Jesse Garcia to Star in the Eva Longoria-Directed “Flamin’ Hot” Film

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a flamin’ hot time for Jesse Garcia.

The 38-year-old Mexican American actor and former Quinceañera star has landed the lead role in Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot from Searchlight Pictures and Franklin Entertainment.

Garcia will play Richard Montanez, the architect of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, while Annie Gonzalez of Gentefied will portray his wife, Judy.

Flamin’ Hot tells the true life story of Richard Montanez, the Frito Lay janitor who took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the snack that disrupted the food industry and became a pop culture phenomenon.

Desperate Housewives actress and Telenovela, Grand Hotel, and Devious Maids EP Longoria beat out several directors for the job after impressing Franklin and Searchlight with her authentic approach to the project.

“It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically,” said Longoria in a statement. “I am so happy to have two extremely talented and fellow Mexican-Americans on board in these pivotal roles. Jesse and Annie have a deep understanding of our community and will be able to help tell this story of great importance for our culture.”

Also new to Flamin’ Hot is scribe Linda Yvette Chavez who has come aboard for revisions on the Lewis Colick-penned screenplay. Chavez is the creator of Netflix’s Gentefied and she’s also adapting I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter at the streamer for America Ferrera’s upcoming directorial debut.

Garcia appears in the Searchlight Pictures title Under the Same Moon, alongside Kate del Castillo and Ferrera. He has been widely recognized for his role in the highly acclaimed Quinceañera winner of the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. For his performance as Carlos, Garcia was nominated and won the prestigious ALMA Award (American Latino Media Arts) as Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture in 2007. Garcia can also be seen in The Avengers.

Gonzalez is a Chicana actress and East Los Angeles native. She grew up singing with the band Quetzal, (which has been a noted force in the Chicano movement), was one of the original dancers on Jamm X Kids for the WB and has been appearing on TV since the age of 10. She is most known for her roles in Gentefied, Vida, Shameless, and Legion. She was recently cast in the ABC pilot, Bucktown starring opposite Jane Lynch and Nicole Richie. Gonzalez also has a YouTube page with videos dedicated to her thoughts on spirituality, self-love, peace, positivity and living life as a Latina.

Roselyn Sanchez to Star in Fox’s “Fantasy Island” Reboot

Posted on April 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Roselyn Sanchez is livin’ her fantasy…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actress/singer will star in Fantasy Island, Fox’s contemporary reboot of the classic drama series.

Sanchez will portay Elena Roarke, a descendant of the original series’ enigmatic Mr. Roarke, in the project, which received a straight-to-series order and will debut on August 10.

The project hails from writer-producers Liz Craft and Sarah Fain as well as Sony Pictures Television and its Gemstone Studios label, which co-produce with Fox Entertainment.

Fantasy Island is set at a luxury resort, where literally any fantasy requested by guests is fulfilled, although they rarely turn out as expected.

The resort is run by Elena Roarke (Sanchez) who set aside her own ambitions, and even the love of her life, to uphold her family’s legacy. Sophisticated, insightful and always charming, Elena’s calm exterior masks the challenges of the responsibilities she has assumed as steward of this mysterious island.

Sanchez joins previously cast series regular Kiara Barnes and heavily recurring John Gabriel Rodriquez. The reboot is keeping the semi-anthological format of the original Fantasy Island with three main characters played by Sanchez, Barnes and Rodriquez, who live/work on the island and new guests arriving in every episode.

The original 1977 series, created by Gene Levitt and executive produced by Aaron Spelling and Leonard Goldberg, starred Ricardo Montalbán as Mr. Roarke and Hervé Villechaize as his assistant Tattoo as they grant guests so-called “fantasies” on the island for a price.

The original Fantasy Island series and the 1998 reboot starring Malcolm McDowell as Mr. Roarke, will begin streaming on Fox Entertainment’s free-streaming platform, Tubi, on May 1.

On the new series, alongside Sanchez’s Elena Roarke, Barnes plays Ruby Okoro, a young woman with an old soul who arrives on Fantasy Island with a terminal illness, and is given a new lease on life there; Rodriquez plays pilot Javier, who also is the head of island transportation and a jack of all trades. There is no direct version of the Tattoo character in the reboot.

The Fantasy Island reimagining, written and executive produced by Craft and Fain, delves into the “what if” questions that keep us awake at night. Each episode will tell emotional, provocative stories about people who walk in with a desire but end up reborn to themselves through the magical realism of Fantasy Island.

