Ana Reyes’ acclaimed work is getting the Hollywood treatment…
Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, has optioned the rights to the Latina New York Times bestselling author’s novel The House in the Pines, for television development.
The psychological thriller centers on a woman, who armed with only hazy memories, long ago witnessed her friend’s sudden death and has since spent her life trying to forget, sets out to track down answers. What she uncovers, deep in the woods, is hardly to be believed.
The House in the Pines was on the New York Times Bestseller list for over two months, and was a pick for Reese’s Book Club when it was published in January 2023.
Forbes magazine named it one of the top five bestselling fiction titles of the first half of 2023.
The House in the Pines is Reyes’ debut novel. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University and teaches creative writing.
Gato Grande, an Amazon MGM Studios company, is a bi-cultural production company in Los Angeles and Mexico City focused on developing premium content that elevates Latino voices for mainstream markets.
Gato Grande mines unique stories, talent, and IP from across cultures with the expertise needed to sell in Latin America and the U.S.
The House in the Pines paperback will be released on December 5, 2023.
Forbes has revealed its list of the World’s10 Highest-Paid Entertainers, who, combined, made more than $1.3 billion last year, with the 28-year-old Puerto Rican superstar making the list.
Bad Bunny came in at No. 10 with $88 million, and he can attribute much of his financial success to his massive El Último Tour Del Mundo and The World’s Hottest Tour, plus endorsements from Corona, Cheetos and Adidas.
Topping the list are Genesis and Sting, who made $230 million and $210 million, respectively, thanks to selling their music.
Among the other major artists on the list was Taylor Swift,James Cameron and Brad Pitt.
See the full list of the world’s highest-paid entertainers here.
Forbes magazine has unveiled its list of The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, with the 62-year-old Spanish banking executive coming in at No. 15.
Botin became the executive chairman of Santander in 2014, after the sudden death of her father, Emilio.
She pulled off a coup in 2017 when Banco Santander acquired failing Banco Popular (BP) for 1 euro to become Spain’s largest bank.
In the face of political unrest, she has championed fintech and focused on entrepreneurs, backing small enterprise and women-owned businesses.
She launched Santander X to support university entrepreneurship and helped create the country’s first multi-sector blockchain-based platform.
Paula Santilli comes in at No. 71 on the list…
The Mexican businesswoman has been the CEO of PepsiCo Latin America since May 2019. She oversees more than $7 billion in annual net revenue.
She leads the company’s food and beverage businesses for Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean–a business segment that boasts more 70,000 direct jobs in 34 markets.
In March 2022, Pepsico named Santilli to its board of directors.
At No. 94 on the list, Xiomara Castro…
The 63-year-old Honduran politician was sworn in as Honduras’ president in January 2022, becoming the first woman to hold the position.
She was elected to the role with 1.7 million votes, the largest number of votes in Honduras’ history.
She was previously the country’s first lady: her husband, Manuel Zelaya, was president from 2006 until a coup d’etat ended his term in 2009.
Castro campaigned for the presidency on a platform that included protecting and expanding women’s rights (Honduras has high rates of femicide and restrictive abortion policies).
Here’s a list of the Latinas on the list:
No. 15: Ana Patricia Botin, Spain, Finance
No. 71: Paula Santilli, Mexico, Business
No. 94: Xiomara Castro, Honduras, Politics & Policy
Future Farm, known as Fazenda Futuro in Brazil, has confirmed it has welcomed the 29-year-old Brazilian as a partner.
One of the most influential Latinx artists in the world, Anitta has 62 million followers on Instagram and a fortune of almost $100 million, according to Forbes.
No financial details have been released, with Anitta’s investment amount and stake remaining confidential. It has been confirmed that she will not look to hold any role within the company, but will leverage her influencer credentials and cited brand-building expertise to help scale the operation.
“I came to add my experience in management and marketing,” Anitta said in a statement. “We are a company that thinks about the future, the environment, and especially about how people eat.”
