Diego Boneta Signs Overall Deal with Prime Video

Posted on April 25, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Boneta is bringing his amigos to Amazon Prime Video…

The 31-year-old Mexican actor, singer and producer and his production company Three Amigos have signed an overall deal with Prime Video.

As part of the deal, Boneta will produce and star in a full slate of shows in development while also creating movies, series, and reality shows coming to the streaming service beginning in 2023.

All new productions launched as part of this partnership will join Prime Video’s growing slate of Mexican Amazon Originals, along with the thousands of television shows and movies from Hollywood and around the world in the Prime Video catalog.

“We are excited to expand our relationship with Diego Boneta and the entire Three Amigos team,” said Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios, in a statement to Deadline. “We can’t wait for our customers to see what’s in store from Diego and Three Amigos as we work to bring compelling new content to Prime Video’s audiences across Mexico and all around the world.”

“As a leading streaming service, Prime Video empowers the incredible creators we work with, and we could not be more excited to begin building new stories with Diego and his team,” said Alonso Aguilar, head of local Amazon Originals, Prime Video Mexico.

Boneta most recently wrapped a successful three-season run on the Telemundo/Netflix bio-series Luis Miguel: The Series, portraying the titular multi-Grammy-winning singer.

He also appeared in Rebelde, 90210, Pretty Little Liars, Underemployed and Scream Queens.

His feature film debut was in 2012’s Rock of Ages from Adam Shankman. Other big-screen credits include The Titan, Terminator: Dark Fate, Love, Weddings, & Other Disasters, and Die in a Gunfight.

Up next, Boneta will star opposite Andy Garcia, Gloria Estefan, Isabela Merced, and Adria Arjona in The Father of the Bride by director Gaz Alazraki. The film premieres on June 16, 2022.

Gloria Estefan to Appear on CBS’ New Musical Game Show “Superfan”

Posted on April 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is about to meet her ultimate fan…

CBS’ new musical game show, Superfan, has set the roster of musicians participating in its upcoming six-episode series, including the 64-year-old Cuban singer/songwriter.

The competition series will see one musical superfan aiming to prove they are a certain artist’s ultimate supporter.

In addition to Estefan, the artists confirmed to participate include Kelsea Ballerini, Little Big Town, LL Cool J, Pitbull and Shania Twain.

Also confirmed to host the musical game show are series executive producer Keltie Knight and CBS Morning’s Nate Burleson.

Production on the unscripted original begins this Friday in Los Angeles. A premiere date has yet to be set.

Superfan is billed as a musical spectacle disguised as a game show. It will feature contestants vying in multiple rounds of play to prove they are the ultimate fan.

In each one-hour episode, a different musical artist will select one deserving superfan to win a once in a lifetime prize.

CBS ordered the series in February. It is produced by Raquel Productions, the CBS-owned division that makes Tough As Nails.

Anton Goss, a production designer who has worked on shows such as Match Game and Drop the Mic will dress the stage; Suzanne Bender, who has worked on America’s Got Talent and Lip Sync Battle, will serve as talent producer and Jacqui Pittman is casting.

Ana Villafañe to Star as Fidel Castro’s Daughter Alina Fernandez in “Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde”

Posted on March 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe is ready to Rebel yell…

The 32-year-old Cuban American actress and singer will star in the indie feature Alina of Cuba: La Hija Rebelde.

Villafañe will portray Fidel Castro’s daughter and anti-communism activist, Alina Fernandez, in the film from Mankind Entertainment and Maven Pictures.

Alina of Cuba is based on the true-life story of Fernandez, a Cuban American immigrant and human rights advocate whose birth was the result of a passionate love affair between Castro and Natalia “Naty” Revuelta. Revuelta, a Cuban-born socialite, sacrificed her and her physician husband’s personal belongings and finances to help fund the revolution.

Fernandez learned of her connection to Castro at the age of 10: when after years of secret visits to her home, she was finally told by her mother that “El Comandante” was her biological father. Fernandez and her mother stayed in Cuba after the former’s stepfather and her sister fled to the U.S. after his medical clinic was shut down.

Fernandez eventually became one of Castro’s most outspoken critics; she was arrested on more than one occasion for trying to leave and classified as a dissident forbidden to travel outside of Cuba. She defected to Spain in 1993 and later made Miami her permanent home.

The biopic will shoot in Cartagena, Colombia this summer with Goya Award-winner Miguel Bardem set as director.

