Lin-Manuel Miranda Developing Stage Musical of Sol Yurick’s 1965 Novel “The Warriors”

Posted on August 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is planning his next stage project…

The 43-year-old Puerto Rican Tony Award-winning multi-hyphenate has reportedly set his sights on his next musical for the stage.

The multiple Tony and Grammy award winner is adapting a stage musical version of The Warriors, based on Sol Yurick’s 1965 novel that was later turned into the 1979 action thriller film directed by Walter Hill, according to the New York Post’s Johnny Oleksinski.

The project would be Miranda’s first full stage musical since his global phenom Hamilton, winner of 11 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, in 2016.

The Warriors is a familiar setting for New York City native Miranda. The film centers on a fictitious New York City street gang who must travel 30 miles, from the north end of the Bronx to their home turf in Coney Island in southern Brooklyn, after they are framed for the murder of a respected gang leader. While not a musical, the film featured music by Barry De Vorzon, Joe Walsh and others.

Miranda made his Broadway debut writing the music and lyrics and starring in the 2008 musical In the Heights, which won Tony Awards for Best Musical and Best Original Score as well as the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album. The stage musical was adapted into the 2021 film of the same name. He created the soundtracks for the animated films Moana (2016) Vivo and Encanto, both in 2021.

His additional Broadway credits include Freestyle Love Supreme, Bring It On: The Musical and the 2009 revival of West Side Story.

His TV and film credits include tick, tick… BOOM!, Emmy-winning Hamilton, His Dark Materials, Fosse/Verdon, We The People and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, among others.

Lin-Manuel Miranda to Appear on Disney+’s Series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians”

Posted on November 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is playing messenger…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican actor, filmmaker, composer and lyricist has landed a key guest-starring role on Disney+’s upcoming series Percy Jackson and the Olympians.

Based on Rick Riordan’s bestselling book series, Percy Jackson and the Olympians tells the fantastical story of a 12-year-old modern demigod, Percy Jackson (Walter Scobell), who’s just coming to terms with his newfound divine powers when the sky god Zeus accuses him of stealing his master lightning bolt. With help from his friends Grover (Aryan Simhadri) and Annabeth (Leah Sava Jeffries), Percy must embark on an adventure of a lifetime to find it and restore order to Olympus.

Miranda, who is a fan of the Percy Jackson books along with his son, will play Hermes, the messenger god who looks out for travelers and thieves, and is a bit of a trickster himself. He is charismatic & boisterous, the life of the party. Unfortunately, his charm does not do much to heal his strained relationship with his son, Luke (Charlie Bushnell). He’s hesitant to help Percy and his friends on their quest as sometimes getting involved is more trouble than it’s worth.

In addition to series regulars Scobell, Simhadri, Jeffries and Bushnell, Miranda joins previously announced guest stars Megan Mullally, Virginia Kull, Glynn Turman, Jason Mantzoukas, Timm Sharp, Dior Goodjohn, Olivea Morton, Adam Copeland, Suzanne Cryer and Jessica Parker Kennedy.

The series is currently in production in Vancouver and is expected to premiere exclusively on Disney+ in 2024.

Riordan and Jon Steinberg wrote the pilot, and James Bobin directs.

Miranda is a Grammy, Emmy, Tony and Pulitzer Prize-winning songwriter, actor, director and producer. Creator and original star of Broadway’s Tony-winning Hamilton and In the Heights, his additional Broadway credits include Freestyle Love Supreme, Bring It On: The Musical and the 2009 revival of West Side Story. His TV and film credits include tick, tick… BOOM!, Vivo, the feature adaptation of In the Heights, Emmy-winning Hamilton, His Dark Materials, Fosse/Verdon, We The People and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

Miranda earned guest actor Emmy nominations for Curb Your Enthusiasm and as host of Saturday Night Live, and Oscar nominations for Best Original Song for Moana, Mary Poppins Returns and most recently Encanto.

Cristela Alonzo Partnering with Dan Bucatinsky to Develop “She Gets It From Me” for CBS

Posted on October 28, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Cristela Alonzo gets it…

The 43-year-old Mexican American comedian, actress, writer and producer will partner with Dan Bucatinsky to develop the series She Gets It From Me for CBS.

The semi-autobiographical single-camera comedy is inspired by Bucatinsky’s journey as an adoptive parent.

Alonzo, the first Latina woman to create, produce, write and star in her own US primetime comedy, will star in, co-write and executive produce the project.

The intention is for Bucatinsky to also star, but there isn’t an acting deal for him at this time, according to Deadline. Jennifer Lopez’s Nuyorican and Ryan Seacrest Prods. are producing for ABC Signature.

She Gets It From Me centers on what happens when the teenaged, adopted daughter of two hyper-devoted, straight-laced, suburban gay dads seeks out a relationship with her uniquely bold, take-no-prisoners, Latin birth mom (Alonzo). The series examines a contemporary blended family, a poignant and hilarious exploration of the shotgun marriage of not only the birth mom and the adoptive parents, but also the complications and joys of blending both of their big, noisy, multiethnic and multigenerational families.