Sanchez, whose major English-language television credits include lead roles in Without a Trace, Devious Maids and Grand Hotel, has been nominated for an ALMA Award six times, winning in 2008 for Without a Trace.

Eva Longoria to Direct & Executive Produce HBO Max’s “The Gordita Chronicles” Pilot

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria has lined up her next directorial project…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actress/producer will direct and executive produce The Gordita Chronicles pilot at HBO Max.

The single-camera family comedy hails from Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television, where Berman’s Osprey Prods is under a deal.

Written by Claudia Forestier, The Gordita Chronicles centers on a willful, chubby, 12-year-old Dominican who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American Dream.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures.

Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Longoria will be making her film directorial debut with Searchlight’s Flamin’ Hot, an inspiring biopic about the janitor turned executive who created the flaming hot Cheetos snack. She’ll also direct the workplace comedy 24/7 and star alongside Kerry Washington for Universal and direct the action comedy Spa Day for Sony.

The former Desperate Housewives star made her television directing debut on Devious Maids in 2014. Her television producing/directing credits also include ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Versus, and episodes of Black-ish, The Mick and Telenovela.

Longoria made her pilot directing debut with the CW’s Glorious.

Roselyn Sánchez Cast in Peacock’s Upcoming Dramedy Series “Armas De Mujer”

Posted on February 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Roselyn Sánchez is armed and ready…

The 47-year-old Puerto Rican actress, singer/songwriter and producer has been cast in Peacock’s upcoming dramedy series Armas De Mujer.

Sanchez, who starred in Devious Maids and Grand Hotel, joins a roster of newcomers that includes Sylvia Sáenz and Jeimy Osorio.

They join previously announced Kate del Castillo in the series set for premiere later this year.

Armas De Mujer hails from the team behind Telmundo’s hit La Reina del Sur, which stars del Castillo.

Created by José Luis Acosta, in Armas De Mujer, four women suffer their worst nightmare after the police arrest their husbands for being linked to the same criminal organization. Accustomed to a life of abundance, they will now need to join forces in the most unusual manner.

del Castillo stars as Ángela, the wife of the cartel’s accountant and the fortuitous leader of the group of women who have gone from being care-free wives living in luxurious homes, to using all the weapons at their disposal just to survive.

Sánchez portrays Sofía, the tough wife to the cartel’s assassin. Sáenz plays Viri, wife to one of the top chiefs in the hierarchy of the cartel. Osorio is Esme, the independent and courageous wife to the head of the cartel’s assassins.

Armas De Mujer is produced by Telemundo Global Studios. The series is directed by Enrique Begné and Claudia Pedraza.

Edy Ganem to Star in the Indie Action Thriller “Free Dead or Alive”

Posted on February 11, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Edy Ganem’s schedule is Free-ing up…

The 37-year-old Mexican-Lebanese actress will star opposite Seth Michaels and 50-year-old Venezuelan actress and model Patricia Velasquez in Free Dead or Alive, an indie action thriller written, produced and directed by Erik Bernard.

The film follows Eva (Ganem), a beautiful strong-willed young woman who enters a journey to escape her mother’s (Velasquez) arranged marriage to the region’s most dangerous cartel. Her defiance sets off a chain of events that threatens her life. Surviving will require the skills of Dragon (Michaels), a coyote that can protect her during her quest throughout the dangerous world of cross-border cartels who are the law of the lands.

Robert LaSardo, Robert Avellanet, Jonathan Joss, and Al Coronel will co-star. Courtney LeMarco will serve as executive producer.

Ganem’s previous credits include Devious Maids, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, The Cleveland Show and Rob.

Velasquez’s previous credits include The Mummy, Saint Bernard and The Curse of La Llorona.

Gloria Calderón Kellett Appointed to Television Academy’s Executive Committee

Posted on January 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Calderón Kellett is joining the Television Academy’s executive committee…

The 45-year-old Latina television writer, creator and One Day at a Time executive producer is among the six new appointees to organization’s executive committee, as chosen by the organization’s chairman and CEO, Frank Scherma.

Calderón Kellett is joined by Issa Rae, Rob Mills, Anonymous Content’s Dawn Olmstead, Amazon Studios’ Vernon Sanders and Apple TV Plus’ Zack Van Amburg.

“We are thrilled to be able to leverage the collective expertise of this talented group of Television innovators as we navigate this extraordinary time in the history of our industry,” Scherma said. “Their leadership provides invaluable insight that will allow the Academy to play an integral role in shaping the evolution of the medium.”