With Anitta in place to offer non-formal support, Future Farm states it will be looking to develop new products and expand its distribution network. It is currently available in 30 countries, including the U.S., U.K., and mainland Europe.
Anitta has been following the plant-based sector for a few years and her relationship with Future Farm is not new. She has been aware and a consumer of the food tech’s developments since its infancy and she uses the company’s products as part of her party menus.
“There is a great synergy between Anitta and Future Farm,” Marcos Leta, founder and CEO at Future Farm said in a statement. “She represents much of what we are: a fun, futuristic, different, honest brand, and together we want to show that it is possible to eat what we like more consciously and tastily. We strongly believe that Anitta’s influence will help us democratize the plant-based meat and develop new products and ideas.”
Anitta’s Future Farm partnership is the latest of many such moves. Alongside being a singer, she is recognized as an entrepreneur and experienced businesswoman. Last June, she joined Nubank’s board of directors. The digital bank targets younger demographics, making her a strategic ‘hire’. She is also listed as the head of creativity and innovation for Ambev’s Beats beer.
Future Farm launched in 2019 with a mission to recreate the taste, texture and juiciness of conventional meat products in vegan formats. It now stands as one of Latin America’s leading meat-free brands.
Back in November, the company scooped $58 million in a Series C funding round. Investment was sought to build out the portfolio with more vegan meat lines while developing a range of plant-based dairy items. Product packaging was cited as another priority, with the startup looking to create 100 percent sustainable and plant-based containers. Existing packaging was already biodegradable.
All products are made in a single production facility in Rio de Janeiro that has a capacity of up to 700 tons of products per month. Future Farm has not alluded to moving manufacturing out of its home country.
Creator+, a next-generation content studio and distribution platform for digital-first storytellers and creators, has unveiled their inaugural class of emerging filmmakers for its ‘Flip the Script’ Short Film Fund, with the AfroLatinX writer/director among those selected.
Fernandez-Ruiz’s project, entitled Jerome, centers on the title character, who struggles with feelings of inadequacy when the annual Fathers and Sons event forces him to confront the absence of his own father; and he deals with it the only way he knows how—basketball.
Creator+ is a studio and distribution platform, whose goal is to empower the next generation of diverse creators to make impactful films and expand their careers.
To that end, Creator+ is creating opportunities for these historically excluded storytellers, while embracing projects that explore the full dimension of the BIPOC experience.
Spearheaded by Forbes 30 Under 30 award-winning activist and Head of Diversity & Impact Development and Production Ben O’Keefe, the program will champion, fully fund, market and distribute six short films from emerging BIPOC creators, writers, directors and producers annually.
Each of the chosen filmmakers will be working alongside an advisory council of world-class creatives, producers, showrunners and industry change agents fighting for increased diversity and inclusion in Hollywood.
Mentors include The Kennedy/Marshall Company with producing legend Frank Marshall and his Head of Production Development, Ashley Jay Sandberg; 6x NBA All-Star, investor, entrepreneur and co-founder of Mortal Media, Blake Griffin; Emmy-nominated actor MJ Rodriguez; Kyle Bowser, SVP, NAACP Hollywood Bureau; Producer & Director Lulu Wang; Actor & Activist Kendrick Sampson; Writer, producer & showrunner Elle Johnson; and TikTok executive Kudzi Chikumbu.
“Hollywood’s pipeline problem is a myth—and you only have to look as far as the talented BIPOC creatives who make up the first class of Flip the Script to see that,” said Ben O’Keefe, Head of Diversity & Impact Development and Production, Creator+. “Last year, only 3 out of every 10 major films were directed by people of color. That is a result of a history of systemic exclusion and it will take Hollywood’s leaders continuing to invest in solving these problems to seed a more equitable and inclusive industry. Creator+ will not only fund breakout short films, but also a BIPOC filmmaker from our shorts program will have the opportunity to make a feature length film with Creator+ every year.”
