Ketchup Entertainment Releases Trailer for Robert Rodriguez-Directed Thriller “Hypnotic”

Posted on April 5, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez is hypnotizing audiences…

Ketchup Entertainment has released the trailer for Hypnotic, the thriller directed by 54-year-old Mexican American filmmaker.

The film, which stars Ben Affleck, will open in theaters on May 12 release.

The film is coming off a work-in-progress screening last month at SXSW.

Ketchup Entertainment acquired the U.S. rights to the big-budget film earlier this year; the project, which went into production in late 2021 after several pandemic delays and a lawsuit, saw its original financier and U.S. distributor Solstice Studios shut down. Now it will be released via Ketchup on more than 2,000 screens, helped by several former Solstice executives who will assist in getting the film over the finish line.

The feature centers on a detective (Affleck) who finds himself spiraling down a rabbit hole while investigating a series of reality-bending crimes mysteriously connected to his missing daughter. Aided by a gifted psychic (Alice Braga), he is pursued by a lethal specter (William Fichtner) who he believes holds the key to finding his daughter.

JD Pardo, Hala Finley, Dayo Okeniyi, Jeff Fahey and Jackie Earle Haley also star.

JD Pardo to Star in Robert Rodriguez’s Action-Thriller “Hypnotic”

Posted on October 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a hypnotic time for JD Pardo…

The 41-year-old Argentine Salvadoran American actor will star in Robert Rodriguez’s action-thriller Hypnotic, alongside Ben Affleck, Alice Braga, Dayo Okeniyi, William Fichtner and Hala Finley.

Currently filming in Texas, Hypnotic follows a detective (Affleck) who becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter (Finley) and a secret government program – while investigating a string of impossible high-end crimes.

Rodriguez and Max Borenstein wrote the film.

Pardo recently had a cameo as character Jack Toretto in Universal’s blockbuster hit F9: The Fast Saga and he’ll next be seen in STX’s Violence of Action alongside Chris Pine and Ben Foster.

He recently wrapped work on Amazon’s conspiracy-thriller series The Terminal List opposite Chris Pratt. Earlier this week he was awarded the Imagen Award for Best Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of EZ Reyes in FX’s hit show Mayans M.C. which has been picked up for a fourth season.

Tessa Thompson to Star In & Produce the QCode Podcast “The Left Right Game”

Posted on December 17, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Tessa Thompson is getting in the game…

The 36-year-old half-Afro-Panamanian and part-Mexican American actress will star in and produce podcast The Left Right Game, the latest fiction pod from QCode.

The cast will also include W. Earl Brown, Aml Ameen, Dayo Okeniyi, Inanna Sarkis, Colleen Camp, Robin Bartlett, John Billingsley, Jojo T Gibbs, Brian Greenberg and Pat Healy.

Thompson plays Alice, an idealistic young journalist who tries to make a name for herself at a new job by following a group of paranormal explorers, obsessed with a seemingly harmless pastime known as the Left/Right Game. The journey takes her into a supernatural otherworld that she and the other members of the expedition cannot handle or survive.

The podcast, which is in post-production, was created by Jack Anderson and is based on his original Internet blog of the same name.

The 10-episode series will premiere in a longer format than QCode’s past projects, with episodes ranging from 40-45 minutes. They will be available on Apple, Spotify and other podcast platforms in February 2020.

“With sequels and remakes continuing to be such a big media focus, there is a clear gap in the market for original storytelling. We are excited to be partnering with brilliant filmmakers, actors, and sound teams to create fresh, original stories for your ears,” said former CAA agent Herting, president of QCode.

Thompson’s upcoming projects include the third season of Westworld, the Disney reboot Lady and the Tramp and Rebecca Hall’sdirectorial debut Passing.

NBC Renews Lopez’s “Shades of Blue” for Third Season

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more Blue in Jennifer Lopez’s future…

NBC has renewed Shades of Blue, starring the 47-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer and Ray Liotta, for a third season.

The announcement comes only two weeks into the police corruption drama’s sophomore run.

Shades of Blue has done okay relocating from Thursday to Sunday, wining its new Sunday 10:00 pm slot. It averages a modest 5.0 million viewers and 1.0 among adults 18-49 in Live+same day, though, in today’s day and age, these are considered solid linear numbers for a serialized 10:00 pm broadcast drama series.

