Tag Archives: Frida

Dandelooo Closes Sales on Fictional Animated Film About Frida Kahlo, “Hola Frida!,” in Mexico, Spain & Greece

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The animated homage to the late Frida Kahlo is going global…

Emmy-winning French animation producer-distributor Dandelooo has closed sales for the animated feature Hola Frida! in Mexico, Spain and Greece.

Frida KahloDandelooo gave audiences at Annecy an early look at footage and music from Hola Frida! back in June, but a full premiere is just around the corner, with the film set to join Coco among the ranks of animated features to world premiere at Mexico’s prestigious Morelia International Film Festival.

Hola Frida! will screen on October 25 at Morelia’s Cineteca Nacional and at Kahlo’s Casa Azul museum.

After its Morelia debut, the film will be released in France on February 12, where it will be distributed by Haut et Court Distribution.

In March, Pack Màgic will release the film in Spain.

In spring, Maison 4:3 will release the film in Canada and Rosebud21 in Greece, although specific dates have not yet been revealed.

Hola Frida!Hola Frida! tells a fictionalized story of the childhood adventures of real-life artist Frida Kahlo, growing up in Coyoacán, Mexico City. Fascinated by the world around her, the girl overcomes adversity by using her vibrant imagination.

Directed by Karine Vézina and André Kadi,“Hola Frida! is aimed at kids ages six and up and their families. The film was written by Sophie Faucher, Anne Bryan and André Kadi and produced by Haut et Court in France and Tobo Media and Du Coup Studio Production in Canada.

“It’s a great honor to be selected by Morelia International Film Festival and to present Hola Frida! at Cineteca Nacional and la Casa Azul,” said Dandelooo’s International Sales & Acquisitions Manager Luna Sirvin. “The launch of Hola Frida! could only have happened in Frida’s homeland, Mexico. These screenings are a fitting tribute to an amazing artist, as well as a starting point for the film’s global journey.”

Mía Maestro to Star in the Drama “Beneath the Grass”

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Mía Maestro is ready to kick some grass…

The 44-year-old Argentine actress and singer will star in Beneath the Grass, a drama about the criminal justice system and marijuana incarceration rates.

Mia MaestroMaestro will star opposite Quincy Isaiah and Jeff Kober in the film, which will hit the market at the Cannes Film Festival next week.

The film will begin production next month in New Jersey. Paradigm is representing worldwide sales for the film.

Beneath the Grass is set in 2008, capturing both the economic recession and the “Yes We Can” summer, and follows a single Latina mother whose illegal marijuana business is jeopardized when her young son befriends the new neighbors, a young white boy and his police officer grandfather.

According to production research, in 2008, Latino people were four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people, while Black people were seven times more likely. Despite marijuana legalization in several states in the years since, the research explains, arrest rates have risen with racial disparities still prevalent.

The film marks the directorial debuts of William Bermudez and Sam Friedman, who wrote the screenplay, with a story by Bermudez, Friedman and others.

Following roles in The Motorcycle Diaries, Frida and the Twilight franchise, Maestro recently appeared in the Apple TV+ series Extrapolations and The Cow That Sang a Song Into the Future, which debuted at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival.

She will next star in Jose Rivera’s Alina of Cuba, a biopic about Fidel Castro’s exiled daughter Alina Fernandez, directed by Miguel Bardem.

The cast also includes Rachel Ticotin, Rachel Stubington and newcomer Elizabeth Cuzzupoli.

Frida Kahlo’s Family Authorizes Development of New Stage Work “Frida Kahlo, The Musical”

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Frida Kahlo is getting the stage treatment…

The family of the late Mexican artist and legend has authorized the development of Frida, The Musical, a new stage work based on the life story of the groundbreaking 20th Century artist.

Frida Kahlo“Frida still has so much to teach us, and I am thrilled at the chance to honor her life and her work through this most expressive medium,” said producer Valentina Berger in a statement. “Her spirit is very much alive in our young creative team, who continually dazzle me with their big creative swings and mind-bending talent.”

Berger, along with the Frida Kahlo estate and BTF Media, announced the project. The first workshop is slated for 2023, and the musical will feature music by the Mexican composer Jaime Lozano and lyrics by the Obie Award-winning playwright Neena Beber.