In addition to providing the budget, the company is actively supporting development, production and distribution. Advisors will award one filmmaker the life-changing opportunity to develop a feature film with Creator+. Moreover, Staff Me Up is enlisted as a partner to help rewrite the rules of hiring, as part of their Coded for Inclusion initiative.
Projects are currently in various stages of production with two already completed and several others beginning production May 2022 in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and Pakistan. Creator+ will distribute the shorts at film festivals across the globe before premiering the shorts on its forthcoming platform or exploring additional distribution opportunities where applicable.
The inaugural class of emerging filmmakers include:
Gianfranco Fernández-Ruiz (he/him), (Writer/ Director) (Los Angeles, CA) Logline: JEROME (mid-teens) struggles with feelings of inadequacy when the annual Fathers and Sons event forces him to confront the absence of his own father; and he deals with it the only way he knows how—basketball.
Lynelle White (she/her), Writer/Director (Los Angeles, CA) Logline: HATCHBACK – Due to job losses in early 2020 caused by the pandemic, an African-American family of four is living out of their hatchback car until the next pay day arrives. The family dreams of just one night in a motel. But each passing day living unhoused and on the streets brings new disappointments, pushing that dream further and further out of reach.
Imran Siddiquee (they/them), Filmmaker & Writer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Logline: THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US – An undocumented Bangladeshi immigrant starts to fall for a roommate she’s yet to meet — forming a connection that will test the limits of her romantic imagination.
Ari Groobman (he/him/they), Writer/Director/Producer (Los Angeles, CA) Logline: ESSENTIALLY AMY – Amy is a young Chinese American girl working at her local grocery store during the height of the pandemic. Amy must confront growing racism towards Asian Americans, while at home, she must mitigate her mother’s expectations and personal bias towards Black Americans. After a brutal assault, Amy and her family must reevaluate their perceptions, and Amy must come to terms with who she really is and what she really wants.
Mahnoor Euceph (she/her), Writer & Director (Los Angeles, CA) – Project will be filmed in Pakistan Logline: EID MUBARAK – A privileged six-year-old Pakistani girl embarks on a mission to save her beloved pet lamb from being eaten on the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, only to learn the meaning of sacrifice.
Vivian Johnson (she/her), Producer (Los Angeles, CA) Logline: BIENVENIDOS A LOS ANGELES – Inspired by true events, the film tells the timely story of Imani, a Tanzanian single-mother living in Los Angeles. When she offers to help a perfect stranger reunite with her son, Imani learns this simple act of kindness threatens to jeopardize her own path to citizenship.
Lionel Messi is kickin’ his way to the top of the earnings charts…
The 33-year-old Argentine soccer star, who plays for FC Barcelona, is the top-earning Latinx celebrity on Forbes’ recently released The Celebrity 100 list, which ranks the world’s highest-paid celebrities of 2020.
Messi, who has been awarded both FIFA’s Ballon d’Or and the European Golden Shoe for top scorer on the continent a record six times, comes in at No. 5 with earning of $104 million.
His current contract with Barcelona is through 2020-21 and pays him more than $80 million annually. He also has a lifelong deal with Adidas, and he launched his own clothing line and opened his first retail outlet, The Messi Store, in September 2019 in Barcelona.
The World Health Organization (WHO) tapped Messi in March 2020 to help lead a worldwide campaign aimed at stopping the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nipping on Messi’s heels is another soccer star and his former teammate… Neymar.
The 28-year-old Brazilian soccer player comes in at No. 7 on the list with earning of $95.5 million.
Neymar is currently on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million in salary.
His transfer from Barcelona to PSG stands as the most expensive in the world at $263 million, which the French club paid in full ahead of his signing.
He’s the second most popular athlete on social media with a combined 244 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Nike‘s Jordan Brand signed Neymar as its first soccer ambassador in 2016. In March 2020 its film unit released a movie about his life.
Jennifer Lopez is this year’s highest-paid Latina on the list.
The 51-year-old Puerto Rican superstar comes in at No. 56 on the list with earnings of $47.5 million.
One of the more popular celebrities when it comes to endorsements, J.Lo has deals with Versace, DSW, Quay sunglasses and her own fragrance.
