Luis Guzman Upped to Series Regular for Season Two of Netflix’s “Wednesday”

Posted on May 7, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

There are more Wednesdays in Luis Guzmán’s future…

The 67-year-old Puerto Rican actor has been promoted to series regular for season two of Netflix’s supernatural mystery Wednesday.

Guzman, who portrays Wednesday’s father Gomez Addams on the series, is among the main cast and guest stars announced by Netflix for the upcoming season, which will once again be headlined by Jenna Ortega.

Production has started in Ireland for a 2025 premiere.

Promoted alongside Guzman as series regulars are Catherine Zeta-Jones, who plays Wednesday’s mom Morticia Addams; Isaac Ordonez (Wednesday’s younger brother Pugsley Addams); and Luyanda Unati Lewis-Nyawo (Sheriff Deputy Ritchie Santiago).

Joining Wednesday as new series regulars are Billie Piper, previously revealed Steve Buscemi, Evie Templeton, Owen Painter and Noah Taylor.

A teaser, featuring Thing delivering scripts to the cast, reveals the characters for Piper, who will play Capri, and Buscemi, who will portray Barry Dort.

Wednesday creators/executive producers Al Gough and Miles Millar had previously hinted that we might see more Addams family members in Season 2 and explore further Wednesday’s relationship with her mother and the rest of her family. Expanding Jones, Guzmán and Ordonez’s presence next season would fit into that plan — along with delighting fans who had been asking to see more of these characters.

Season 2 will introduce at least one new Addams family member, Grandmama, who will be played by Joanna Lumley in a guest-starring turn, with Fred Armisen set to reprise his guest role as Uncle Fester.

Christopher Lloyd, who played Uncle Fester in the Addams Family film franchise, will also guest star in Season 2 in an undisclosed role, the second cast member from the films to appear on the series after Christina Ricci’s turn last season. Other new Season 2 guest stars include Thandiwe Newton, who will play Dr. Fairburn; Frances O’Connor; Haley Joel Osment; Heather Matarazzo; and Joonas Suotamo.

Returning series regulars are Ortega as Wednesday, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Hunter Doohan, Victor Dorobantu, Moosa Mostafa and Georgie Farmer.

Meanwhile, Season 1 series regulars Percy Hynes White, Jamie McShane and Naomi J Ogawa will not be returning in that capacity next season.

Of the three, only McShane is slated to reprise his Sheriff Donovan Galpin role as a guest star, likely to wrap the story of his character. Galpin’s duties may be taken over by his deputy, Santiago, with Lewis-Nyawo now promoted to series regular.

White played psychic Nevermore student Xavier Thorpe, one of the two main Season 1 male leads and a romantic interest for Wednesday (Ortega), who saved his life in the season finale.

Rumors started circulating last fall that his character may be written off. White last June issued a statement, hitting back at since-deleted anonymous January 2023 social media posts that accused him of sexual assault. In his message to fans, White vehemently denied any allegations.

As for Ogawa, her vampire student character Yoko Tanaka spent Season 1 largely in the background, with diminishing screen time as the season went on and no major storylines.

The teaser, which you can watch below, also reveals that the first episode of Season 2 is titled “Here We Woe Again.” It was written by Millar and Gough and is being directed by series director/exec producer Tim Burton.

“We are thrilled that the entire Addams family will be enrolling in Nevermore Academy this season along with a dream cast of icons and new faces,” Millar and Gough said in a statement.

The Season 2 cast photo is taken in the room Wednesday shared with Enid. There is no official logline for next season, but at least some of the action is expected to again take place at Nevermore Academy as the series is charting Wednesday Addams’ years as a student at there. It is unclear whether that would include Wednesday’s parents. There is a vacancy at the helm of the Academy after the principal (and Morticia’s former roommate) Larissa Weems (Gwendoline Christie) was killed.

Wednesday‘s first season ranks as Netflix’s most popular English TV series with 252.10 million views. The black comedy spent 20 weeks on the Global Top 10 and reached the top 10 in 93 countries.

Burton, Gough and Millar executive produce with Steve Stark, Andrew Mittman, Tommy Harper, Karen Richards, Kayla Alpert, Jonathan Glickman, Gail Berman and Meredith Averill. Other Season 2 directors include Paco Cabezas and Angela Robinson. MGM Television is the studio.