In the announcement today, the production said the musical will reveal “new, rarely explored layers of this most complex – and ardently Mexican – genius as it follows her journey from Mexico City to Paris and New York, and finally back home to the house of her birth for one final professional triumph.”

The synopsis continued, “Grounded by the rollercoaster romance between the artist and her great love, Diego Rivera, Frida will be a full-throated celebration of Kahlo’s joyous spirit of creativity and her unmatched gift for transforming physical and emotional pain into breathtaking beauty.”

Speaking on behalf of the Kahlo Family, Mara Romeo, universal heiress to the Frida Kahlo legacy, said, “We are deeply moved that this show will allow audiences around the world to get to know Frida as so much more than just an artist. Full of joy, ahead of her time, and steeped in the culture of Mexico, she was a woman driven by an unending passion for life. I hope that this show inspires women everywhere to have the courage to fight for their dreams.”

Although overlooked in her lifetime, Kahlo, who died in 1954 at the age of 47, is now widely regarded as one of the most significant artists of the last century, an exemplar of surrealism and a pioneering artistic force in feminism and an icon of and for Chicanos. Her work exploded in popularity and impact beginning in the 1970s, and the 2002 film Frida, starring Salma Hayek and directed by Julie Taymor, carried her legacy to movie audiences.

In the statement today, producers of the upcoming stage production said, “Kahlo redefined beauty, humanity, political activism, feminism, and sexuality in her time. Through an explosion of music, alongside authentic imagery and exclusive material granted by the estate, Frida promises to bring audiences new dimensions of this sister, friend, artist, lover, and perennially relevant icon.”

Jared Leto Earns Two Screen Actors Guild Awards Nominations

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Life’s a SAG for Jared Leto…

The Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations have been revealed, with the 50-year-old part-Spanish American actor/singer earning two nods.

Jared LetoLeto, who previously won a SAG Award in 214 for his performance in Dallas Buyers Club, is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role category for his performance in House of Gucci.

It’s the second year in a row Leto is nominated in the category. Last year, he earned a nod for his supporting role in The Little Things.

He’s also nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture for being part of the ensemble cast of House of Gucci, alongside fellow Latinx nominee… Mexican actress Salma Hayek, who was previously nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role for her work in Frida.

Javier Bardem could earn his third SAG Award this year…

The 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor, who previously won two SAG Awards in 2008 for No Country for Old Men, is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as the legendary Desi Arnaz in Being the Ricardos.

Ariana DeBose is celebrating her first-ever SAG Awards nomination…

The 30-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress and Broadway star, who won her first Golden Globe this past weekend, is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for her acclaimed work as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story.

Eugenio Derbez and Scott Mescudi, aka Kid Cudi, have both earned the first SAG Awards nominations of their careers. Derbes and Mescudi will compete in the Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture category.

Derbez is nominated for his work in CODA, while Mescudi is nominated for his role Don’t Look Up.

Oscar Isaac has earned his first SAG Awards nod.

The 42-year-old Guatemalan & Cuban actor is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series category for his work in Scenes from a Marriage.

Will the third time be the charm for Mark Indelicato?

The 27-year-old part-Puerto Rican actor, who was previously nominated for SAG Awards as part of the ensemble cast of ABC’s Ugly Betty, is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for his work on HBO’s Hacks.

Selena Gomez is officially a SAG Awards nominee.

The 29-year-old Mexican American actress/singer has picked up her first-ever SAG Awards nomination in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for her performance in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building alongside her cast mate and fellow first-time SAG Awards nominee Aaron Dominguez.

Cristo Fernández could take home his first-ever SAG Award.

The 30-year-old Mexican actor and former professional footballer is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for Ted Lasso.

Nestor Carbonell and Joe Pacheco are celebrating their first SAG Awards nods…

The Latino actors are nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series for being part of the acclaimed cast of Apple TV’s The Morning Show.

Alexis Bledel is hoping her third SAG nomination will result in a win…

The 40-year-old half-Argentinian American actress is nominated in the Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series category for The Handmaid’s Tale. She was previously nominated in 2019 and 2020 for being part of the cast of the series.