In 2018, she played her final shows at Las Vegas’ Zappos Theater, grossing more than $100 million in two years–the top Vegas residency by a Latin artist. She tacked on another $55 million in 2019 ticket sales for her ensuing world tour, which included stops in Egypt, Israel and Russia.
Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his first appearance on The Celebrity 100.
The 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor/rapper/lyricist/composer and Broadway star, the creator of the hit musical Hamilton, comes in at No. 62 with earning of $45.5 million.
Disney acquired worldwide rights to the film version of Hamilton in February 2020 for $75 million. And he helped create a $1 million emergency relief fund to benefit artists impacted by COVID-19 in Puerto Rico.
Other Latinx celebrities making the list include Howie Dorough (as a member of Backstreet Boys); Sofia Vergara, the world’s highest-paid actress; Robert Trujillo (as a member of Metallica); tennis star Rafael Nadal; and Mexican boxer Canelo Alvarez.
Forbes’ list ranks “front of the camera” stars around the globe using pretax earnings from June 2019 through May 2020 before deducting fees for managers, lawyers and agents. Figures are based on information from Nielsen Music/MRC Data, Pollstar, IMDB, NPD BookScan and ComScore as well as interviews with industry experts and many of the stars themselves.
In total, the 100 celebrities racked in a total of $6.1 billion in pretax earnings, which took a $200 million dip from last year after the pandemic halted — or rather redirected — lots of business models.
Here’s a look at the Latino/a celebrities who made the list this year:
No. 5 Lionel Messi, 33, Argentina, Soccer, $104 million
No. 7 Neymar, 28, Brazil, Soccer, $95.5 million No. 56 Jennifer Lopez, 51, USA (Puerto Rican), Entertainment, $47.5 million
No. 62 Lin-Manuel Miranda, 40, USA (Puerto Rican), Entertainment, $45.5 million No. 64 Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys), 47, USA (Half-Puerto Rican), Music, $45 million No. 71 Sofia Vergara, 48, Colombia, Entertainment, $43 million
No. 78 Robert Trujillo (Metallica), 55, USA (Half-Mexican)Music, $40.5 million No. 80 Rafael Nadal, 34, Spain, Tennis, $40 million No. 91 Canelo Alvarez, 30, Mexico, Boxing, $37 million
The 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor/singer and Broadway star will star in The Making Of, a romantic comedy written and produced by Ed Zwick and Marshall Herskovitz.
The Making Of centers on two couples: long-married filmmakers (Gere and Keaton) have cast overemotional actors (Lively and Miranda) to portray their younger selves in the story of their great love. Unfortunately, by the time shooting begins, their fabled marriage is unraveling. The filmmakers want to make a hit; the actors want to tell the true story. Whose version really is the truth? And how do they distinguish between real love and movie love when their lives and their work become hopelessly intertwined?
The film will be a production of Zwick & Herskovitz’ The Bedford Falls Company. It will shoot next spring.
Miranda can currently be seen on Disney+ in the film version of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Hamilton.
Miranda previously starred in Speech & Debate, Mary Poppins Returns and The Odd Life of Timothy Green. He’ll appear in the film adaptation of another of his Tony Award-winning Broadway musicals, In The Heights.
Forbes has released its ranking of the world’s highest-paid actors, with the 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer, rapper and playwright making the list for the first time in his career.
Miranda, who has starred in Speech & Debate, Mary Poppins Returns and The Odd Life of Timothy Green, comes in at No. 7 with earnings of $45.5 million.
Even with Broadway closed for the remainder of 2020, Miranda can expect another big payday next year when the film version of his other Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights comes out.
This year’s highest paid actor is Dwayne Johnson, for the second year in a row, with earning of $87.5 million.
Methodology: Earnings estimates are based on data from Nielsen, ComScore, Box Office Mojo and IMDB, as well as interviews with industry insiders. All figures are pretax and reflect earnings between June 1, 2019, and June 1, 2020; fees for agents, managers and lawyers (generally 10%, 15% and 5%, respectively) are not deducted. The list of highest-paid female actors will be out next month.
