HBO Renews Pedro Pascal’s “The Last of Us” for Third Season

Posted on April 9, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

It appears you haven’t seen the Last of Pedro Pascal.

HBO has picked up The Last of Us, starring the 50-year-old Chilean actor, for a third season.

The announcement comes ahead of the anticipated Season 2 debut on Sunday. The decision has not been made whether Season 3 will be the series’ last, per Deadline.

Creators Neil Druckmann and Craig Mazin previously said they were contemplating up to four total seasons to tell the story laid out across two video games.

The upcoming Season 2 is seven episodes long, and the duo sought early on to quell any worry from fans that they’d try to wrap up the behemoth that is The Last of Us Part II game in such little time.

“It can’t be overemphasized how proud HBO is for the outstanding achievement we believe the second season of The Last of Us is,” Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming, Head of HBO Drama Series and Films, said in a statement. “Craig, Neil, Carolyn and the entire executive producer team, cast and crew have delivered a masterful follow-up and we’re thrilled to carry the power of Craig and Neil’s storytelling into what we know will be an equally moving and extraordinary third season.”

The early renewal is a show of faith for the acclaimed series, though not entirely unexpected, given that the first season performed so well for the network. By the time the Season 1 finale aired, HBO said the season’s average audience had surpassed 30 million viewers, with the premiere well on its way to 40M. That’s after the premiere episode brought in a same-day audience of 4.7M, which at the time was the largest debut after House of the Dragon since Boardwalk Empire launched in 2010.

“To see The Last of Us brought to life so beautifully and faithfully has been a career highlight for me, and I am grateful for the fans’ enthusiastic and overwhelming support,” Druckmann said in a statement today. “Much of that success is thanks to my partner in crime, Craig Mazin, our partnership with HBO, and our team at PlayStation Productions. On behalf of everyone at Naughty Dog, our cast and crew, thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity. We’re thrilled to bring you more of The Last of Us!”

Mazin added: “We approached season two with the goal of creating something we could be proud of. The end results have exceeded even our most ambitious goals, thanks to our continued collaboration with HBO and the impeccable work of our unparalleled cast and crew. We look forward to continuing the story of The Last of Us with Season 3.”

Based on Naughty Dog’s award-winning video game, The Last of Us takes place 20 years after modern civilization has been destroyed.

Joel, played by Pascal, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie (Bella Ramsey), a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal and heartbreaking journey as they both must traverse the U.S. and depend on each other for survival.

Season 2 picks up five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

In addition to Pascal and Ramsey, returning cast includes Gabriel Luna and Rutina Wesley.

Joining Season 2 are Kaitlyn Dever, Isabela Merced, Young Mazino, Ariela Barer, Tati Gabrielle, Spencer Lord, Danny Ramirez and Jeffrey Wright. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

The Last of Us is written and executive produced by Mazin and Druckmann. The series is a co-production with Sony Pictures Television.

PlayStation Productions, Word Games, Mighty Mint and Naughty Dog produce.

HBO Begins Production of Season Two of Azul Guaita-Starring Original Series “Like Water For Chocolate”

Posted on April 3, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Azul Guaita is back for another round of chocolate…

HBO‘s original series Like Water For Chocolate, starring the 23-year-old Mexican Actress, has begun production on the second and final season.

Based on the Laura Esquivel novel of the same name, the series follows star-crossed lovers Tita (Guaita) and Pedro (Andres Baida), whose romance is thwarted by her family’s traditions, forcing Tita to navigate magic and flavors in the kitchen as she fights for love and embraces her destined path.

HBO reveals that Season 2 “will continue to tell the story of love and struggle, rich in traditional flavors, set during the Mexican Revolution.”

“This will be a season of change and growth for many of our characters, particularly Tita,” said executive producer Salma Hayek Pinault, founder of Ventanarosa Productions, which produces the project. “We are proud to partner with Max and Endemol again for this new season, which will be an intense journey, full of dramatic but also romantic, magical events. I can’t wait for the audience to experience how our story concludes.”

In addition to Guaita and Baida, the returning cast includes Irene Azuela as Mamá Elena; Ana Valeria Becerril as Rosaura, Tita’s sister and love rival; Andrea Chaparro as the brave Gertrudis, Tita’s half-sister; Ángeles Cruz as Nacha, the cook and Tita’s mentor; Francisco Angelini as Dr. Brown; Louis David Horné as the battle-hardened Juan Alejandrez; Mauricio García Lozano as Don Pedro Múzquiz; and Ari Brickman as Don Felipe Múzquiz.