As the series is starting production in its new location, after filming Season 1 in Romania, Netflix is launching a TikTok channel dedicated to all things Wednesday from Thing’s perspective.

Carlos Alcaraz Defeats Rafael Nadal to Win Inaugural Netflix Slam

Posted on March 4, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Alcaraz has earned another type of Slam victory.

The 20-year-old Spanish tennis phenom defeated 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal 3-6 6-4 (14-12) at the inaugural Netflix Slam in Las Vegas on Sunday.

Nadal, who spent almost a year on the sidelines with a hip flexor injury before suffering a muscle injury at the start of this season, said he felt “much better than expected” during the exhibition match in front of a sell-out crowd of 9,489, including Michael Douglas, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Charlize Theron, Danai Gurira, Logan Lerman and Manu Rios.

The showdown, the latest in Netflix‘s push for live streaming events, pitted two superstar Spaniards in an exhibition match which was rescheduled from last year due to Nadal’s injuries and arrived just in time as the two players head to Indian Wells this week.

Nadal is returning to the tour after months away due to injury, while the match was also a bit of a physical test for Alcaraz, who suffered an injury to his right ankle at the Rio Open.

“It’s a good thing that as a player I will not face him many times,” said Nadal.

“As a fan, I will enjoy watching him for many years hopefully. In Spain, we should be very, very happy about having someone like Carlos coming.

“He’s an amazing player. He’s only 20-years-old and he’s already won two Grand Slams and a couple of important tournaments.”

Netflix Considering “Wednesday” Spinoff Centered Around Fred Armisen’s Uncle Fester Character

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Fred Armisen’s most recent role may be festering a new series…

Netflix is looking to build a franchise around its reigning most popular series, with a Wednesday spinoff centered around the 57-year-old half-Venezuelan American actor/comedian’s Uncle Fester character in early development at the streamer from MGM Television.

Conversations about the offshoot are happening alongside preparations for Season 2 of Wednesday — a new take of The Addams Family starring Jenna Ortega as Wednesday Addams — which became a ratings and pop culture phenomenon when it launched in November 2022.

The horror comedy ranks as Netflix’s most popular English-language series with 252.1M views, almost doubling the next most popular television season on the streamer.

Armisen guest starred in one episode of Wednesday‘s first season in a memorable appearance as Uncle Fester, brother of Wednesday’s father Gomez Addams (Luis Guzman), who used his ability to generate electricity to revive Thing.

Gwendoline Christie, Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Hunter Doohan, Percy Hynes White, Emma Myers, Joy Sunday, Georgie Farmer, Naomi J. Ogawa, Christina Ricci and Moosa Mostafa co-starred in Season 1, with Catherine Zeta-Jones recurring as Wednesday’s mother Morticia.

Season 2 will be filmed in Ireland, with production tentatively slated to begin in late April. Season 1 was shot in Romania.

There is little information about where the mothership Wednesday series would go thematically in Season 2.

Gough and Millar have hinted that we might see more Addams family members — further expanding the universe and potentially setting up new offshoots — and explore further Wednesday’s relationship with her mother while Ortega, who is becoming a producer for Season 2, has indicated that the show would have stronger emphasize on horror over teen romance.

Lisette Olivera Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lisette Olivera has new representation…

The up-and-coming Latina actress has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA) for representation in all areas.

Olivera will next be seen starring in the Disney Branded Television series National Treasure: Edge of History, an expansion of the popular National Treasure film franchise, told from the point of view of her character, Jess.

The action-adventure show’s young heroine is a brilliant and resourceful DREAMer who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about her family’s mysterious past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.

National Treasure: Edge of History debuts on Disney+ on December 14.

Olivera is joined in the show by Catherine Zeta-Jones, Justin Bartha, Harvey Keitel, Lyndon Smith, Zuri Reed, Jake Austin Walker, Antonio Cipriano and Jordan Rodrigues.

Its exec producers include Jerry Bruckheimer, Cormac and Marianne Wibberley, Jonathan Littman, KristieAnne Reed, Rick Muirragui (who also serves as a writer), Jon Turteltaub and Mira Nair (who also directs).

Olivera was previously seen starring opposite Sierra McCormick in Sean King O’Grady’s psychological horror We Need to Do Something, which made its world premiere at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival and was released in theaters by IFC Films.

Netflix Releases First Look at Jenna Ortega as “Wednesday” in Upcoming Addams Family Television Series

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is embracing her Family…

Netflix has revealed the first look at “Wednesday,” the upcoming Addams Family television series starring the famous clan’s daughter, with the 19-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress and Scream 5 star in the title role.