Lionel Messi isn’t just making goals… He’s makin’ some serious bank…
Forbes magazine has released its list of the world’s highest-paid celebrities, with the 32-year-old Argentine professional footballer coming in at No. 5 with $104 million, making his the highest-paid Latino celebrity in the world.
Messi has been awarded both FIFA‘s Player of the Year and the European Golden Shoe for top scorer on the continent a record six times. His 438 goals, including 36 hat tricks for Barcelona, is a club and La Liga record.
Neymarcomes in at No. 7…
The 28-year-old Brazilian professional footballer, who plays as a forward for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Brazil national team, had reported earnings of $95.5 million.
Jennifer Lopez is the highest-paid Latina celebrity on Forbes’ list.
The 50-year-old Puerto Rican superstar,one of the more popular celebrities when it comes to endorsements, had earnings of $47.5 million. She has deals with Versace, DSW, Quay sunglasses and her own fragrances.
The multi-hyphenate also produced and starred in the 2019 film Hustlers.
Lin-Manuel Miranda has made Forbes’ list for the first time…
The 40-year-old Puerto Rican Broadway star had reported earnings of $45.5 million.
The Hamilton creator and star added to his haul from the Broadway hit in February when Walt Disney paid $75 million for the rights to air the filmed version of his Founding Father musical.
Other Latino/a celebrities making the list include Howie Dorough (along with his fellow Backstreet Boys), Sofia Vergara, Robert Trujillo (along with his fellow Metallica band mates), Rafael Nadal and Canelo Alvarez.
Here’s a look at the Latino/as making this year’s list:
No. 5 Lionel Messi, $104 million No. 7 Neymar, $95.5 million No. 56 Jennifer Lopez, $47.5 million No. 62 Lin-Manuel Miranda, $45.5 million No. 64 Backstreet Boys, $45 million No. 71 Sofia Vergara, $43 million No. 78 Metallica, $40.5 million No. 80 Rafael Nadal, $40 million No. 91 Canelo Alvarez, $37 million
Messi comes in at No. 3 on the list, behind Roger Federer and Cristiano Ronaldo, with earning reported at $104 million.
The Futbol Club Barcelona star’s earnings includes his $72 million salary with his team, as well as $32 million in endorsements, including his lifelong deal with Adidas.
Nipping on Messi’s heels… Neymar.
The 28-year-old Brazilian footballer, on a five-year contract with Paris Saint-Germain through June 2022 worth $350 million, comes in at No. 4 with combined earnings of $95.5 million.
Nike‘s Jordan Brand signed Neymar as its first soccer ambassador in 2016. In March 2020, its film unit released a movie about his life.
Messi and Ronaldo had previously held the No. 1 spot in three of the past four years.
Rafael Nadal comes in at No. 27 on the list.
The 33-year-old tennis star has combined earnings of $40 million. The greatest clay court player of his generation captured two of Grand Slam titles in 2019, his 12th French Open title and fourth U.S. Open.
Here’s a look at the Latino athletes making this year’s top earners list.
No. 3: Lionel Messi, Soccer, Argentine, $104 million No. 4: Neymar, Soccer, Brazil, $95.5 million No. 27: Rafael Nadal, Tennis, Spain, $40 million No. 30: Canelo Alvarez, Boxing, Mexico, $37 million No. 46: Andres Iniesta, Soccer, Spain, $29.6 million No. 56: Oscar, Soccer, Brazil, $27.5 million No. 67: David de Gea, Soccer, Spain, $25.7 million No. 69: Alexis Sanchez, Soccer, Chile, $25.6 million No. 79: Al Horford, Basketball, Dominican Republic, $24.4 million No. 100: Sergio Ramos, Soccer, Spain, $21.8 million
The House in the Pines is Reyes’ debut novel. She has a Master of Fine Arts from Louisiana State University and teaches creative writing.
