Fabrizio Guido to Appear on Season Two of HBO’s Detective Noir Series “Perry Mason”

Fabrizio Guido is headed to court…

The 22-year-old predominantly Mexican American actor has landed a recurring role on the second season of HBO’s four-time Emmy-nominated detective noir series Perry Mason.

Fabrizio Guido

Guido is part of a list of new recurring cast members that includes Hope DavisJon ChaffinPeter MendozaOnohoua Rodriguez and Jee Young Han.

Meanwhile Katherine Waterston has come aboard as a series regular, while Diarra Kilpatrick who played Clara Drake in Season 1, has been upped to series regular.

Season 2 of Perry Mason takes place months after the end of the Dodson trial. Perry (Matthew Rhys) has moved off the farm, ditched the milk truck, he’s even traded his leather jacket for a pressed suit. It’s the worst year of the Depression, and Perry and Della (Juliet Rylance) have set the firm on a safer path pursuing civil cases instead of the tumultuous work criminal cases entail. Unfortunately, there isn’t much work for Paul (Chris Chalk) in wills and contracts, so he’s been out on his own. An open-and-closed case overtakes the city of Los Angeles, and Perry’s pursuit of justice reveals that not everything is always as it seems.

Meanwhile, Kilpatrick’s Clara has a new baby on her hands and has moved in with her brother’s family. She can feel the walls closing in, though she has her husband’s back amidst increasingly challenging dynamics at home.

Guido is set as Rafael Gallardo, who despite coming from a farming family is a talented artist with the heart of a poet. He, alongside his brother, is standing trial and facing execution, and the odds couldn’t be more stacked against him.

Mendoza plays Mateo Gallardo. With his brother, he must come to terms with the encroaching possibility of his execution after he’s accused of murder.

Rodriguez is Luisa Gallardo, Rafael and Mateo’s aunt. Luisa is determined to get her nephews out of this hellhole of a bind. Fearing the court of public opinion will overshadow a fair trial, Luisa seeks out the help of a more caring attorney than the public defender they were assigned.

 

Fox Renews Morena Baccarin’s “Gotham” for Fourth Season

Morena Baccarin is staying in Gotham for another year…

Fox has renewed its flagship drama Gotham, starring the 37-year-old Brazilian American actress, for a fourth season.

Morena Baccarin

Based on characters from DC Comics, the Batman prequel is executive produced by Bruno Heller, who developed the series, Danny Cannon and John Stephens.

In addition to Baccarin, who portrays Leslie Thompkins, the series’ large ensemble cast includes Ben McKenzie, Donal LogueDavid MazouzSean Pertwee, Robin Lord TaylorErin RichardsCamren BicondovaCory Michael SmithJessica LucasChris ChalkDrew PowellMaggie GehaBenedict Samuel and Michael Chiklis.

Alonso Starring in Kathryn Bigelow’s Detroit-Themed Crime Drama Project

Laz Alonso has a Motor City state of mind…

The 42-year-old Afro-Cuban American actor is starring in Kathryn Bigelow’s crime drama Untitled Detroit Project.

Laz Alonso

The film is set against the backdrop of Detroit’s 1967 riots and explores systemic racism in urban Detroit.

In addition to Alonso, the film also stars Jeremy Strong, Chris Chalk, Austin Hébert, Ephraim Sykes, Nathan Davis Jr., Malcolm David Kelley, Peyton Alex Smith and Leon Thomas III.

The crime drama, now in production, was penned by Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty scribe Mark Boal.

WGN America to Premiere Smollett-Bell’s “Underground” in March

Jurnee Smollett-Bell is heading Underground this coming March.

WGN America will premiere its Underground Railroad thriller Underground, starring the 29-year-old Brazilian American actress, on Wednesday, March 9.

Jurnee Smollett-Bell in Underground

The network has released the first two trailers (see below) for the 10-episode series starring Smollett-Bell as Rosalee.

From creators Misha Green and Joe Pokaski and executive producer John Legend, the series follows a courageous blacksmith who covertly organizes a small group of his fellow slaves and pieces together a daring plan of escape across hundreds of miles to freedom.

The cast also includes Christopher Meloni, Alano Miller, ‎Jessica de Gouw, Marc Blucas, ‎Adina Porter, Mykelti Williamson, ‎Amirah Vann, Johnny Ray Gill, Chris Chalk, Reed Diamond, Theodus Crane, Renwick Scott and Jussie Smollett.

Anthony Hemingway directs and serves as executive producer for the first four episodes.

Underground is produced by Sony Pictures Television and Tribune Studios.

Samuel Goldwyn Films Acquires North American Rights to Lopez’s “Lila and Eve”

Jennifer Lopez is a Goldwyn girl… of sorts.

Samuel Goldwyn Films has acquired the North American distribution rights to the 45-year-old Puerto Rican singer-actress and American Idol judge’s latest film Lila and Eve.

Jennifer Lopez

The Charles Stone III-directed drama, which co-stars Viola Davis, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Davis plays a grief stricken mother who, in the aftermath of her son’s drive by shooting murder, bonds with a woman (Lopez) who lost her daughter. Fed up with the futility of the justice system, they become vigilantes who go on a killing spree, working through the chain of drug dealers who killed the young man.

Shea Whigham, Julius Tennon, Chris Chalk and Andre Royo also star.

The film will be released later this year.