First created by Charles Addams for a series of New Yorker cartoons, the Addams Family is a bizarre aristocratic clan with an obsession of the macabre and a complete lack of concern regarding how others perceive them.

Following their creation, the characters grew in popularity after a 1964 sitcom fleshed out their personalities, and have since starred in two live-action theatrical films, two animated series, a Broadway musical and two animated films.

The only daughter of parents Gomez and Morticia, Wednesday was depicted in the original sitcom as the most sweet-natured of the family.

However, the 1991 Barry Sonnenfeld-directed film adaptation changed her personality to be much more deadpan and sadistic, with Christina Ricci’s portrayal in the film making her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

“Wednesday” spins-off the character as she attends a boarding school Nevermore Academy, where she develops psychic powers and investigates a supernatural killing spree connected to her own family’s history.

In addition to Ortega as Wednesday, the rest of the Addams Family will make appearances in the show. Catherine Zeta-Jones is part of the main cast as matriarch Morticia, while Victor Dorobantu plays the disembodied hand servant of the family, Thing. Isaac Ordonez plays Wednesday’s brother Pugsley in a recurring role, while George Burcea plays the family manservant Lurch. Luis Guzmán will guest star in the series as Wednesday’s father Gomez.

The main cast of the show includes Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Gwendoline Christie, Thora Birch, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Georgie Farmer, Naomi Ogawa and Moosa Mostafa. In a nod to the ’90s films, Ricci will also appear in an unconfirmed role.

Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the Superman series Smallville, serve as showrunners and executive producers for the series.

Tim Burton will also executive produce and direct the majority of episodes, with Gandja Monteiro and James Marshall serving as additional directors.

The series is produced by MGM Television for Netflix.

Juliana Aidén Martinez to Star Opposite Sofia Vergara in Netflix’s Limited Series “Griselda”

Posted on January 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Juliana Aidén Martinez is joining the cartel…

The Colombian actress has joined the cast of Netflix’s Griselda, its upcoming limited series about real-life drug queenpin Griselda Blanco starring Sofia Vergara.

Aidén Martinez is among 12 newly added cast members, including Alberto Guerra, Diego Trujillo, Paulina Davila, Gabriel Sloyer, Maximiliano Hernández and Julieth Restrepo.

Netflix also released a first look photo of Vergara as the lead character.

The six-episode series chronicles the life of Colombian-born Blanco, who created one of the most profitable cartels in history. A devoted mother, Blanco’s lethal blend of charm and unsuspecting savagery helped her expertly navigate between family and business leading her to become widely known as the “Black Widow.”

Here’s a full list of the cast and the characters they’ll play:

Alberto Guerra (Narcos: Mexico) as “Dario”
Vanessa Ferlito as “Isabel”
Alberto Ammann (Narcos) as “Alberto Bravo”
Christian Tappan (The Great Heist) as “Arturo”
Diego Trujillo (Metastasis) as “German Panesso”
Paulina Davila (Luis Miguel) as “Carmen”
Gabriel Sloyer (Narcos) as “Diaz”
Juliana Aidén Martinez as “June”
Martin Rodriguez (Detrás de la verdad) as “Rivi”
José Zúñiga (American Crime Story, Versace) as “Amilcar”
Maximiliano Hernández (The Avengers, The Americans) as “Papo Mejia”
Julieth Restrepo as “Marta Ochoa”

Blanco burst onto the pop culture scene after her exploits were highlighted in the 2006 documentary Cocaine Cowboys and its sequel two years later from Billy Corben.

She was portrayed by Catherine Zeta-Jones in the Lifetime biopic Cocaine Godmother in 2018.

The series was developed by executive producers Vergara and Luis Balaguer for Latin World Entertainment. Griselda is the latest project for Eric Newman under his overall deal with Netflix.

Ingrid Escajeda will serve as co-showrunner, as well as write, and executive produce alongside Doug Miro (Narcos). Newman will also EP alongside his Narcos creative team, Andrés Baiz, and Carlo Bernard—though Griselda is unrelated to Netflix’s drug thriller franchise.

Baiz will direct all six episodes.