She Gets It From Me draws on parenthood experiences Bucatinsky chronicled in his 2012 bestselling comedic memoir Does This Baby Make Me Look Straight?: Confessions of a Gay Dad. He’s reuniting with Lopez on the CBS comedy after appearing opposite her in the romantic comedy film Second Act.

Alonzo broke ground in 2014 with her ABC comedy Cristela. Her other television credits include HBO’s His Dark Materials, and Nickelodeon’s The Casagrandes and Legends of the Hidden Temple.

Alonzo has done two stand-up comedy specials for Netflix: 2017’s Lower Classy and 2022’s Middle Classy.

Dafne Keen Currently Filming Third & Final Season of BBC/HBO’s “His Dark Materials”

Posted on June 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the end of the road for Dafne Keen…

Filming is officially underway on the third and final season of His Dark Materials, the BBC and HBO’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s beloved fantasy adventure novels starring the 16-year-old half-Spanish actress.

Season 3 will be based on The Amber Spyglass, the most complex and ambitious of Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy of novels, as Lyra and Will travel through different worlds to find each other.

Bad Wolf, in association with New Line Cinema, cracked open the clapperboards on May 24, according to a picture of Keen (Lyra) and Amir Wilson (Will) released to celebrate the shoot.

Production is taking place at Wolf Studios Wales stages and on location throughout Wales and England. Directors are Amit Gupta, Charles Martin, and Weronika Tofilska.

Returning cast includes Ruth Wilson (Mrs. Coulter), Simone Kirby (Mary Malone), Will Keen (Father McPhail), Jade Anouka (Ruta Skadi), Ruta Gedminstas (Serafina Pekkala), and James McAvoy (Lord Asriel).

New cast includes Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Commander Ogunwe; Jamie Ward as Father Gomez; Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Simon Harrison, and Chipo Chung are the rebel angels Balthamos, Baruch, and Xaphania; Amber Fitzgerald-Woolfe as Ama.

Executive producer Jane Tranter said: “This season is both an epic adventure and a story about love and truth. Jack, Francesca and Amelia’s scripts capture the brilliance of Philip’s worlds and we are joined by our much-loved existing cast and some exceptional talent new to the series.”

HBO & BBC One Renew Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Drama Series “His Dark Materials” for Third & Final Season

Posted on December 24, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more dark material in Lin-Manuel Miranda’s future…

HBO and BBC One have renewed the fantasy drama His Dark Materials, starring the 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer and composer/lyricist, for a third and final season.

HBO and BBC One will run with the eight-episode season set to close the story.

The latest season, which is based on Philip Pullman’s novels, begins production in Cardiff, Wales in 2021.

This comes as the second season of the Bad Wolf-produced drama concludes on Monday, December 28 on HBO.

Last month, Bad Wolf co-founder Jane Tranter reported that Jack Thorne and a team of writers were working on scripts and that the series will be based on The Amber Spyglass. In January, HBO programming chief Casey Bloys has said that he was particularly pleased that the drama had been a co-viewing hit with families.

The second season, which consisted of seven episodes due to COVID-19, follows Lyra, played by Dafne Keen, a seemingly ordinary but brave young woman from another world. It begins as Lyra, distraught over the death of her best friend, embarks upon a journey in a strange and mysterious abandoned city. There she meets Will, played by Amir Wilson, a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past. Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter, played by Ruth Wilson, searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.

Season two series regulars also include Miranda, Ariyon Bakare, Andrew Scott, Will Keen and Ruta Gedmintas. New cast members this season included Terence Stamp, Jade Anouka and Simone Kirby.

His Dark Materials is produced by Bad Wolf in association with New Line Cinema for BBC One and HBO.

“Bringing Phillip Pullman’s epic, intricate and culturally resonant body of work to television has been a tremendous privilege,” said Francesca Orsi, Executive Vice President, HBO Programming. “We thank our incredible partners at the BBC and the entire Bad Wolf team, led by the indefatigable Jane Tranter, for their exceptional work on the first two seasons. We look forward to completing the trilogy with this final chapter in Lyra’s journey.”

HBO to Launch Season Two of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “His Dark Materials” in November

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda will be going dark next month…

HBO and BBC big-budget co-production His Dark Materials, starring the 40-year-old Puerto Rican composer, lyricist, actor, singer, rapper, producer, and playwright, will be back with a bang in November for its second season.

HBO will launch the second season of the Bad Wolf-produced adaptation of the Philip Pullman books at 9 p.m. November 16. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max.

This comes as the team behind the series, which includes writer Jack Thorne, are prepping scripts for a possible third season. Although a third run hasn’t been commissioned, the hope on all sides is for it to run for more seasons.

