Lin-Manuel Miranda Returning to Broadway in Simon Rich’s “All In: Comedy About Love”

Lin-Manuel Miranda is returning to Broadway… 

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning Broadway star will lead the second company of Simon Rich’s All In: Comedy About Love on Broadway this January, taking over when John Mulaney finishes up his limited run in a production featuring a revolving cast of actors.

Lin-Manuel MirandaThe production, directed by Alex Timbers, begins performances on Wednesday, December 11 at the Hudson Theatre with the previously announced Mulaney-led cast of Fred Armisen, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Richard Kind and Chloe Fineman.

In a second roster of cast members for the final five weeks of the production, Miranda takes over on Tuesday, January 14, running through Sunday, February 16.

Appearing on various dates during Miranda’s run will be Aidy Bryant, Andrew Rannells, Sam RichardsonJimmy Fallon, David Cross, Tim Meadows and Hank Azaria

Produced by Seaview and Lorne Michaels, the world premiere of the Rich comedy is a series of stories “about dating, heartbreak, marriage and that sort of thing,” adapted from the short stories of Rich and performed by a rotating cast.

Per the synopsis: “Sometimes they will play pirates, sometimes they will play dogs, and there’s one where we make them talk in British accents. But even though the show’s kind of all over the place, it’s meant to tell one simple story: that the most important part of life is who we share it with. We hope everybody will relate to it, even if it was their date’s idea to come and they are starting out from a place of quiet resentment.”

The musical duo The Bengsons (Abigail and Shaun Bengson) will perform songs live on stage from The Magnetic Fields (composer, Stephin Merritt), including from the album 69 Love Songs.

The dates for the initial cast are: John Mulaney (December 11 – January 12) Fred Armisen (December 11 – January 12) Renée Elise Goldsberry (December 11 – 30) Richard Kind (December 11 – January 12) Chloe Fineman (January 2 – 12).

Miranda will be joined by the following cast: Aidy Bryant (January 14 – February 2), Andrew Rannells (January 14 – 26), Sam Richardson (January 14 – February 2), Jimmy Fallon (January 28 – February 2) David Cross (February 4 – 9), Tim Meadows (February 4 – 16) and Hank Azaria (February 11 – 16).

All In is produced on Broadway by Seaview and Lorne Michaels with New Yorker Studios. Micah Frank and Caroline Maroney will produce on behalf of Broadway Video.

Sofia Vergara Lending Voice to Illumination’s Animated Film “Despicable Me 4”

It’s a despicable time for Sofia Vergara.

The 51-year-old Colombian actress is starring in Illumination’s Despicable Me 4, the first Despicable Me film in seven years that sees Gru, the supervillain-turned-Anti-Villain League-agent, return with his Minions.

Sofia VergaraFollowing the 2022 summer blockbuster of Illumination’s Minions: The Rise of Gruwhich earned almost $1 billion worldwide, the animated franchise now begins a new chapter as Gru (Steve Carrell) and Lucy (Kristen Wiig) and their girls —Margo (Miranda Cosgrove), Edith (Dana Gaier) and Agnes (Madison Polan)—welcome a new member to the Gru family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad.

Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal (Will Ferrell) and his femme fatale girlfriend Valentina (Vergara), and the family is forced to go on the run.

The film features new characters voiced by Joey King, Stephen Colbert and Chloe Fineman.

Pierre Coffin returns as the iconic voice of the Minions and Steve Coogan returns as Silas Ramsbottom.

Despicable Me 4 is directed by a co-creator of the Minions, Chris Renaud (Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets), and is produced by Illumination’s founder and CEO Chris Meledandri and by Brett Hoffman (executive producer, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Minions: The Rise of Gru).

The film is co-directed by Patrick Delage, and the screenplay is by Mike White and the veteran writer of every Despicable Me film, Ken Daurio.

Sony Lands Global Rights to Ariana DeBose’s Upcoming Film “My Ex-Friend’s Wedding”

It’s a moment of wedding bliss for Ariana DeBose.

Sony has landed global rights to the Sister comedy My Ex-Friend’s Wedding, starring the 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Oscar-winning actress/singer.

Ariana DeBose,To be directed by Kay Cannon, the film is penned by New York Times bestselling author Taylor Jenkins Reid and Ashley Rodger, with revisions by Cannon.

In addition to DeBose, the cast includes Chloe Fineman, Megan Stalter and Amanda Seyfried.

In the film heading into production this summer, four childhood best friends get a drunken voicemail from their former best friend on the eve of her wedding day — confessing that she thinks she’s making a mistake — then setting out to stop her wedding and rekindle the friendship they once shared.

Sister acquired the My Ex-Friend’s Wedding spec script in a competitive situation after it was developed by production and management company, Circle of Confusion.