Florencia Lozano to Appear in Netflix’s Drama Series “Breathe”

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Florencia Lozano is breathe-ing easy…

The 51-year-old Latina actress, best known for portraying Téa Delgado on ABC’s daytime series One Life to Live, has landed a recurring role in Breathe, Netflix’s one-hour drama series from Blindspot creator Martin Gero and writer-executive producer Brendan Gall, and Warner Bros. Television.

Lozano will recur alongside 40-year-old Colombian actor Juan Pablo Espinosa on the series, which stars Melissa Barrera.

In Breathe, written by Gero and Gall, when a small plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, a lone woman (Barrera) must battle the elements and odds to survive. Barrera’s Liv is a razor-sharp Manhattan attorney who finds herself profoundly out of her comfort zone when her plane crashes and she must battle for survival.

Lozano and Espinosa will play Liv’s mother and father, respectively.

Lozano co-wrote and stars in Life After You, which was awarded Best Feature and Best Actress at the Nice International Film Festival. She will next be seen in the feature Here After. Her previous television credits include the starring role of Claudia Messina on Netflix’s Narcos, as well as Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, among others.

Espinosa most recently starred in Focus Features’ comedy Half Brothers. His other recent credits include Apple TV’s Acapulco, Cocaine Godmother opposite Catherine Zeta Jones, and a recurring role as Luis Carlos Galán on Netflix’s Narcos. In Latin America, he’s known for his work on El Secretario, A Corazon Abierto and La Fan with NBC/Telemundo, among others.

Rosie Perez to Serve as a Presenter at This Weekend’s Golden Globes Ceremony

Posted on February 23, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’ll be a golden weekend for Rosie Perez…

The 56-year-old Puerto Rican actress, choreographer and community activist, who most recently starred in HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant, is among the celebrities added as presenters for the 78th Golden Globes, set for Sunday, February 28.

In addition to Perez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Christopher Meloni, and Christian Slater are the latest group to be added.

All four will be appearing live from New York’s Rainbow Room for the NBC telecast of the ceremony, which will take place both in New York with co-host Tina Fey and at the Beverly Hilton with co-host Amy Poehler.

The ceremony will air from 8:00 -11:00 pm ET/5-8 p.m. PT on NBC and be available to stream the next day on Peacock.

The quartet join previously announced presenters, including Margot Robbie, Tiffany Haddish, Anthony Anderson, Kate Hudson, Kenan Thompson, Kevin Bacon, Sterling K. Brown, Michael Douglas, Kyra Sedgwick, Susan Kelechi Watson, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

Facebook Watch to Release Victoria Justice’s “Queen America” in November

Posted on September 11, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Victoria Justice is ready for a royal November…

The 25-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress/singer’s new Facebook Watch series with Catherine Zeta-Jones, Queen America, will premiere Wednesday, November 21.

The 10-episode scripted series stars Zeta-Jones as Vicki Ellis, a renowned and ruthless pageant coach in Oklahoma. Her reputation is at stake when she is paired to make an unpolished young woman named Samantha (Belle Shouse) to make her the winning pageant queen.

In addition to Zeta-Jones, Shouse and Justice, who starred as Tori Vega on Nickelodeon’s Victorious, additional cast members include Judith Light, Jennifer Westfeldt, Teagle Bougere, Rana Roy, Isabella Amara, Molly Priceand Megan West.

Queen America was created, written and executive produced by Meaghan Oppenheimer and hails from wiip, the new independent studio launched and led by Paul Lee and Bruna Papandrea‘ Made Up Stories, which will serve as co-studio partner.

Click here to see the trailer.

Guerrero to Star Opposite Catherine Zeta-Jones in “The Godmother”

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Diane Guerrero has a new godmother…

The 29-year-old Colombian American actress has landed a role in director Gerard Johnson’s new film The Godmother.

Guerrero joins Catherine Zeta-Jones, Oliver Martinez and John Leguizamo in the film based on the life of drug lord Griselda Blanco (Zeta-Jones).

Set in the 1970s and ’80s, The Godmother tells the story of Blanco, deemed the “Godmother of Cocaine,” who went from an impoverished life to establishing a cocaine business with her husband in New York and becoming one of the most feared figures during the “cocaine cowboys” wars.

Guerrero, best known for her role in Netflix’s Orange Is The New Black, will play Eva, who worked as a mule for Blanco.

Production begins November 4 in Puerto Rico.

Guerrero, who appears on CW’s Jane the Virgin, will next appear in the features Beyond Control and Happy Yummy Chicken.

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