Jaramillo to Star in FX’s “Sons of Anarchy” Spinoff Pilot “Mayans MC”

Posted on March 1, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a ride or die moment for Antonio Jaramillo.

The Latino actor will co-star opposite JD Pardo in Mayans MC, the Sons of Anarchy spinoff pilot for FX from Kurt Sutter.

Set in the aftermath of Jax Teller’s death at the end of SOA’s seven-season run in 2014, Mayans MC will focus on the struggles of Ezekiel “EZ” Reyes (Pardo), a prospect in the Mayan MC charter on the California/Mexico border. EZ is the gifted son of a proud Latino family, whose American dream was snuffed out by cartel violence. Now, his need for vengeance drives him toward a life he never intended and can never escape.

Jaramillo will play Michael “Riz” Ariza, Vice President of the Mayans MC Santo Padre and former leader of a local Mexican MC that was patched over by the Mayans. He uses his even-tempered charm to mask his mistrust and lingering resentment.

In addition to Pardo, Jaramillo joins previously cast Edward James Olmos, John Ortiz and Clayton Cardenas.

Mayans MC was co-created by Sutter and Elgin James. Sutter is set to executive produce and direct the pilot; James is co-executive producer for Fox 21 Television Studios and FX Productions.

Jaramillo recurred as Jennifer Lopez’s ex on the first season of NBC’s Shades of Blue and also recurred on TNT’s Dallas reboot. In features, he co-starred opposite Demián Bichir in Oliver Stone’s Savages.

First Trailer Released for Rapace’s “Prometheus” Sequel, “Alien: Covenant”

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Noomi Rapace is out of this world again…

After two days of non-stop teasing, the first official trailer for Alien: Covenant, starring the 37-year-old half-Spanish actress, has been released.

While director Ridley Scott technically returned to the Alien franchise with 2012’s Prometheus, that film has only a tangential connection to the main series thanks to some continuity nods and a scene at the end. Covenant however is not, as it picks up where Prometheus left off and (presumably) leads directly to the events of the original Alien.

The story follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, that discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but per usual discoveries it’s actually a dark, dangerous world containing a threat beyond their imagination and, as it happens, the android David (Michael Fassbender), one of the few survivors of the Prometheus mission.

Fassbender, Guy Pearce, and Rapace reprise their Prometheus roles, joined this time out by Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollet, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, and James Franco.

Jack Paglen, Michael Green, and John Logan wrote the script.

Alien: Covenant hits theaters on May 19.

Bichir to Star in the Indie Film “Walden: Life in the Woods”

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Demián Bichir is headed for a life in the Woods…

The 53-year-old Mexican actor and former Oscar nominee has joined the cast Walden: Life in the Woods, an independent film that’s shooting in Colorado.

Directed by Alex Harvey from a script by Adam Chanzit, the film is the reimagining of Henry David Thoreau’s treatise on nature. It interlaces three stories about the trappings of 21st century life and a few unlikely transcendentalists who dream dangerously of escape. The narrative includes stop-motion animation spearheaded by Laura Goldhamer, who also is penning an original score.

The film costars T.J. Miller, Lynn Cohen, Erik Hellman, Tony LoVerde, Chris Sullivan and Jamie Horton.

The film was funded in part by arts philanthropists and investors in the region and landed an incentive package from Colorado’s Office of Film, Television and Media. The Denver Film Society also is sponsoring the indie.

Longoria In Talks to Star in BBC Two’s “Decline and Fall” Project

Posted on June 7, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria is Fall(ing) for her next project…

The 41-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star is in final talks to star opposite British comedy star Jack Whitehall in BBC Two’s high-end adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s classic social satire Decline and Fall.

James Wood is adapting the three-part miniseries, which is set in 1920s Wales.

A bitingly funny satire, Decline And Fall follows the life and times of hapless Paul Pennyfeather (Whitehall), who is sent down from Oxford after a wild, drunken party and finds himself qualifying for the position of schoolmaster at a boys’ private school in Wales. There he meets the delectable Margot Beste-Chetwynde (Longoria), the wealthy, powerful, and beautiful South American woman, who becomes the object of his affections.

Guillem Morales is set to direct. Principal photography is set to commence July 18th for seven weeks in Wales.

Longoria is a Golden Globe-nominated and Screen Actors Guild Award-winning multi-hyphenate. Since breaking through on Desperate Housewives, Longoria has guest starred on Fox’s Brooklyn Nine Nine, Lifetime’s Devious Maids, and starred on NBC’s Telenovela — the latter two of which she also exec produced through her production banner UnbeliEVAble Entertainment.

Longoria also has several upcoming films including the Jason Blum/Brian Grazer produced Lowriders; and Refugio, written and directed by Academy Award-nominee Demian Bichir.

Additionally, Longoria has just secured a guest role on the new Lorne Michaels’ variety series for NBC Maya and Marty.

Longoria’s “Lowriders” to Open This Year’s Los Angeles Film Festival

Posted on April 6, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

This year’s Los Angeles Film Festival will be a low point for Eva Longoria…

Ricardo de Montreuil’s Lowriders, starring the 41-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star, will open the 2016 LA Film Festival, which will take place June 1-9 at ArcLight Cinemas. It will serve as the world premiere of the film.