This year’s nominations were announced on Instagram Live by Rosario Dawson and Vanessa Hudgens on Wednesday.

After going virtual last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the SAG Awards will this year air live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, February 27 at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT from Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Helen Mirren will receive the Life Achievement Award at the 28th annual ceremony.

Here’s the complete list of the 2022 SAG Awards nominees:

Film categories:

Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Belfast — Caitríona Balfe, Judi Dench, Jamie Dornan, Jude Hill, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Morgan
CODA — Eugenio Derbez, Daniel Durant, Emilia Jones, Troy Kotsur, Marlee Matlin, Ferdia Walsh-Peelo
Don’t Look Up — Cate Blanchett, Timothée Chalamet, Leonardo Dicaprio, Ariana Grande, Jonah Hill, Jennifer Lawrence, Melanie Lynskey, Scott Mescudi, Rob Morgan, Himesh Patel, Ron Perlman, Tyler Perry, Mark Rylance, Meryl Streep
House of Gucci — Adam Driver, Lady Gaga, Salma Hayek, Jack Huston, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto, Al Pacino
King Richard — Jon Bernthal, Aunjanue Ellis, Tony Goldwyn, Saniyya Sidney, Demi Singleton, Will Smith

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role
Jessica Chastain (The Eyes of Tammy Faye)
Olivia Colman (The Lost Daughter)
Lady Gaga (House of Gucci)
Jennifer Hudson (Respect)
Nicole Kidman (Being the Ricardos)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos)
Benedict Cumberbatch (The Power of the Dog)
Andrew Garfield (Tick, Tick … Boom!)
Will Smith (King Richard)
Denzel Washington (The Tragedy of Macbeth)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role
Caitriona Balfe (Belfast)
Cate Blanchett (Nightmare Alley)
Ariana DeBose (West Side Story)
Kirsten Dunst (The Power of the Dog)
Ruth Negga (Passing)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role
Ben Affleck (The Tender Bar)
Bradley Cooper (Licorice Pizza)
Troy Kotsur (CODA)
Jared Leto (House of Gucci)
Kodi Smit-McPhee (The Power of the Dog)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Motion Picture
Black Widow
Dune
The Matrix: Resurrections
No Time to Die
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

TV categories:

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series
The Handmaid’s Tale — Alexis Bledel, Madeline Brewer, Amanda Brugel, Ann Dowd, O-T Fagbenle, Joseph Fiennes, Sam Jaeger, Max Minghella, Elisabeth Moss, Yvonne Strahovski, Bradley Whitford, Samira Wiley
The Morning Show — Jennifer Aniston, Shari Belafonte, Eli Bildner, Nestor Carbonell, Steve Carell, Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Amber Friendly, Janina Gavankar, Valeria Golino, Tara Karsian, Hannah Leder, Greta Lee, Julianna Margulies, Joe Marinelli, Michelle Meredith, Ruairi O’Connor, Joe Pacheco, Karen Pittman, Victoria Tate, Desean K. Terry, Reese Witherspoon
Squid Game — Heo Sung-Tae, Jun Young-Soo, Jung Ho-Yeon, Kim Joo-Ryoung, Lee Byung-Hun, Lee Jung-Jae, Oh Young-Soo, Park Hae-Soo, Anupam Tripathi, Wi Ha-Jun
Succession — Nicholas Braun, Juliana Canfield, Brian Cox, Kieran Culkin, Dagmara Dominczyk, Peter Friedman, Jihae, Justine Lupe, Matthew Macfadyen, Dasha Nekrasova, Scott Nicholson, David Rasche, Alan Ruck, J. Smith-Cameron, Sarah Snook, Fisher Stevens, Jeremy Strong, Zoë Winters
Yellowstone — Kelsey Asbille, Wes Bentley, Ryan Bingham, Gil Birmingham, Ian Bohen, Eden Brolin, Kevin Costner, Hugh Dillon, Luke Grimes, Hassie Harrison, Cole Hauser, Jen Landon, Finn Little, Brecken Merrill, Will Patton, Piper Perabo, Kelly Reilly, Denim Richards, Taylor Sheridan, Forrie J. Smith, Jefferson White