Alina of Cuba, formerly known as Castro’s Daughter, is written by Academy Award nominee Jose Rivera, and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz.

Villafañe is best known for her breakout role in the Broadway musical On Your Feet portraying Gloria Estefan.

She later starred as Nina Rosario in the Kennedy Center’s 2018 production of In the Heights, and then made her off-Broadway debut in MCC’s critically acclaimed Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties that same year.

On television, Villafañe most recently portrayed Dr. Valentin Castro in NBC’s New Amsterdam and Diana Barea in Sunnyside for the network, as well as KT in the Paramount+ series Younger.

Karol G Partners with Crocs for Two Distinctive Silhouettes with Charms Designed by the Singer

Posted on February 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Karol G is croc-in’ out…

The 31-year-old Colombian singer has teamed up with Crocs in a collaboration that celebrates Valentine’s Day and self-love.

Karol G and the shoe brand announced their partnership by unveiling two distinctive silhouettes, the Karol G X Crocs Classic Clog ($70) and the Karol G X Crocs Mega Crush Clog ($110), decorated with charms that were designed by the “Bichota” singer herself.

According to an official description of the two designs, the Mega Crush Clog features an “enhanced rubber tread, updated detailing around the outsole” and comes with its own exclusive Karol G custom Jibbitz charms. The Classic Clog come with a rose-red color base, decorative barbed wire, heart-shaped Jibbitz, metal heart clips on the heel strap and safety pin charm.

“Today is a reminder to all my fans to celebrate self-love,” Karol G said in a statement. “My collab with Crocs has been an amazing experience, it was such an honor to be able to work on the design and create the Jibbitz charms to truly express the message I wanted to come across when people saw them: LOVE, SELF-LOVE!”

Hoping to purchase the Karol G Crocs?

Fans will have until February 18 to enter a drawing by visiting www.crocs.com for a chance to purchase the collection. If they win the drawing, they will be notified, according to Crocs.

Most recently, Karol G scored her 12th No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart with “Sejodioto.” With 12 No. 1s on the all-Latin genre ranking, she moves into sole possession of the second-most among women, after Shakira’s 15 leaders.

Karol G — who released “MAMIII,” her first-ever collab with Becky G last week — was previously tied with Gloria Estefan for the second-most No. 1s among women.

Ana Villafañe to Star in Apple’s Drama “Bad Monkey”

Posted on January 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Ana Villafañe isn’t afraid to monkey around…

The 32-year-old Cuban and Salvadoran American actress/singer has joined the cast of Apple’s drama Bad Monkey, written and executive produced Bill Lawrence.

Villafañe, best known for her portrayal of Latina icon Gloria Estefan in the Broadway musical On Your Feet!, joins an ensemble cast that Rob Delaney, newcomer Ahmed Elhaj and Arturo Luis Soria as series regulars, joining Vince Vaughn, who also serves as executive producer, Michelle Monaghan, Jodie Turner-Smith and Meredith Hagner.

Based on Carl Hiaasen’s popular 2013 novel, Bad Monkey tells the story of Andrew Yancy (Vaughn), a one-time detective demoted to restaurant inspector in Southern Florida. A severed arm found by a tourist out fishing pulls Yancy into the world of greed and corruption that decimates the land and environment in both Florida and the Bahamas. And yes, there’s a monkey.

Villafañe plays Rosa, a Miami medical examiner who is starting to realize she may not be cut out for her job, so is happy to ditch work and help Yancy try to figure out the story of the severed arm he brings into her lab.

Soria portrays Rogelio, a good Key West police detective who comes to his best friend and ex-partner, Andrew Yancy, with a life-changing assignment. It further complicates things that Rogelio’s husband is also Yancy’s attorney.

Villafañe was most recently seen in a recurring role on the final season of Younger. Her other previous credits include a heavily recurring role on NBC’s New Amsterdam. She was most recently seen in a starring role in the Broadway production of Chicago.

Soria’s guest star/recurring roles include Insatiable and The Blacklist.

Matt Lopez Signs Multi-Year Overall Deal with ABC Signature

Posted on November 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Matt Lopez has an exciting new deal…

The Latino screenwriter, the creator/executive producer of ABC’s Promised Land, has signed a multi-year overall deal with ABC Signature, the studio behind the upcoming multigenerational Latinx family drama.

ABC Signature is part of Disney Television Studios.