The six appointees will work closely with the Television Academy’s officers and board of governors to develop and guide the direction of the Academy for the 2021 term, the organization said.

Here’s more on Scherma’s new executive committee members:

Gloria Calderón Kellett: Executive producer, co-creator, co-showrunner, director and actress on One Day at a Time. Other credits as a writer/producer include Devious Maids, Rules of Engagement and How I Met Your Mother. She also directed episodes of Mr. Iglesias, Merry Happy Whatever, United We Fall and the Mad About You revival; and recently sold her first feature film, We Were There Too.

Robert Mills: Senior vice president, alternative series, specials and late-night programming, ABC Entertainment. Mills oversees development, current production and specials for ABC, with shows such as “American Idol,” “Shark Tank,” “The Bachelor” franchise, “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” He also handles late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and the “Fun & Games” programming block.

Dawn Olmstead: Recently named CEO and partner of Anonymous Content. Prior to that, she served as president of Universal Content Productions, overseeing all creative and business operations of scripted and non-scripted content for the studio.

Issa Rae: Actress, writer and producer. She created and stars in HBO’s “Insecure,” for which she has received multiple Emmy and Golden Globe nominations. Rae’s film credits include “The Hate U Give,” “The Lovebirds” and “Coastal Elites.”

Vernon Sanders: Co-Head of Television at Amazon Studios. Sanders oversees scripted and unscripted original programming produced for Prime Video and IMDb TV alongside Albert Cheng, including “Fleabag,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” and “The Boys.” Prior to Amazon, Sanders served as executive vice president, current programming for NBC.

Zack Van Amburg: Chief content officer and head of worldwide video for Apple TV Plus. Van Amburg oversees all aspects of strategy for video programming globally including the launch of the platform. Prior to Apple, he served as president of Sony Pictures Television.

Meanwhile also elected to the Academy’s board of governors as representatives on the executive committee for the 2021 term: Eva Basler, daytime programming; Kim Coleman, casting directors; Nicole Marostica, public relations; and Lois Vossen, documentary programming.

Cris Abrego, Chairman of the Americas, Banijay, and President and CEO, Endemol Shine Holdings, who was recently elected to serve a two-year term as the Television Academy foundation chair, will also serve on the Television Academy’s executive committee.

Tanya Saracho Signs Development Deal with UCP

Posted on August 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Things are developing nicely for Tanya Saracho…

The Mexican screenwriterand Vida creator has signed a development deal with UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

As part of the deal, Saracho will develop and create original content for television, as well as podcasts via the studio’s UCP Audio extension. She’ll also establish a lab and incubator program for Latinx voices.

“To say that I’m immensely enthusiastic about this union is not enough. This partnership with UCP is a vital opportunity to keep amplifying the voices and stories that matter to me – those brown, queer narratives which have been missing from the landscape, and which are so important to tell,” said Saracho.

“I’m also elated and looking forward to establishing a lab and incubator program aimed to nurture, amplify and empower intersectional Latinx voices,” Saracho added. “And on a personal level, it is greatly gratifying to find a home where I already feel so seen and supported.”

Saracho most recently served as creator, showrunner, and executive producer of Starz’s critically-acclaimed Vida, which aired its third and final season this spring. The series featured all Latinx directors in season one, and all Latina directors in seasons two and three, including Saracho, who made her television directorial debut last year. The series had an all-Latinx writers room for seasons one and two, and in season three, the room was composed of all Latina writers.

Vida won the GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and was also honored by the National Hispanic Media Coalition with the 2019 Impact Award. The series won the Audience Award at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival and made its season two premiere as an Official Selection of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

“Tanya came on the scene like a comet with such a strong point of view and a drive to tell culturally diverse stories that push boundaries and open our imaginations. Oh, the places we will go with Tanya’s deep curiosity, experience, commitment, enthusiasm, joy and fervor to tell the diverse stories we haven’t explored on television yet. We are such fans of her work on Vida and are thrilled to partner with her,” said Dawn Olmstead, president, UCP.

“One of our goals at Universal Studio Group is to provide access through on the job training and opportunities to empower the next generation of culturally diverse storytellers. Tanya’s program fully embodies that intention and we look forward to supporting her as she mentors aspiring Latinx writers,” said Bonnie Hammer, chairman, Universal Studio Group. “This is the first of many programs we will be backing across our three studios.”