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series
Brian Cox (Succession)
Billy Crudup (The Morning Show)
Kieran Culkin (Succession)
Lee Jung-jae (Squid Game)
Jeremy Strong (Succession)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series
Jennifer Aniston (The Morning Show)
Jung Ho-yeon (Squid Game)
Elisabeth Moss (The Handmaid’s Tale)
Sarah Snook (Succession)
Reese Witherspoon (The Morning Show)

Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
The Great — Julian Barratt, Belinda Bromilow, Sacha Dhawan, Elle Fanning, Phoebe Fox, Bayo Gbadamosi, Adam Godley, Douglas Hodge, Nicholas Hoult, Florence Keith-Roach, Gwilym Lee, Charity Wakefield
Hacks — Rose Abdoo, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Paul W. Downs, Hannah Einbinder, Mark Indelicato, Poppy Liu, Chris McDonald, Jean Smart, Megan Stalter
The Kominsky Method — Jenna Lyng Adams, Sarah Baker, Casey Thomas Brown, Michael Douglas, Lisa Edelstein, Ashleigh Lathrop, Emily Osment, Haley Joel Osment, Paul Reiser, Graham Rogers, Melissa Tang, Kathleen Turner
Only Murders in the Building — Aaron Dominguez, Selena Gomez, Jackie Hoffman, Jayne Houdyshell, Steve Martin, Amy Ryan, Martin Short
Ted Lasso — Annette Badland, Kola Bokinni, Phil Dunster, Cristo Fernández, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Toheeb Jimoh, Nick Mohammed, Sarah Niles, Jason Sudeikis, Jeremy Swift, Juno Temple, Hannah Waddingham

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series
Michael Douglas (The Kominsky Method)
Brett Goldstein (Ted Lasso)
Steve Martin (Only Murders in the Building)
Martin Short (Only Murders in the Building)
Jason Sudeikis (Ted Lasso)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Comedy Series
Elle Fanning (The Great)
Sandra Oh (The Chair)
Jean Smart (Hacks)
Juno Temple (Ted Lasso)
Hannah Waddingham (Ted Lasso)

Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Murray Bartlett (The White Lotus)
Oscar Isaac (Scenes From a Marriage)
Michael Keaton (Dopesick)
Ewan McGregor (Halston)
Evan Peters (Mare of Easttown)

Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Limited Series
Jennifer Coolidge (The White Lotus)
Cynthia Erivo (Genius: Aretha)
Margaret Qualley (Maid)
Jean Smart (Mare of Easttown)
Kate Winslet (Mare of Easttown)

Outstanding Action Performance by a Stunt Ensemble in a Comedy or Drama Series
Cobra Kai
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
Loki
Mare of Easttown
Squid Game

Diego Luna to Receive 2021 Platino Award of Honor

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Diego Luna is being celebrated for his platinum career.

This year’s seventh edition of the Ibero-American Platino Awards (Premios Platinos) will honor the 41-year-old Mexican actor, director, producer and festival organizer with the Platino Award of Honor.

Diego Luna

An itinerant award show by design, this year’s Platinos will be held on October 3 in Madrid.

Luna will be the youngest recipient of the career achievement honor, joining previous winners Miguel Rafael Martos Sánchez, often simply referred to as Raphael, one of Spain’s most iconic entertainers of the 20th century; Adriana Barraza, the Oscar nominated Spanish-English-language crossover star of Alejandro Iñárritu’s Babel and Amores Perros; Oscar and three time Primetime Emmy nominee Edward James Olmos (Stand and Deliver); Oscar nominee Antonio Banderas (Pain and Glory); and Primetime Emmy (The Burning Season) and BAFTA (“Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos) nominee Sonia Braga.

A child actor who excelled from an early age, Luna’s first film appearance was in Javier Bourges’ 1991 Mexican Academy Award-nominated short The Last New Year.” He appeared in several telenovelas throughout the ‘90s, joined on screen for the first time by his longtime collaborator and close friend Gael García Bernal in El abuelo y yo in 1992. Alternating between film and television over the next decade, his international breakout came with García Bernal and Spain’s Marbel Verdú in Alfonso Cuarón’s seminal coming-of-age road trip film “Y Tu Mamá También.”