“The success of the first season shows how an authentically Mexican story can also resonate with a global audience, deeply connecting with its universe of flavors and passions. This success drives us to take the second season even further, betting on the high quality of its production and the magnificent team of artists and creators that make this story a truly magical production,” shared Mariano César, SVP, General Entertainment and Programming Strategy at Warner Bros. Discovery Latin America and U.S. Hispanic.

Season 2 is directed by Julián de Tavira, with Ximena Amann serving as director of photography. Jerry Rodríguez serves as showrunner. Head writer is Silvia Ortega Vettoretti with script assistance from Check cinco. Production design by Antonio Muño – Hierro, costume design by Annaí Ramos, and makeup design by María Paz Robles.

The HBO Original series is a production of Ventanarosa Productions, José Tamez, and Siobhan Flynn serving as executive producers, along with Sharon Levy, Lisa Fahrenholt and Flavio Morales for Endemol Shine North America; and Alejandro Rincón, Clara Machado, and Jerry Rodríguez for EndemolShine Boomdog. The executive production of Warner Bros. Discovery is led by Mariano César, Vanessa Miranda, and Anouk Aarón.

Season 1 is available to stream via Max.

HBO to Premiere Second Season of Pedro Pascal’s “The Last of Us” in April

Posted on February 19, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Have you seen the Last of Pedro Pascal?

HBO has scheduled the premiere for Season 2 of the 49-year-old Chilean actor’s drama series The Last of Us for April 13 at 9:00 pm ET/PT.

The series will be picking up the Sunday marquee time slot from The White Lotus after the third season of Mike White’s series concludes.

The episodes will be available to stream on Max at the same time that they air on HBO.

Along with the date announcement, HBO also released a few new character posters featuring Ellie (Bella Ramsey), Joel (Pascal) and Abby (Kaitlyn Dever).

HBO has released a few teasers for the upcoming season, as well as some images, though there hasn’t been a full trailer.

To date, it’s not entirely clear how much of the story is from the game The Last Of Us Part II. HBO exec Francesca Orsi recently told Deadline it’s likely that the series will span four seasons, which would indicate only a fraction of the second game will be addressed in Season 2.

Orsi’s comments line up with previous suggestions from co-creators Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann that the second game was too expansive to fit into one season of television. For everything we know so far about Season 2, check here.

The Last of Us picks up in Season 2 five years after the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie are drawn into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.

In addition to Ramsey and Pascal, returning cast includes Gabriel Luna as Tommy, and Rutina Wesley as Maria.

Previously announced new cast, joining Dever, will be Isabela Merced as Dina, Young Mazino as Jesse, Ariela Barer as Mel, Tati Gabrielle as Nora, Spencer Lord as Owen, Danny Ramirez as Manny, and Jeffrey Wright as Isaac. Catherine O’Hara also guest stars.

Prime Video Releasing George Lopez’s Final Comedy Special, “Muy Católico,” in February

Posted on January 22, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

George Lopez is preparing for his last (stand-up) hurrah…

The 63-year-old Mexican American comedian and actor is retiring from stand-up comedy, but not before giving fans one last show.

From Prime Video, George Lopez: Muy Católico, recorded last September at the famed Los Angeles venue, the Dolby Theater, will premiere on February 18.

Across one hour, Lopez will share his reflections on aging, Latino family dynamics, and cultural quirks.

He also embraces the challenges of getting older and touches on generational clashes and Latino superstitions.

“It is the last one. I’ve subjected the American people to enough of my crap. It seems like the right time; it’s been the one thing that has just never left me my whole life and it’s a wonderful place to leave it at this particular point,” Lopez told Tamron Hall about his decision to retire.

Viewers can continue to watch Lopez and his real-life daughter Mayan Lopez, who you can see on the right-hand side of the photo above, in the NBC comedy Lopez Vs. Lopez, which is currently in its third season. The duo plays father and daughter in the multi-cam series that explores a fictionalized version of their relationship which they co-created alongside Debby Wolfe.

George Lopez previously released four HBO comedy specials including The Wall (2017), It’s Not Me, It’s You (2012), Tall, Dark and Chicano (2009), which was nominated for a Best Comedy Album Grammy Award, and America’s Mexican (2007).

His comedy concert, Why You Crying? from Showtime was released in 2004.

His most recent special, We’ll Do It for Half, was released on Netflix in 2020.

The special is produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Travieso Productions.

Justina Machado to Star in Broadway Production “Real Women Have Curves: The Musical”

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Justina Machado is preparing to take on a curvy new role on Broadway.

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican SAG Award-winning actress and Broadway newcomer Tatianna Córdoba have been cast as the leads in the upcoming Broadway production Real Women Have Curves: The Musical.

