pictures Television, Jerry Bruckheimer Television and 2.0 Entertainment, the series is set to premiere in 2019 exclusively on Charter’s Spectrum as the platform’s first major original series.

The series follows Burnett (Union), who last was seen in Miami taking down a drug cartel. She now has left her complicated past behind to become an LAPD detective. Paired with a new partner, Nancy McKenna (Alba), a working mom with an equally complex past, Burnett is pushed to examine whether her unapologetic lifestyle might be masking a greater personal secret. These two women don’t agree on much, but they find common ground when it comes to taking on the most dangerous criminals in Los Angeles.

The cast also includes Ernie Hudsonas Joseph Burnett, Zack Gilford and Duane Martin as Ben Walker and Ben Baines, and Ryan McPartlin as Patrick McKenna.

Sony Television took out the action pilot, a spinoff from the Bad Boys movie franchise, immediately after the project’s original network, NBC, passed on it.

Charter Communications quickly emerged as a likely potential home, starting talks with Sony just days later. With the deal in advanced stages, Sony Television has been selling LA’s Finest internationally.

“Charter has a strong passion for the project, and we could not be more excited,” ” said Jeff Frost, President of Sony Pictures Television. “Immediately we knew this innovative new platform was absolutely the right home for L.A.’s Finest.”

With its title recognition and A-list stars, L.A.’s Finest will be used as a key launching piece in Charter Communications’s recently announced strategy to introduce high-end original content on its Spectrum cable systems. The company signaled its entrance in the original scripted series arena by signing co-production deals with AMC Networks and Viacomand by hiring seasoned TV executive Katherine Pope to lead its original content efforts by securing rights on a cost-effective basis. Charter already produces programming via its regional sports networks and its exclusive Spectrum News services.

With elaborate action sequences, LA’s Finest was one of the highest-profile and most expensive pilots this season, with its budget said to be around $12 million. It is based upon the character Syd Burnett, originally created for Bad Boys II by Marianne and Cormac Wibberley and Ron Shelton and played by Union in the 2003 movie.

Union and Alba executive produce.

Peña Attached to Star in Film Adaptation of NBC’s Cult Classic “CHiPS”

Posted on September 4, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Michael Peña is letting the chips fall where they may…

Warner Bros. has set actor/comedian Dax Shepard to write, direct and star in the film adaptation of the long-running television series CHiPS, with the 38-year-old Mexican American actor attached to play Frank “Ponch” Poncherello.

CHiPS, whichran from 1977-83, centered on two officers who patrolled the highways of California on motorcycles in some scandalously tight khaki uniforms. Shepard will play Officer Jon Baker (played in the original by Larry Wilcox), with Peña starring in therole Erik Estrada originated. Rick Rosner created the NBC series.

This is the most serious Warner Bros. has been in turning CHiPS into a film. The studio attempted it years ago, after That ’70s Show star Wilmer Valderrama showed up in the office of executive Greg Silverman. Dressed in the signature tight-fitting uniform, Valderrama merely said, “Funny, right?” — and he walked out with a deal and an intention to play Ponch. But while television shows from that era like Starsky & Hutch and The Dukes Of Hazzard got movie transfers, CHiPS stalled out.

The new take is envisioned as much in the tone of Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon than a comedy. Shepard is known mostly in humorous roles and the series Parenthood. He’s actually a professional driver of racecars and motorcycles, and he expects to be performing his own riding and stunts.

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