Shortly after, Luna began his Hollywood career appearing alongside Bon Jovi in John Carpenter’s Vampires: Los Muertos and in Salma Hayek’s Oscar-winning biopic Frida.

In the decades since, Luna has continued to work on both Latin American and U.S. productions while also taking turns as a producer, writer and director. He also, again with García Bernal, launched the nomadic documentary film festival Ambulante, as well as their own production label, first Canana in 2005 and now La Corriente del Golfo.

Most recently, he created and hosts the Amazon Original conversation series Pan y Circo and is starring in the Disney+’s Andor, a spinoff series following his Rogue One: A Star Wars Story character Cassian Andor.

He was also recently confirmed as a voice actor for Netflix’s upcoming animated series Maya and the Three, where he will team with frequent collaborator Jorge Gutierrez (The Book of Life).

Last year’s ceremony was, like so many, forced online by the COVID-19 pandemic. But this time around, the Platinos are planning an in-person event to celebrate the best offerings from the Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American screen industries.

At 11 nominations each, the two standout titles are Fernando Trueba’s Colombian drama Memories of My Father and Jayro Bustamante’s Guatemalan thriller La Llorona.

The Platino Awards are promoted by EGEDA (Spain’s Entity for the Rights Management of Audiovisual Producers) and FIPCA (the Ibero-American Federation of Film and Audiovisual Producers) and have the support of the Ibero-American film academies and institutes as well as numerous sponsors in Europe and Latin America.

Salma Hayek to Receive Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame

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Salma Hayek will have a permanent place in Hollywood…

The 54-year-old Mexican Oscar-nominated actress and producer is among the 38 honorees invited to join the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Salma Hayek

Hayek, who moved to Hollywood in 1991, rose to acclaim in films like Desperado and From Dusk till Dawn. She earned an Academy Award nomination for her portrayal of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in Frida.

But Hayek isn’t the only Latin honoree this year…

Tessa Thompson was selected in the Motion Picture category.

The 37-year-old Afro-Panamanian American actress gained mainstream recognition for her starring role as Valkyrie in the Marvel Cinematic Universe superhero films Thor: Ragnarok and Avengers: Endgame.

Her other credits include Sylvie’s Love, Men in Black: International, and Creed.

Ashanti has been selected in the Recording category.

The 40-year-old part-Dominican American Grammy-winning singer and actress was first discovered as a teenager and later signed to Murder Inc. Records in 2002.

That year, she was featured on Fat Joe‘s “What’s Luv?” and Ja Rule‘s “Always on Time,” both of which became two of the biggest hit songs of 2002; Ashanti became the first female artist to occupy the top two positions on the Billboard Hot 100 chart simultaneously when “Foolish” and “What’s Luv?” were at numbers one and two, respectively.

Other Latin artists selected include Los Huracanes Del Norte and Angelica Vale.

These honorees were chosen from among hundreds of nominees at a meeting of the Walk of Fame selection committee and ratified by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors this week. Radio personality Ellen K, chair of the selection committee (and a past Walk of Fame honoree), announced the new honorees on the Walk of Fame’s website.

The selection panel, made up of fellow Walk of Famers, handpicks a group of honorees each year that represent various genres of the entertainment world. “The panel did an amazing job choosing these very talented people,” said Ellen K. “We can’t wait to see each honoree’s reaction as they realize that they are becoming a part of Hollywood’s history with the unveiling of their star on the world’s most famous walkway.”

Dates have not been scheduled for these star ceremonies. Recipients have two years to schedule star ceremonies from the date of selection before their selection expires. Upcoming star ceremonies are usually announced 10 days prior to dedication on the Walk of Fame website.

Here’s the full list of Hollywood Walk of Fame Class of 2022 honorees (using their full names as shown on their list):

Recording: Black Eyed Peas, George E. Clinton Jr., Ashanti Douglas, DJ Khaled, Avril Lavigne, Los Huracanes Del Norte, Martha Reeves and Ermias Asghedom (Nipsey Hussle, posthumous).