Lopez’s Promised Land is an epic, generation-spanning drama about the Sandovals, a Latinx family vying for wealth and power in California’s Sonoma Valley, premiering on January 24, 2022, on ABC.

The series’ all-Latinx cast (including John Ortiz and Christina Ochoa) and majority Latinx crew are filled with people whose stories resemble the Sandoval family.

“‘La familia’ is how the cast and crew of Promised Land refer to each other, and it’s how I think of Jonnie Davis, Tracy Underwood, and their amazing team — as my creative family, said Lopez in a statement to Deadline. “The courage and integrity they have shown in supporting this show make it clear that ABC Signature is committed to telling compelling stories in fresh and exciting ways, and it’s where I want to continue to work and create for years to come.”

Added Davis, President of ABC Signature, “Matt Lopez is homegrown Disney talent, who has worked on the feature side for years. His upcoming Promised Land is a love letter to his family, especially his Cuban grandfather. When he shared this personal story with us and our friends at ABC, we all knew this had to be a television series, and we believe it will be the first of many from this unique and talented writer.”

Lopez’s other recent projects include the upcoming feature film Father of the Bride, a reboot of the classic film franchise, for Warner Bros. and Plan B starring Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan; the family comedy Alexander, for Disney + with 21 Laps and Henson Co; and Wraith, a horror-thriller for Netflix. Matt created and executive produced the television series Gone.

His additional writing credits for the big screen include The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Race to Witch Mountain, and Bedtime Stories.

Lopez segued into writing and producing through the Disney Writers Program after a career as an attorney and business affairs executive for DreamWorks.

Gloria Estefan to Perform at the Latin Grammy Awards Show

Posted on November 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is headed to the Latin Grammys stage…

The Latin Recording Academy has announced additional performers set to take the stage for the 22nd annual Latin Grammy Awards on November 18 in Las Vegas, with the 64-year-old Cuban singer and four-time Latin Grammy winner among those on the list.

Making her return to the Latin Grammys stage after more than a decade, Estefan — accompanied by Anitta, Carlinhos Brown, Laércio da Costa, Pedro Capó, Farina, Giulia Be and Diego Torres — will open the Latin Grammys with a three-song medley, including her iconic song “Abriendo Puertas,” along with “Cuando Hay Amor” and “Magalenha.”

Additionally, Ángela Aguilar, Pepe Aguilar, María Becerra, Eladio Carrión, Silvestre Dangond, Emmanuel, Joss Favela, Evaluna Montaner, Ricardo Montaner, Fito Páez, Residente, Sofía Reyes, among others, have joined the broadcast as presenters.

The new group of artists join previously announced performers Mon Laferte, Grupo Firme, Bad Bunny, Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizárraga, Rubén Blades, C. Tangana, Calibre 50, Los Dos Carnales, Alejandro Fernández, Juanes, Maná, Ozuna, Danna Paola and Myke Towers, among others.

Five-time nominee C. Tangana is set to perform alongside Antonio Carmona, Diego del Morao, Jorge Drexler, Israel Fernández, La Húngara, Natalia Lafourcade and Omar Apollo. Meanwhile, Juanes will perform a new arrangement of Juan Gabriel’s iconic “No Tengo Dinero,” alongside Rubén Albarrán and Meme del Real of Café Tacvba.

With the theme “rediscovering life through music,” the three-hour show will air live on Univision at 8:00 p.m. ET, preceded by a one-hour pre-show starting at 7:00 p.m. ET.

The telecast, live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, will “invite audiences to rediscover what’s important in life using music as a storyline,” according to a statement from the Latin Recording Academy.

Camilo leads the 2021 Latin Grammys nominees with 10 nods, including nominations in the album, record, and song of the year categories. He’s followed by tropical music icon Juan Luis Guerra with six, Spanish rapper Tangana with five nominations, and multiple artists, including Bad Bunny, with four.

Estefan is nominated this year for Best Contemporary Tropical Album for her samba-flavored album Brazil305.

Natti Natasha & Becky G Return to No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with Latest Team-Up “Ram Pam Pam”

Posted on July 15, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Natti Natasha and Becky G are back in top form…

The 34-year-old Dominican singer and the 24-year-old Mexican American singer have returned to Billboard’s Latin Airplay summit with their collaborative single “Ram Pam Pam.” The track hits No. 1 on the July 17-dated chart.

