Eduardo Cisneros Signs with Independent Artist Group

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Eduardo Cisneros has new representation…

Independent Artist Group has signed the 46-year-old Mexican writer and producer, who is the co-creator of Apple TV+’s Eugenio Derbez-starrer Acapulco and co-writer of Focus Features’ comedy Half Brothers, for representation.

Cisneros also serves as executive producer and writer of Acapulco, a comedy series now in its third season, which has been a critical success, with an average audience score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, winning the Imagen Award for Best Primetime Comedy, as well as earning nominations at the Critics’ Choice Awards and the HCA Television Awards.

Cisneros teamed up with his Acapulco creative partner and frequent collaborator Jason Shuman to script Half Brothers, which became a Top 10 hit around the world when it was released on Netflix last year.

The duo’s production company Raqmar recently wrapped up a multi-year first look feature deal at Sony.

Development projects emerging from that deal include Telenovela, which Cisneros is writing to direct with Montecito producing, and The Big Day, which Shuman and Cisneros are co-writing and producing.

Outside of that deal, the pair wrote a reboot of the sci-fi comedy Short Circuit for Spyglass and are developing a series project with Warner Bros. Television.

Cisneros’s other work as a producer includes the drama To Leslie, which brought star Andrea Riseborough her first Academy Award nomination, and the critical darling The Obituary of Tunde Johnson, which premiered at TIFF in 2019.

Currently, he’s working on his feature directorial debut, The Resurrectionist, as well as the short Bespoke, which will shoot in Amsterdam in May.

The creative’s career started at a young age in his native Mexico, where he would go on to co-create two of the most successful Spanish-language television comedy shows of recent years: XHDRBZ and La familia P. Luche.

Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, he’s on the advisory board of the Los Angeles Academy of Arts and Enterprise and is a founding member of LA Clubhouse, a professional organization devoted to empowering film and television writers of LGBTQIA+ Latinx background.

Apple TV+ Renews Enrique Arrizon’s Bilingual Comedy Series “Acapulco” for Second Season

Posted on March 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Arrizon isn’t leaving Las Colinas anytime soon…

Apple TV+ has renewed its bilingual comedy series Acapulco, starring the 28-year-old Mexican actor, for a second season.

Production will begin this spring with a return to Mexico.

Executive produced by Eugenio Derbez, Acapulco tells the story of twenty-something Máximo Gallardo (Arrizon), whose dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime as a cabana boy at the hottest resort in Acapulco.

Season two picks up right on the heels of season one. In 1985, Máximo must contend with upheaval at the resort, unexpected problems at home, and a new love interest who just might rival the girl of his dreams.

In the present day, Older Máximo (Derbez, who also narrates the series) arrives in Acapulco, where he encounters various people from his past — for better and worse.

The cast also includes Fernando Carsa, Damián Alcázar, Camila Perez, Chord Overstreet, Vanessa Bauche, Regina Reynoso, Raphael Alejandro, Jessica Collins, Rafael Cebrián, Regina Orozco and Carlos Corona.

Lionsgate Television, 3Pas Studios, and The Tannenbaum Company produce the Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros, and Jason Shuman created series. Chris Harris serves as showrunner.

Jay Karas serves as an executive producer and director.

Camila Perez to Star Opposite Eugenio Derbez in Apple TV+’s Bilingual Comedy Series “Acapulco”

Posted on March 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Perez is headed south of the border…

The Colombian actress will star opposite Eugenio Derbez in Acapulco, Apple TV+’s bilingual comedy series inspired by 3Pas Studios and Pantelion Films’ 2017 Derbez starrer How to Be a Latin Lover.

Perez joins a list of cast newcomers that includes Enrique Arrizon, Damian Alcázar and Raphael Alejandro.

Richard Shepard will direct the pilot episode for Lionsgate Television.

Created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman, Acapulco is a half-hour Spanish- and English-language comedy that centers on Maximo (Arrizon), a young Mexican man whose dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime at the hottest resort in Acapulco. But soon he realizes that the gig is far more complicated than he ever imagined as all of his beliefs and morals start to be questioned.

The series takes place in 1984, with Derbez narrating and playing the present-day version of the main character.

Also reprising his role from the movie is Alejandro, who plays Hugo, Older Maximo’s nephew.

Alcázar joins the cast as Don Pablo, the head of operations at the Acapulco resort. Perez will play Julia, the resort’s front desk receptionist.

Perez’s credits include Gotham and A Teacher.