Motion pictures: Francis Ford Coppola, Macaulay Culkin, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, James Hong, Helen Hunt, Michael B. Jordan, Regina King, Ray Liotta, Ewan McGregor, Adam McKay, Jason Momoa, Tessa Thompson and Carrie Fisher (posthumous)

Television: Byron Allen, Greg Berlanti, Ricky Gervais, Peter Krause, Robert Odenkirk, Holly Robinson-Peete, Norman Reedus, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jean Smart, Ming-Na Wen and Kenan Thompson.

Live theatre/live performance: Patti LuPone, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. and Angelica Vale

Radio: Richard Blade

Sports entertainment: Michael Strahan

Salma Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions Developing HBO Max Series Based on Leslie Lehr’s Book “A Boob’s Life”

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Salma Hayek is putting the boob in boob tube…

The 54-year-old Mexican actress/producer’s Ventanarosa Productions is helping develop Leslie Lehr’s book A Boob’s Life as a series for HBO Max.

Salma Hayek

The project marks the first project they’ll develop under their new first-look deal with the company.

A Boob’s Life is a half hour comedy about Leslie, a woman turning 40 and in crisis, whose life gets turned upside down when her boobs start talking to her, forcing her to look at herself in a completely different light. The show blows open the reality of life in a female body in a culture that is obsessed with breasts.

The series will be based off Lehr’s book A Boob’s Life: How America’s Obsession Shaped Me—and You, which is being released on March 2 by Pegasus Books. Lehr will also serve as an executive producer.

Hayek will executive produce alongside Jose Tamez and Siobhan Flynn under their Ventanarosa Productions banner.

Cynthia Mort, who created and produced the HBO series Tell Me You Love Me, will write and serve as showrunner and executive producer for the series.

“We are so appreciative that HBO Max was insightful and bold enough to develop this show with us,” said Hayek. “In A Boob’s Life, we use breasts as a metaphor for the constant judgement women are submitted to, creating a collective sensation that no matter what we do we are never enough. In this show, we give the breast a voice that takes us through the life of a woman from a unique perspective that often we don’t dare to see.”

Ventanarosa Productions was founded by Hayek in 1998. The company’s highlights include Frida, which won two Academy Awards, The Maldonado Miracle, Ugly Betty and Kahlil Gibran’s animated film The Prophet. Other credits include the recently announced Santa Evita at Fox Latin America and Netflix’s Monarca, which recently released its second season.

CIC Media Teams Up with Frida Kahlo Corporation & Carlos Baute to Develop Drama Series About Iconic Mexican Artist

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Frida Kahlo’s life story is headed to the small screen…

CIC Media is partnering with the Frida Kahlo Corporation and Venezuelan composer/singer Carlos Baute to create a drama series following the life of the iconic Mexican artist who has influenced, inspired and had a significant impact on the Latinx diaspora, the art world, feminism and culture as a whole.

Frida Kahlo

The writing team of Joel Novoa and Marilu Godinez are set to create the series. Novoa is attached to direct.

The partnership will create a slate of content to celebrate the life of Frida Kahlo in different genres.

Novoa and Godinez said that they are developing a “high concept series” that’ll blend the new wave of international content with their experience in the American studio system.

“The idea is to talk about what the books don’t,” said the writing duo in a joint statement. “The subtext behind each painting, the richness of Mexico’s 20th century and the revolution. Themes that are incredibly relevant at this unprecedented time.”

“We are currently developing and writing the basis of the series and expect to be ready to present the project in the upcoming weeks. Joel and Marilu are doing a superb job,” said Marlon Quintero, CIC Media’s Managing Director and project leader. “Working with the Frida Kahlo Corporation has been phenomenal, it has given us the ultimate blessing to work on what we can call the one and only official series about the iconic artist”.

Carlos Dorado of the Frida Kahlo Corporation added, “Frida Kahlo Corporation is always looking for talented people who know how to exalt the life of an icon like Frida Kahlo. In this case the professional team that has been formed is distinguished by its great professionalism, experience and most importantly the sensitivity to be able to approach a project as important and transcendental as Frida Kahlo. This high professional team will always have the support of Frida Kahlo Corporation”.

The team expects to start production of the series during the second half of 2021. A studio has already shown interest and the presentation of the project to the market is expected to occur in February.