Shades of Blue is boosted by a strong delayed viewing. It adds substantial viewership from time-shifting and video on demand, with the show’s March 5 season premiere growing by 66% in L+3 to a 1.6 rating in adults 18-49, and in total viewers by 2.5 million persons to a total of 7.8 million, accounting for the biggest L+3 lifts of the night on the Big 4 networks.

“We’re so hugely appreciative of everything Jennifer and Ray do, and know it is due to their dedication, as well as the hard work of our incredible cast and producers, that ‘Shades of Blue’ has so clearly and compellingly earned a third-season renewal,” said NBC’s president of entertainment Salke said. “This show continues to mine powerful stories that always leave us hungry for more.”

Harlee Santos (Lopez) is a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Liotta) who often leads the team to step outside the limitations of the law in order to effectively protect their precinct and their own.

The cast of the series, created by Adi Hasak, includes Drea de Matteo, Dayo Okeniyi, Vincent Laresca, Hampton Fluker, Sarah Jeffery and Gino Anthony Pesi.

Showrunner Jack Orman and Lopez serve as executive producers along with Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass.

Shades of Blue is a production of Universal Television, Nuyorican Productions, EGTV, Ryan Seacrest Productions and Jack Orman Productions.

Lopez’s Police Drama “Shades of Blue” to Premiere in January on NBC

Posted on October 29, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez will be feeling blue in January…

NBC has announced the premiere date for Shades of Blue, starring the 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge.

The straight-to-series police drama, which also stars Ray Liotta, will debut on Thursday, January 14 at 9:00 pm with a two-hour premiere episode directed by Barry Levinson.

The show will then move to its regular 10:00 pm timeslot behind The Blacklist the following Thursday, January 21.

There, Shades Of Blue will succeed new fall drama The Player.

“From a marketing perspective, the January 14 date takes advantage of both solid Sunday Night Football games and strong holiday programming through the first week of January,” is how NBC’s head of scheduling Jeff Bader explains the rationale behind the premiere date choice. “Also, in one of the most-watched weekends of the year (January 9-10), we have the NFL Wild Card game and Golden Globes, both of which make for great promotional opportunities.”

Shades Of Blue centers on Harlee Santos (Lopez), a charismatic single mother and resourceful detective at the heart of a tight-knit crew of Brooklyn detectives, led by enigmatic Lt. Matt Wozniak (Liotta) who often leads the team to step outside the limitations of the law in order to effectively protect their precinct and their own. As a big illegal job looms on the horizon, the FBI catches Harlee in the act and pits her against her own unit. As a newly turned informant, Harlee struggles to safeguard her on-the-job family and avoid arrest in order to stay with her daughter.

The series co-stars Warren Kole, Drea de Matteo, Dayo Okeniyi, Vincent Laresca, Hampton Fluker and Sarah Jeffery.

It is executive produced by Jack Orman, Adi Hasak, Lopez, Elaine Goldsmith-Thomas, Benny Medina, Ryan Seacrest and Nina Wass.

Bichir to Star Opposite Mateo Arias in the Teen Coming-of-Age Comedy “Good Kids”

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Demián Bichir has landed a good role…

The 51-year-old Mexican actor has landed a role in in the teen coming-of-age comedy Good Kids.

Bichir, the star of FX’s border drama series The Bridge, will star opposite Ashley Judd, Nicholas Braun, Zoey Deutch, Israel Broussard and Mateo Arias in the teen coming-of-age comedy for Voltage Pictures.

The story follows four overachieving high school students living on Cape Cod who, upon graduation, realize that they’ve missed out on key life experiences by always being the “good kids.” They decide to completely reinvent themselves when the summer kids show up, in order to truly enjoy their last time together before college.

Bichir, who earned an Oscar nomination for his performance in A Better Life, will play the senior tennis coach at a local club. Judd will play a beautiful Cape Cod tennis wife.

Also joining the cast are Dayo Okeniyi, Julia Garner and Ginny Gardner.

Chris McCoy wrote the 2011 Black List script and is making his directorial debut on the film.

Produced by Depth of Field, Good Kids is currently shooting in Massachusetts.

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