Set against the backdrop of East LA’s car culture, the film centers on Danny (Gabriel Chavarria), a talented young street artist caught between the lowrider world inhabited by his old-school father and ex-con brother, and the adrenaline-fueled outlet that defines his self-expression.

Along with Longoria and Chavarria, the film also stars Demián Bichir, Melissa Benoist, Theo Rossi and Tony Revolori.

“We are thrilled to open with Lowriders, a culturally vibrant film that explores familial relationships within a second-generation Mexican family in East LA. Made by filmmakers of color, Lowriders embodies our mission of shining the light on unique voices,” said festival director Stephanie Allain.

Festival passes are on sale to members of organizer Film Independent starting today, and will be available to the general public on April 12.

The full lineup will be announced on April 26.

Smollett to Star in Ridley Scott’s “Alien: Covenant”

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

There’s an out of this world opportunity for Jussie Smollett…

The 32-year-old Brazilian American actor/singer has joined the cast of Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant as producers round out the main cast ahead of production, which is now being eyed to start next month.

Smollett joins a list of new additions to the cast that includes Amy Seimetz, Carmen Ejogo and Callie Hernandez. They join previously announced cast members Micahel Fassbender, Katherine Waterston, Demian Bichir and Danny McBride.

Plot details are mostly under wraps for what is the second of the planned three films at 20th Century Fox acting as a prequel trilogy to Scott’s Alien movies. Only Fassbender is confirmed to reprise his character from 2012’s Prometheus; it remains unclear whether Noomi Rapace will return.

Smollett plays Jamal Lyon on Fox’s hit primetime soap Empire, which is in the middle of its second season.

Meanwhile, Hernandez, who starred in Machete Kills, recently wrapped shooting Damien Chazelle’s La La Land at Lionsgate opposite Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone.

Chavarria to Star in 20th Century Fox’s “War of the Planet of the Apes”

Posted on August 25, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriel Chavarria has plenty of reason to go bananas…

The Honduran American actor, who recently signed with Paradigm Talent Agency, is finalizing a deal to be one of two human leads in 20th Century Fox’s War of the Planet of the Apes, the latest installment of the franchise.

Matt Reeves returns to direct, shooting expected to begin in October in Vancouver, Canada.

The film’s sequel, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, grossed $708 million worldwide last year with Reeves at the helm, nearly double the business of the franchise reboot — a major score for Fox and producer Chernin Entertainment.

Chavarria, the young star of Universal Pictures’ upcoming film Low Riders, is the male lead on Hulu’s drama series East Los High.

In Low Riders, from Imagine Entertainment and Blumhouse Productions, he plays an East LA teen immersed in the world of lowrider cars and street tagging while caught between his traditional father (Demian Bichir) and his estranged gangbanger brother, who both are competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.”

His other recent credits include Aquarius, Prime Suspect, Southland and the feature Teacher of The Year.

Uriza to Star in FX’s Drama Pilot “Snowfall”

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Manuel Uriza is preparing for a white Christmas…

The Latino actor has landed a series regular roles on FX’s drama pilot Snowfall.

Co-created and co-written by the Boyz N The Hood director John Singleton and Eric Amadio and directed by Singleton, the series is set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Uriza will portray Manuel Villanueva, a cocaine distributor who makes it clear that working for him means doing “bad things,” but he pays well.

Uriza has starred in numerous Spanish language projects including the telenovela Una Maid en Manhattan, which was based on Jennifer Lopez’s hit film Maid in Manhattan.

He most recently appeared on TNT’s Agent X and had a recurring role on FX’s The Bridge opposite Demian Bichir.

His other credits include Magic City and Burn Notice.

Chavarria Signs with Paradigm Talent Agency

Posted on August 7, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a paradigm shift for Gabriel Chavarria…

The Honduran American actor has signed with the Paradigm Talent Agency.

Chavarria stars in the upcoming Universal Pictures film Low Riders, and he’s the male lead on Hulu’s drama series East Los High.

In the feature from Imagine and Blumhouse, Chavarria plays an East LA teen immersed in the world of lowrider cars and street tagging while caught between his traditional father (Demian Bichir) and his estranged gangbanger brother, who both are competing in the annual lowrider “Supershow.”

Chavarria’s other recent credits also include Aquarius, Prime Suspect, Southland and the feature Teacher of the Year.

The Weinstein Company to Release Bichir’s “The Hateful Eight” on Christmas Day

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Demian Bichir is preparing for a Hateful Christmas…

The Weinstein Company has announced plans to give Quentin Tarantino’s new movie The Hateful Eight, starring the 51-year-old Mexican actor, an exclusive two-week roadshow in 70mm nationwide beginning Christmas Day.

The plan is to follow that with a digital theatrical release on January 8. The Western shoot-em-up is Tarantino’s follow-up to 2012’s Django Unchained, for which he won the Original Screenplay Oscar. That also was released on December 25.

It will mark the widest 70mm release that the industry has seen in more than 20 years, TWC said. Tarantino has been one of the biggest proponents of the format and was part of the filmmaker-led fight to keep the film stock division open at Kodak, which had decided to scrap the unit altogether until it was resurrected in February.

Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen and Bruce Dern also star in the pic.

Bichir portrays Bob, “The Mexican,” in the film.

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