Córdoba will make her debut starring as ambitious high school senior Ana Garcia (a role that marked America Ferrera’s breakout debut in the 2002 HBO film).

Starring alongside her will be Machado as Carmen Garcia, Ana’s hardworking mother who imagines a traditional life for her daughter.

Real Women Have Curves: The Musical is set to begin previews on April 1 at the James Earl Jones Theatre ahead of an opening night on April 27.

The official synopsis: It’s the summer of 1987, and Ana Garcia dreams of flying away from East Los Angeles. But when her family receives a make-or-break order for 200 dresses, Ana finds herself juggling her own ambitions, her mother’s expectations, and a community of women all trying to make it work against the odds.

The production also announced the full creative team for the Broadway run, which will feature direction & choreography by Sergio Trujillo, music and lyrics by Joy Huerta and composer/lyricist Benjamin Velez, book by Lisa Loomer with Nell Benjamin, and music supervision by Nadia DiGiallonardo.

The production will also feature music direction by Roberto Sinha, scenic design by Arnulfo Maldonado, costume design by Wilberth Gonzalez and Paloma Young, lighting design by Natasha Katz, sound design by John Shivers, video design by Hana S. Kim, and hair, wig, and make-up design by Krystal Balleza.

The musical is based on the play by Josefina López and HBO’s Real Women Have Curves (screenplay by Josefina López and George LaVoo). American Repertory Theater (A.R.T) at Harvard University produced the musical’s world premiere in 2023.

Machado’s previous credits include the television programs One Day at a Time, Queen of the South and Devious Maids, as well as the films The Purge: Anarchy and Final Destination 2.

Melissa Barrera’s “Your Monster” Making Global Streaming Debut Exclusively on Max

Posted on January 17, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Barrera’s monster project is headed to Max.

Following its theatrical release via Vertical, the Sundance genre-bender Your Monster, starring the 34-year-old Mexican actress and Tommy Dewey will make its global streaming debut exclusively on Max on Friday, January 24.

The film will debut on HBO linear at 8:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 25.

Marking the feature directorial debut of Caroline Lindy, who adapted the script from her own 2020 short film, Your Monster tells the story of the soft-spoken actor Laura Franco (Barrera), who is dumped by her longtime boyfriend (Edmund Donovan) while recovering from surgery and retreats to her childhood home to recover. With her future looking bleak, insult is added to injury when Laura discovers her ex is staging a musical that she helped him develop. But out of these gut-wrenching life changes emerges a monster (Dewey) with whom she finds a connection, encouraging Laura to follow her dreams, open her heart and fall in love with her inner rage.

Also starring Kayla Foster and Meghann Fahy, the film is produced by Foster, Lindy, Kira Carstensen, Melanie Donkers and Shannon Reilly, and executive produced by Bob Potter, Dewey, Sharon Horgan and Clelia Mountford. Jackson Sinder, Jack Taylor Cox and Alex Peace-Power were co-producers.

Barrera’s previous credits include In The Heights, Scream, Scream VI and Abigail.

Raúl Castillo to Star in 20th Century Studios‘ “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle” Remake

Posted on November 18, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Raúl Castillo is ready to rock (the cradle)…

The 47-year-old Mexican American actor and playwright has joined the cast of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, 20th Century Studios‘ remake of the classic 1992 psychological thriller starring Maika Monroe and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Castillo takes over the part of Matt McCoy as the architect husband of Winstead’s character, portrayed in the original film by Annabella Sciorra.

Claire Bartel is happily married and pregnant for the second time when she becomes the target of a dark plot on the part of a nanny — originally portrayed by Rebecca De Mornay, and now by Monroe.

Directed by Curtis Hanson, the original watches as Peyton infiltrates the lives of the Bartel family after experiencing personal and professional ruin, slowly gaining their trust while manipulating them from within. Her ultimate goal? To destroy Claire and assume her place within her family.

Michelle Garza Cervera will direct the new take from a script by Micah Bloomberg.

Leaning into genre fare of late, Castillo can currently be seen supporting Naomi Scott in Paramount’s Smile 2, which has grossed over $131M to date.

Up next, he’ll be seen in a trio of indie thrillers — Cold Wallet, Push, and Barron’s Cove — as well as the anticipated HBO limited series Task from Mare of Easttown‘s Brad Ingelsby.

Castillo is a Gotham and Independent Spirit Award nominee.

Oscar Isaac Officially Starring in Season Two of Netflix’s “Beef” Anthology Series

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is officially beefing up his resume…

Netflix has confirmed it is moving forward with a second season of its anthology series Beef, with the 45-year-old Cuban-Guatemalan actors among the cast members for the new installment.