HBO programming chief Casey Bloys told Deadline earlier this year that the first season had performed very well for the network and that he would like to do more. “One of the things that I was hoping for, and the numbers we’re seeing bear this out, it is more of a co-viewing show than we’ve ever had. We don’t have many shows where kids and parents can watch together, and that was the idea with this show and it has done really well.”

The first two seasons of the show essentially are based on Pullman’s Northern Lights and The Subtle Knife. Jane Tranter, who runs Bad Wolf with Julie Gardner, told Deadline that if possible they would like to split the “huge” and “sprawling” third book The Amber Spyglass into two additional seasons.

The second season begins after Lord Asriel has opened a bridge to a new world, and Lyra, distraught over the death of her best friend, follows Asriel into the unknown. In a strange and mysterious abandoned city, she meets Will, a boy from our world who also is running from a troubled past. Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.

In addition to Miranda, Season 2 series regulars include Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, Amir Wilson, Ariyon Bakare, Andrew Scott, Will Keen and Ruta Gedmintas. Joining the cast this season are Terence Stamp, Jade Anouka and Simone Kirby.

HBO Releases First Look Trailer at Season Two of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “His Dark Materials”

Posted on August 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Lin-Manuel Miranda is still living in a Materials world…

HBO has released a first look at the upcoming second season of His Dark Materials, starring the 40-year-old Puerto Rican actor, singer and Broadway star.

The second season of HBO/BBC’s big-budget adaptation of Philip Pullman’s fantasy epic begins after Lord Asriel has opened a bridge to a new world, and, distraught over the death of her best friend, Lyra follows Asriel into the unknown. In a strange and mysterious abandoned city she meets Will, a boy from our world who is also running from a troubled past. Lyra and Will learn their destinies are tied to reuniting Will with his father but find their path is constantly thwarted as a war begins to brew around them. Meanwhile, Mrs. Coulter searches for Lyra, determined to bring her home by any means necessary.

In addition to Miranda, who plays aeronaut Lee Scoresby, the cast of season two series regulars include half-Spanish actress Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, Amir Wilson, Ariyon Bakare, Andrew Scott, Will Keen and Ruta Gedmintas.

Joining the cast this season are Terence Stamp, Jade Anouka and Simone Kirby.

His Dark Materials, one of the biggest in scope and most expensive British dramas to date, is written by Jack Thorne and directed by Tom Hooper, and is based on Pullman’s acclaimed trilogy of books: Northern Lights, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass, considered a modern masterpiece of imaginative fiction.

His Dark Materials is produced by Bad Wolf in association with New Line Cinema for BBC One and HBO.

Season 2 is set to premiere in November on HBO.

Cristela Alonzo Joins Voice Cast of HBO/BBC’s Drama “His Dark Materials”

Posted on September 1, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Cristela Alonzo is going dark…

The 40-year-old Mexican American comedian/actress is lending her voice to HBO and BBC drama His Dark Materials.

Alonzo, Helen McCrory, and David Suchet are among those to sign up as voice actors for the Philip Pullman adaptation, written by Jack Thorne and produced by Bad Wolf.

The first season of His Dark Materials follows Lyra, played by Dafne Keen, searching for a kidnapped friend. She uncovers a sinister plot involving stolen children and becomes a quest to understand a mysterious phenomenon called Dust. As she journeys through the worlds, including our own, Lyra meets a determined and courageous boy called Will (Amir Wilson). Together they encounter extraordinary beings and dangerous secrets, with the fate of both the living — and the dead — in their hands. James McAvoy, plays Lord Asriel who has a demon in the form of a snow leopard. Ruth Wilson’s villainess Mrs. Coulter has a monkey. Lin-Manuel Miranda plays Lee Scoresby, a Texan who flies air balloons. He revealed that when we first see his character, he’s singing with his demon.

McCrory voices Stelmaria, Lord Asriel’s snow leopard daemon, Suchet is Kaisa, gyrfalcon daemon to the witch Serafina Pekkala, played by Ruta Gedmintas. Scoresby’s daemon is an arctic hare called Hester, voiced by Alonzo and Lyra’s unsettled daemon, Pantalaimon, is voiced by Kit Connor. Mrs Coulter’s mysterious daemon, a Golden Monkey, doesn’t speak or have a name but his animal noises and vocal characteristics will be created by Brian Fisher, who also serves as the lead puppeteer and CFX co-ordinator on the series.

Iorek Byrnison, a bear who Lyra meets on her quest will be voiced by Joe Tandberg. In the frozen wilderness of the North exists a race of armored bears. Both skilled metal workers and fierce warriors, they have their own culture and laws.

The cast of the drama also includes Anne-Marie Duff, Clarke Peters, Ariyon Bakare, Will Keen, Ian Gelder, Georgina Campbell, Lucian Msamati, James Cosmo, Mat Fraser, Geoff Bell, Simon Manyonda as well as young actors Lewin Lloyd, Daniel Frogsonand Tyler Howitt.

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