Tag Archives: Black Label Media

JoAnna Garcia Swisher Launches Production Banner THP Entertainment

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JoAnna Garcia Swisher is hoping to bring more joy to the world…

The 44-year-old half-Cuban and part-Spanish American actress, producer, television host and entrepreneur is expanding her lifestyle platform The Happy Place with the launch of her production banner THP Entertainment, which she will co-run alongside longtime business partner and co-founder, Kate Gordon.

Joanna Garcia SwisherGarcia Swisher is known for her roles on Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias, ABC’s Once Upon a Time and Reba McEntire’s eponymous comedy series for the CW. Gordon is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in talent management, sports/media production, digital content creation and e-commerce product development.

Garcia Swisher and Gordon launched The Happy Place as a lifestyle digital and social media platform that celebrates the spaces, places and moments that bring joy and a sense of community to all visitors.

The site has reached close to a million subscribers and their social media accounts have reached over 4.8M in the last month alone, according to THP. The production banner is an expansion of the site’s book club THP Reads that will focus on bringing select stories to life through TV and film.

First up on the scripted slate is THP Reads March 2022 pick, Ladies of the House, produced with Black Label Media. The romantic drama will re-team Garcia Swisher with Sheryl J. Anderson, the creator/showrunner of Sweet Magnolias. Based on the novel by Lauren Edmonson, the series follows the wife and adult daughters of a Senator as they navigate the treacherous balance of personal and public lives after the Senator dies in compromising circumstances.

“The Happy Place is a destination where you come to be inspired and to feel connected through our mutual life experiences. We are constantly in awe of this inclusive community that embraces our desire to celebrate life’s moments, both big and small.” Garcia Swisher and Gordon said in a joint statement to Deadline. “THP Reads has become something that we enjoy together, month after month. It felt like a natural extension to bring this collective excitement surrounding books we read to life on screen in a way we can all be proud of and excited about.”

Swisher currently stars in Netflix’s Sweet Magnolias as ‘Maddie Townsend.’ The show is in production on its fourth season, and she will also return as the host of The Ultimatum: Queer Love. In film, she most recently starred in Vince Vaughn’s Christmas with the Campbells.

Warner Bros. Releases Trailer for Michael Peña’s War Drama “12 Strong”

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Michael Peña is going strong…

Warner Bros. has released the trailer for the war drama 12 Strong, starring the 41-year-old Mexican American actor.

12 Strong

“The most important thing a man can take into combat is a reason why,” says the trailer. In this case, it’s the thousands of tons of rubble that once was the Twin Towers. “Nineteen men attacked our country,” an officer says. “The 12 of you will be the first ones to fight back.”

The film stars Peña, Chris Hemsworth and Michael Shannon  as three of the U.S. Special Forces dirty dozen who are tasked with going into the rugged mountains of Afghanistan. Once there, they must persuade Northern Alliance General Dostum (Navid Negahban) to join forces with them to fight their common adversary.

Along with overcoming mutual distrust and a cultural chasm, the Americans — accustomed to state-of-the-art warfare — must adopt the rudimentary tactics of the Afghan horse soldiers. But despite their uneasy bond, the new allies face overwhelming odds: outnumbered and outgunned by a ruthless enemy that does not take prisoners.

Nicolai Fuglsig directs the war drama from Alcon Entertainment, Black Label Media and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.  Ted Tally and Peter Craig wrote the script based on Doug Stanton’s bestseller.

Warner Bros. will release 12 Strong on January 19.

del Toro In Talks to Star in “Predator” Reboot

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It’s prey time for Benicio del Toro…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actor is in early talks to star in Predator, a reboot of the film franchise in the works at 20th Century Fox.

Benicio del Toro

Shane Black will direct the film. He was actually a co-star in the 1987 original alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, playing a member of Arnold’s team and the first to die at the hands of the Predator. Carl Weathers and Jesse Ventura also co-starred.

Black’s Monster Squad co-writer Fred Dekker is scripting the new Predator.

del Toro is also aboard Soldado, the second installment of the drug war thriller that began with 2015’s Sicario. Gomorra director Stefano Sollima is helming after Denis Villenueve led the first one, and Taylor Sheridan has again written the script. Black Label Media and Lionsgate are co-financing.

Additionally, The Oscar-winner has a villainous role in Star Wars: Episode VIII.

del Toro to Star in “Sicario” sequel, “Soldado”

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Benicio del Toro is ready to soldier on…

The 49-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star in Soldado, the second installment of the drug war thriller that began with 2015’s Sicario.

Benicio del Toro

Hailing from Lionsgate and Black Label Media, the sequel focuses on Alejandro Gillick, the shadowy protagonist played by del Toro, and Josh Brolin’s CIA agent Matt Graver, who in the first film established themselves as hell bent on hunting down cartel kingpins, no matter what.

Soldado, which was scripted by Taylor Sheridan, does not include the FBI agent character played by Emily Blunt in Sicario.

In the film, Gillick and Graver concern themselves with what is being smuggled across the border between Mexico and the U.S. in the tunnels used to move drugs and illegal immigrants. Those tunnels also can be used to bring terrorists into the U.S.

Italian director Stefano Sollima is the front-runner to direct the second installment. Denis Villenueve directed the first film.