Isaac will be joined by Carey Mulligan, Charles Melton and Cailee Spaeny for the new season.

In Season 2, a young couple witnesses an alarming fight between their boss and his wife, triggering chess moves of favors and coercion in the elitist world of a country club and its Korean billionaire owner.

Further Season 2 details will be revealed at a later time.

The first season of Beef starring Steven Yeun and Ali Wong, premiered in 2023 and went on to win a slew of awards including eight Emmy Awards, four Critics Choice Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, two Gotham Awards, two Film Independent Spirit Awards, two SAG Awards, as well as PGA, WGA and AFI Honors.

In the first season, Yeun and Wong play two strangers whose lives collide in a strange way after they’re involved in a road rage incident. The story is based off Lee’s personal experience with a road rage incident.

The upcoming installment will consist of eight 30-minutes episodes with Lee Sung Jin returning as creator, showrunner and executive producer. Yeun, Wong and Jake Schreier also executive produce. A24 is the studio.

Isaac earned an Emmy nomination for his performance in HBO’s Scenes From a Marriage.

He recently wrapped production on Julian Schnabel’s Hand of Dante, starring opposite Jason Momoa, as well as Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein movie in which he plays Doctor Frankenstein.

Colman Domingo to Make Film Directorial Debut with Miramax’s “Scandalous”

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Colman Domingo is preparing to make his scandalous film directorial debut.

The 54-year-old Emmy-winning Belizean-Guatemalan American actor and activist will make his film directorial debut in Scandalous, a fast-tracked Miramax drama about the clandestine love affair between film star Kim Novak and singer/dancer and film star Sammy Davis Jr. in 1957.

Sydney Sweeney will play Novak, and David Jonsson will play Davis.

The plan is to shoot the film — imagine a film about classic Hollywood being shot in Los Angeles — when Domingo and Sweeney complete Season 3 of the HBO series Euphoria.

Much the way she did with the sleeper hit Anyone But You, Sweeney was active in putting this one together and she’ll be a producer along with Tani Cohen and Bobby Rock, with Jon Levin executive producing.

Matthew Fantaci wrote the script.

Before he became Miramax CEO, Jon Glickman originated the project at Panoramic, and remained high on it.

Novak, star of Vertigo, and Rat Pack member Davis were at the peak of star power when they met while guests on The Steve Allen Show. They fell hard for each other, but as rumors spread, the rampant racism in America threatened to derail their careers. Novak experienced the ire of Harry Cohn, the Columbia Pictures chief who had the actress under contract. Their covert affair became big news when a Chicago gossip columnist in early 1958 wrote a detailed account of their relationship, including their plans to marry. This despite their denials. Davis nine days later married a Black chorus girl named Loray White.

Domingo is coming off acclaimed turns in Rustin and Sing Sing, and he’s also working on a film about Nat King Cole that he would star in and direct.

He has directed television in the past and he’s currently in production on Netflix and Tina Fey’s The Four Seasons and he has the Netflix limited series The Madness. He also plays Joe Jackson in the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.

Lights Out: Nat King Cole, which Domingo wrote with director Patricia McGregor, will premiere at New York Theater Workshop in the spring, after it premiered at the Geffen Theater in 2019.

Raúl Castillo to Lead the Cast of William Atticus Parker’s Suspense Sci-Fi Tale “The Auction”

Posted on July 24, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Raúl Castillo is headed to an auction…

The 46-year-old Mexican American actor will star as the lead in William Atticus Parker’s third film, The Auction.

The suspense science-fiction tale is loosely inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.

The film is set at the Aztec Corp., a company that auctions off ancient antiquities and semi-distinct wild exotic animals.

Castillo will portray the newest sales representative, David Valdez, with Ben Vereen appearing as his father and K. Todd Freeman as the head of the corporation.

The previously announced cast also includes Audra McDonald, Mary-Louise Parker and Richard Kind. Details about their specific roles aren’t being released yet.

Castillo will next be seen in Paramount’s upcoming Smile 2 and alongside Mark Ruffalo in HBO’s untitled Brad Ingelsby series.

He’s known for movies including Steven Soderbergh’s Cold Wallet, Amazon’s Cassandro opposite Gael Garia Bernal, Army of the Dead, Cha Cha Real Smooth and A24’s The Inspection, as well as TV series including HBO’s Looking, Starz’s Vida and Netflix’s Atypical.

Agatha Christie’s book And Then There Were None is one of the world’s best-selling mystery novels, and it has been adapted multiple times for big and small screen.

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