Arrizon’s credits also include An Unknown Enemy.

Alcázar has been seen in The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and The Perfect Dictatorship.

Alejandro starred on Once Upon A Time.

AppleTV+ GIves Series Order to Eugenio Derbez-Starrer “Acapulco,” Inspired By His “How to Be A Latin Lover” Film

Posted on December 1, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez has found the Apple(TV) of his eye…

AppleTV+ has given a series order to Acapulco, a Spanish and English-language half-hour comedy executive produced and starring the 59-year-old Mexican actor, comedian and filmmaker.

The project is inspired by Derbez’s hit 2017 feature comedy How to Be A Latin Lover.

Acapulco hails from Lionsgate Television, studio-based The Tannenbaum Company, as well as Derbez and Benjamin Odell’s 3Pas Studios.

Created by Austin Winsberg, Eduardo Cisneros and Jason Shuman, Acapulcocenters on a young Mexican man, who’s dream comes true when he gets the job of a lifetime at the hottest resort in Acapulco. But he soon realizes the job is far more complicated than he ever imagined as all of his beliefs and morals start to be questioned. The show takes place in 1984 with Derbez narrating and playing the present-day version of the main character.

InHow to Be a Latin Lover,produced by 3Pas Studios and distributed by Pantelion Films, Lionsgate’s venture with Televisa, an out-of-shape former gigolo (Derbez) is left to fend for himself after the rich older woman he’d married 25 years ago dumps him for a younger man.

Gaz Alazraki will direct and executive produce the pilot.

Derbez’s feature film Instructions Not Included, which he directed, co-wrote and starred in, became the most successful Spanish language film in the U.S. and worldwide, grossing more than $100 million worldwide. Cisneros served as an associate producer on the movie.

Luis Gerardo Méndez Signs with William Morris Endeavor

Posted on August 16, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Gerardo Méndez has new representation in Hollywood…

The 37-year-old Mexican actor and producer, on the rise after starring in and executive producing Netflix’s first Spanish-language original series Club de Cuervos and stealing scenes in the streamer’s Adam Sandler–Jennifer Aniston film Murder Mystery, has signed with William Morris Endeavor (WME).

The move comes as Méndez shoots the Focus Features film Half Brothers.The comedy, which he developed with co-writersEduardo Cisneros, Jason Shumanand director Luke Greenfield, revolves around two very different half-brothers (Méndez and Connor Del Rio) forced on a road trip together masterminded by their ailing father, tracing the path their dad took as an immigrant from Mexico to the U.S.

Méndez also will appear in Sony’s Charlie’s Angels reboot, which hits theaters on November 15.

His previous film credits in Mexico include the Netflix boxing drama Bayoneta and the Warner Bros. comedy The Noble Family, which grossed $26 million there in 2013. He also co-starred in the 2014 biographical film Cantinflas, which became the highest-grossing foreign-language film in the U.S. that year.

Club de Cuervos’ fourth and final season hit the streamer in January.

Méndez continues to be repped by manager Kenny Goodman at Goodmanagementand attorney Rick Genow.

Fox Developing Latino-Themed Romeo and Juliet Project

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like William Shakespeare’s tragedy Romeo and Juliet is getting a Latin makeover…

Fox, showing commitment to getting a Latino drama series off the ground, is looking at an untitled project written/executive produced by Mexican writer-producer Eduardo Cisneros (Instructions Not Included) and Jason Shuman (Role Models, Lone Survivor).

From 20th Century Fox Television, it’s described as a modern Romeo and Juliet tale set against the backdrop of Los Angeles’ new Latino wealth in the music and radio industry.

Fox recently took a stab at a Latino-themed Urban Cowboy remake, which did not go beyond the pilot stage.

Romeo and Juliet has been a popular classic concept for the networks to exploit. This development season, ABC has Still Star-Crossed, a Romeo And Juliet sequel drama based on a book from Scandal co-executive producer Heather Mitchell.

Derbez Signs First Look Deal with Universal Television

Posted on November 20, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is ready to crossover into English-language television.

The 54-year-old Mexican comedian, writer and director and his 3Pas producing partner Ben Odell have signed a first-look deal with Universal Television and sold their first two English-language comedies.

Derbez may be best known for Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film of all time, but he got his start in television.

The UTV deal marks Derbez’s first season developing English-language television, though both he and Odell have experience in the Spanish-language market.