The pair previously appeared atop the tally when “Sin Pijama,” their first team-up, ruled for one week in August 2018.

Becky G last appeared atop the tally with “Sin Pijama,” while Natti Natasha was last at No. 1 in April with “Antes Que Salga El Sol,” with Prince Royce.

It’s the third No. 1 for Becky G on Latin Airplay, and the eighth for Natti Natasha on the 50-deep tally.

“Ram Pam Pam” takes the lead (6-1) with a 48% gain in audience impressions, to 9.6 million, earned in the week ending July 11, according to MRC Data. As Natti establishes her eighth chart-topper, she continues to have the fifth-most No. 1s among female artists since the chart launched in 1994.

Here’s a recap of female acts with the most Latin Airplay No. 1s:

15, Shakira
11, Gloria Estefan
11, Karol G
10, Jennifer Lopez
8, Natti Natasha
5, Paulina Rubio
5, Thalia

“Ram Pam Pam” becomes the second female pairing to lead Latin Airplay in 2021, after Karol G and Mariah Angeliq’s “El Makinon” reigned for one week on the June 5-dated list. The new collaboration is just the fourth joint effort by two women in a lead role to hit No. 1 since the chart’s inception.

Here are the four winners:

Artists, Title, Peak Date
Becky G & Natti Natasha, “Sin Pijama”, August 11, 2018
Karol G & Nicki Minaj, “Tusa,” Feb. 15, 2020 (five weeks)
Karol G & Mariah Angeliq, “El Makinon,” June 5
Natti Natasha & Becky G, “Ram Pam Pam,” July 17

Beyond its Latin Airplay coronation, “Ram Pam Pam” also lands at No. 1 on Latin Rhythm Airplay: a seventh win for Natti and a fourth lead for Becky.

Gloria Estefan to Perform at ‘Vax India Now’ COVID-19 Vaccine Support Livestream Event

Posted on June 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gloria Estefan is helping to raise awareness and money for COVID-19 vaccine support in India.

The 63-year-old Cuban singer, songwriter, actress and businesswoman will perform during the Vax India Now livestream event.

Estefan joins a roster of performers that includes Sting and Josh Groban.

Andrea Bocelli, his son Matteo Bocelli, Yo-Yo Ma, David Foster, Alan Walker, Asif Mandvi, Nishat Kahn and the Ranjani Gayatri Sisters are also slated to perform.

Anuradha Palakurthi, who runs her own foundation in New England that promotes Indian culture, organized Vax India Now, which is primarily funded by the Giving Back Fund, a national nonprofit that encourages and facilitates charitable giving by high-profile individuals and organizations.

“When our longtime Board member Prashanth Palakurthi proposed doing something truly significant on a worldwide scale to help his native India at this critical time, we jumped at the chance to help,” Giving Back Fund president and founder Marc Pollick said in a statement. “This is what we are built for – to mobilize quickly and provide assistance and philanthropic administration to help those in need. At this moment in time, the need in India must become the center of the universe.”

India’s second wave of the virus in February has resulted in 30 million total confirmed cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. On June 10, the nation reached its record-high total of deaths in one day with 7,374 lives lost. Earlier this week, Al Jazeera reported on the unsustainable distribution of the COVID vaccine in India after the world’s second-largest country received a record 8.6 million doses on Monday.

Vax India Now will be livestreamed on Wednesday, July 7, on CNN and Dreamstage.live. Fans can also view the program on vaxindianow.com and CNN’s YouTube channel.

Anuel AA & Manager Become Owners of Puerto Rico’s Capitanes de Arecibo Basketball Team

Posted on June 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Anuel AA is getting in the game…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican rapper and singer and his manager Frabian Eli have become the new owners of Puerto Rican basketball team Capitanes de Arecibo.

Shortly before the 2021 Baloncesto Superior Nacional season kicks off in July, Anuel AA and Eli will take the reins of the team that has previously won four league championships in the past decade.

“Frabian and I will do everything in our hands to continue taking this team to other levels,” Anuel AA said. Eli added, “For us it’s an honor to continue this legacy. We promise to keep the culture and traditions of Arecibo and los Capitanes.”

Anuel AA joins the likes of Bad Bunny — who in May became the co-owner of Puerto Rico’s basketball team Los Cangrejeros de Santurce, which is also part of the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league — Gloria Estefan, Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez, who all own sports teams.

https://twitter.com/bsnpr/status/1403794749321003009

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