Saracho was recently honored by the LGBTQ California Legislative Caucus as their 2020 Pride Month Honoree. She received the Rising Star Award at the Outfest Legacy Awards, and was awarded the New Voice Award by Final Draft.

She’s the founder of Teatro Luna, the first all-Latina theatre company in the country, as well as the founder of ALTA (Alliance of Latino Theatre Artists).

Saracho’s other television writing/producing credits include Devious Maids, Looking and How to Get Away with Murder.

Dania Ramirez to Star in Netflix’s DC Vertigo Comic-Based Series “Sweet Tooth”

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Dania Ramirez has landed a Sweet role…

The 40-year-old Dominican actress and Devious Maids star will star in Sweet Tooth, Netflix’s new drama series based on the DC Vertigo comic.

Ramirez will be part of the series’ core cast of series regulars, which includes Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie and Adeel Akhtar. Will Forte has a recurring role, while James Brolin serves as the series’ narrator.

The eight-episode Sweet Tooth follows the adventures of Gus (Convery) — part deer, part boy — who leaves his home in the forest to find the outside world ravaged by a cataclysmic event. He joins a ragtag family of humans and animal-children hybrids like himself in search of answers about this new world and the mystery behind his hybrid origins.

Ramirez will reportedly play Aimee, a pioneer in the middle of dystopic America, a lone scavenger in an abandoned city, rebuilding a sustainable habitat and giving orphaned hybrids a home.

The project hails from Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey, Jim Mickle, Beth Schwartz and Warner Bros. Television.

Along with fellow new Netflix series Cowboy Bebop, Sweet Tooth was among of a handful of Hollywood television series and movies to be granted border exemptions by the New Zealand government several weeks ago, a crucial step for any overseas production to be able to film in the country, which has largely eradicated COVID-19.

The tentative plan is for the cast to travel to New Zealand in August, where they’ll self-isolate for two weeks ahead of a potential September 7 start of production, according to Deadline.com.

Ramirez can currently be seen as one of the leads in the first season of Kevin Williamson’s CBS All Access anthology drama series Tell Me a Story, airing on the CW.

She previously starred on Marc Cherry’s Lifetime series Devious Maids and had major roles on ABC’s Once Upon a Time and NBC’s Heroes.

Carolina Rivera Signs Deals with Verve and Netflix

Posted on July 28, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carolina Rivera has a new deal…

The Mexican screenwriter and producer has signed with Verve and entered an overall deal at Netflix.

Under the Netflix agreement, Rivera will serve as the executive producer of the television series Madre Solo Hay Dos, which she created.

Rivera is the co-executive producer of the CW’s sci-fi drama Roswell: New Mexico, which recently wrapped.

She also worked on Jane the Virgin.

Marc Cherry’s production company purchased Rivera’s “Ellas son… la alegría del hogar,”which was originally created for Televisa. The series was the basis for Cherry’s Lifetime series Devious Maids, starring Roselyn Sanchez.

Rivera studied screenwriting at the UCLA Extension Writers Program and wrote her first feature Cilantro y Perejil, which went on to win three Ariel Awards— Mexico’s equivalent of the Oscars— for Best Original Screenplay, Best Story and Best Original Song. Cilantro y Perejil made history in the Mexican film industry as the first Mexican title to be screened at commercial movie theaters throughout the country.

Her writing credits include more than 15 feature films. In 2005, Rivera received the Motion Picture Association Award for Best Hispanic Screenplay for her screenplay Enemigos Íntimos.

In addition, she worked as head writer for the serial telenovela Lucho en Familia and worked on Amor Cautivo. She headed the children’s television development team at Channel 11, Latin America’s largest public television network. While there, she created and served as head writer for Bizbirije and El Divan de Valentina.She has also served as an International Emmy AwardsJuror for Dramatic Series and TV movies.

Dania Ramirez to Star in Sony’s “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” Sequel

Posted on March 6, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Dania Ramirez is headed for the jungle…

The 39-year-old Dominican actress and former Devious Maidsstar has landed a role in Sony’s sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which is being directed and co-written by Jake Kasdan.

Ramirez joins a cast that includes members Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillanand Nick Jonas, as well as new additions Awkwafina, Danny DeVitoand Danny Glover.

Plot details are being kept under wraps.

In addition to her lead role on Lifetime’sDevious Maids, Ramirez previously starred on television in ABC’s Once Upon a Timeand NBC’s Heroes.

Her film credits include X-Men: The Last Stand and Premium Rush.

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