Early in his career, Odell created and wrote some of Colombia’s highest-rated series; Derbez wrote, produced, directed and starred in numerous Spanish-language comedies and dramas for Televisa.

Derbez’s series, which have aired on Univision, have helped him amass a major stateside following that includes nearly 18 million fans on Facebook and Twitter.

As part of their stateside push, ABC is developing single-camera comedy Don’t Judge Me, which is inspired by Derbez’s life and revolves around Ignacio Galves, who is raising three kids with three ex-wives in a story of a man caught between his parenting style, pleasing the mothers of the kids and making room for the new woman in his life. Derbez will exec produce the comedy, which will be written by Aseem Batra and Eduardo Cisneros. Cisneros, who will reunite with frequent collaborator Derbez on the comedy, will co-exec produce.

NBC, meanwhile, has picked up script The Great Brown Hope, a single-camera comedy created by Isaac Gonzalez (Bordertown). The comedy centers on Nick, who after he’s kicked out of UCLA following a legendary semester, moves back home with his smothering, working-class — and very disappointed — Mexican family in Logan Heights, San Diego.

Gonzalez will also be credited as a co-EP on the comedy, which is also exec produced by Derbez and Odell.

Both projects hail from Universal Television.

The comedies come as diversity continues to be a high priority for broadcast networks, who this development season have put a focus on family comedy. “We’re all trying to figure out the family dynamic that’s not currently on the air,” ABC Studios executive vice president Patrick Moran told THR, noting that his studio in particular was looking for diverse voices — particularly Latino.

For its part, ABC recently picked up a family comedy inspired by the life of comedian Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias (Cristela) as the network has found success with such diverse family fare as Black-ish, Fresh Off the Boat, Dr. Ken as well as veteran The Goldbergs.

In Derbez, the networks have a brand star with a built-in following attached, which — should either comedy move forward — would give either network a leg up with marketing and public awareness. (ABC, for its part, found success with Pryanka Chopra and Quantico, utilizing her massive social media fan base to help launch the series as one of the few breakouts of the 2015-16 broadcast season.)

Derbez to Star in Sony Pictures’ “Miracles From Heaven”

Posted on July 18, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez has landed a miracle role…

The 53-year-old Mexican actor and director has joined the cast of Sony Pictures’ Miracles From Heaven, which will be released via TriStar Pictures.

The film, starring Jennifer Garner, Martin Hendersen and Queen Latifah, will be directed by fellow Mexico compatriot Patricia Riggen.

Written by Randy Brown, adapting Cristy Beam’s same-titled book, the faith-based Miracles From Heaven centers on a young girl suffering from a rare digestive disorder who is miraculously cured after suffering a terrible accident.

Derbez will play an eminent but simpatico U.S.-based Mexican gastroenterologist-pediatrician, who plays games with his child patients to lighten their experience of hospital treatment.

Derbez’s character is inspired by Boston Children’s Hospital specialist Dr. Samuel Nurko, he said.

Derbez joins the Miracles From Heaven Atlanta shoot next week.

Miracles From Heaven reunites Riggen and Derbez, who co-starred in Riggen’s 2008 U.S. breakthrough Under the Same Moon, which grossed $12.6 million for the Weinstein Company.

This is a relatively rare drama outing for Derbez, who has carved out a career in comedy, breaking through with comedy-drama Instructions Not Included, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever in North America, with a $44.5 million box office trawl. It went on to become the biggest Mexican hit ever in Mexico, punching $46.1 million.

Derbez is currently advancing on three projects at his production label 3pas Studios, which has a first-look deal with Pantelion Films, the Lionsgate–Televisa joint U.S. distribution venture.

“The projects have a lot to do with my personality,” Derbez said.

Derbez is set to direct and star in a remake of Argentine hit Chinese Take-Out, a cross-the-cultural-tracks buddy movie about a cantankerous Argentine hardware store owner and an adrift Chinese immigrant. Derbez regular co-scribe Eduardo Cisneros is writing the screenplay. The Argentine would become an American.

3pas Studios is also developing an English-language remake of 2006 French comedy Le Valet. Derbez’s next actor-director gig looks like one of these two projects. “Le Valet” is also at screenplay stage.

A third 3pas Studios project is an Untitled Latin Lover Project, from an original screenplay by Chris Spain and Jon Zack, about an aging Latin lover suddenly thrown out by his wife and forced to get a real job.

Derbez runs 3pas Studios with former Pantelion Films production chief Ben Odell.

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