This collaboration also marks the first fiction venture for Baute, who said, “Since Carlos Dorado told me about his newly acquired brand, I was mesmerized by all the possibilities in terms of music, theatre and content. It then took a few seconds to push this possibility through when I spoke to Marlon a couple of years ago and from there, we started working together on this incredible project.”

He continued, “Today we are about to turn the dream of three into a reality for millions of people through this historic project. I am very excited to create music to dress and accompany the story of the great Frida Kahlo, a character that I am sure millions of people want to know more about”

This will mark the first drama series focusing on Kahlo in recent history. In 2002, Julie Taymor directed Frida starring Salma Hayek, who also co-produced the film. Frida was based on the biography written by Hayden Herrera. It went on to earn six Oscar nominations, winning for Best Makeup and Best Original Score. More recently, Kahlo was voiced by Natalia Cordova-Buckley in the Oscar-winning Pixar pic Coco. 

In May, Deadline exclusively reported that Kartemquin Films selected Reveca Torres’ Tres Fridas as one of two projects for the inaugural Hulu/Kartemquin Accelerator Program for filmmakers of color. The film follows two artists paralyzed by spinal injuries. The two discover a shared connection to Mexican painter Frida Kahlo and decide to recreate her painting, “Dos Fridas,” using themselves as models.

Salma Hayek Executive Producing the TV Adaptation of Elizabeth Wetmore’s Novel “Valentine” for HBO

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Salma Hayek has found a new Valentine…

HBO is developing an adaptation of Elizabeth Wetmore’s novel Valentine, with the 54-year-old Mexican American actress/producer and Jennifer Schuur executive producing the project.

Salma Hayek

HBO reportedly won the rights to the book, which is set in 1976 in a West Texas oilfield town, in a competitive situation after it was published in March and debuted at number two on the New York Times’ Bestsellers list at the start of the global pandemic. It’s being developed as a limited series.

Schuur, who was a writer and producer on Netflix’s Unbelievable and is co-showrunner of HBO’s upcoming version of In Treatment, will write the pilot and will exec produce with Hayek and Jose Tamez, who runs Hayek’s Ventanarosa Productions, and author Wetmore.

It’s Ventanarosa Productions’ latest partnership with WarnerMedia after the company, which produced Frida and Ugly Betty, struck a first-look deal with HBO Max in June.

The book begins on Valentine’s Day, 1976 in the West Texas oilfield town of Odessa. It’s told through a network of women whose lives all change when a 14-year-old Mexican girl is beaten and raped by a white oil-worker. It is Wetmore’s first book.

Jennifer Schuur said, “Crimes against women and certainly against women of color are nothing new, but Elizabeth Wetmore has given us a story that explores this truth in a way that is profoundly intimate while also being an undeniable social and cultural critique. To be able to walk that entire landscape alongside partners in HBO and Salma Hayek who so deeply connect to the material as well is more than I could’ve hoped for when I first fell in love with Valentine.”

Salma Hayek added, “What a thrill to be working with HBO and Jennifer Schuur, whose powerful voicing of the female spirit has captivated me in all her previous work. Valentine is set in the 70’s but it couldn’t be more relevant today, as it centers around finding the courage to stand up for the truth, even when it means facing the outrage of your own kind.”

Salma Hayek to Present at This Year’s Oscars

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Salma Hayekwill be taking the Oscarsstage…

The 53-year-old Mexican actress and producer has been added to the list of presenters for the 92nd annual Academy Awards telecast on Sunday.

Salma Hayek

In addition to Hayek, who earned an Oscar nod for her portrayal of iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film Frida, the new additions include Utkarsh Ambudkar, Brie Larson, Spike Lee, Ray Romano, and Rebel Wilson. 

Previously announced presenters include James Corden, Penélope Cruz, Beanie Feldstein, Zack Gottsagen, Diane Keaton, Shia LaBeouf, George MacKay, Steve Martin, Keanu Reeves, Maya Rudolph, Zazie Beetz, Timothée Chalamet, Will Ferrell, Gal Gadot, Mindy Kaling, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Anthony Ramos, Mark Ruffalo, Kelly Marie Tran, Kristen Wiig and Sigourney Weaver.

The 92nd annual Academy Awards will be broadcast live on ABC on February 9 from the Dolby Theatre.