The 68-year-old Cuban Oscar-nominated actor has joined the cast of the David Mamet-scripted addiction drama The Prince.
Garcia is part of a cast that includes Simon Rex, Inanna Sarkis, Wayne Brady,J.K. Simmons, Nicolas Cage, Giancarlo Esposito and Scott Haze.
Director Cameron Van Hoy’s film is rumored to have been partly inspired by the journey of Hunter Biden.
George Newbern, Beverly D’Angelo, Paul Cassell and Courtnee Carter are also part of the cast.
Though most plot details are being kept under wraps, The Prince is said to chronicle the “outrageous story of Parker Scott (played by Haze), a drug-fueled power broker hungry for non-stop thrills, ruling over a privileged world where pleasure is king, and more is never enough”.
The film is produced by Sean Wolfington, Haze, Van Hoy, Jo Henriquez and Lije Sarki.
John Devaney, CJ Kirvan and Jose Luiz Zapata serve as executive producers.
Mamet alluded to his work on the project a few months ago, in an interview with podcaster Andrew Klavan. “These guys who did Sound of Freedom, they came to me and they said, ‘You want to write a movie for us?’ I said, ‘Yeah sure, what do you got?’” he shared. “They said they wanted to do a movie about Hunter Biden.”
A source close to the filmmakers last month denied that the project draws inspiration from Biden, stating, “This project has been in the works for a while and, as it currently stands and is led by van Hoy, is a fictional account of fictional events and characters.”
Garcia’s recent film credits include Expend4bles, Book Club: The Next Chapter and Father of the Bride.
Rachel Zegler has a date with the Oscars after all…
The 20-year-old half-Colombian American actress/singer, who won a Golden Globe for her performance in West Side Story, will serve as a presenter for the 94th annual Academy Awards on Sunday.
Over the weekend, Zegler reported on social media that she did not receive an invite to the Oscars, but that changed two days later when her production schedule in London on the Disney movie Snow Whiteloosened up.
But, Zegler isn’t the only Latinx talent set to present on Hollywood’s Biggest Night.
Jacob Elordi, the 24-year-old Spanish-Australian star of Netflix‘s The Kissing Boothteen film franchise and the HBOseriesEuphoria, has also been added to the list of presenters, alongside Josh Brolin, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jason Momoa, Jill Scott, J.K. Simmons, Serena Williams and Venus Williams.
Previously announced Latinx presenters include Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo and Rosie Perez.
Here is the full list of presenters, in alphabetical order, set for the Oscars, which will air live from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood at 5:00 pm PT/8:00 pm ET and in 200-plus territories around the world:
Halle Bailey Stephanie Beatriz Josh Brolin Ruth E. Carter
Sean “Diddy” Combs Kevin Costner
Jamie Lee Curtis
DJ Khaled
Jacob Elordi
Jennifer Garner
Jake Gyllenhaal
Woody Harrelson
H.E.R.
Tiffany Haddish
Tony Hawk
Anthony Hopkins Daniel Kaluuya
Samuel L. Jackson Lady Gaga
Lily James
Zoë Kravitz Mila Kunis
John Leguizamo Simu Liu Rami Malek
Shawn Mendes
Jason Momoa
Bill Murray
Lupita Nyong’o
Elliot Page Rosie Perez
Chris Rock
Jill Scott
Naomi Scott
Tyler Perry
Tracee Ellis Ross
J.K. Simmons
Kelly Slater
Wesley Snipes
Uma Thurman
John Travolta
Shaun White
Serena Williams
Venus Williams
Yuh-Jung Youn
Rachel Zegler
Desi Arnaz’s life with Lucille Ball is getting the documentary treatment…
Amazon has unveiled the trailer for Lucy and Desi, a documentary film from director Amy Poehler.
The doc is set to debut exclusively on Prime Video on March 4, after its well-received January premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.
Lucy and Desi features interviews with Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, Norman Lear, Desi Arnaz Jr, Carol Burnett and Bette Midler and explores the unlikely partnership and enduring legacy of one of the most prolific power couples in entertainment history, Ball and Arnaz.
The Hollywood power couple risked everything to be together—their love for each other, leading to I Love Lucy, the most influential show in the history of television.
Desi—an immigrant from Cuba who lost everything in exile—became a bandleader, and eventually a brilliant producer and technical pioneer. Lucille came from nothing and, with an unrivaled work ethic, built a career as a model, chorus girl and eventually as an actor in the studio system. She found her calling in comedy, first in radio.
When Lucille was finally granted the opportunity to have her own television show, she insisted that her real-life spouse, Desi, be cast as her husband. Defying the odds, they reinvented the medium, on the screen and behind the cameras. The foundation of I Love Lucy was the constant rupture and repair of unconditional love. What Lucy and Desi couldn’t make work with each other, they gave to the rest of the world.
Mark Monroe wrote the film.
It’s the second in recent memory to spotlight the story of Ball and Arnaz following Aaron Sorkin’s Being the Ricardos, starring Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem, which has been nominated for Oscars in the categories of Best Actress (Kidman), Actor (Bardem) and Supporting Actor (J.K. Simmons).
The 27-year-old Dominican American actress/singer has given fans a first look at her costume for the upcoming Batgirlfilm, which is expected to debut on HBO Max at some point this year.
“I use their expectations against them,” Grace captioned the Instagram image. “That will be their weakness. Not mine. Let them all underestimate me…And when their guard is down, and their pride is rising, let me kick their butts.”
– Batgirl, Year One
The film, directed by Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, stars Grace as Barbara Gordon.
J.K. Simmons, Brendan Fraser and Michael Keaton are also on board.
Javier Bardem is embracing his moment of being a Ricardo…
Amazon Studios has released the first extended look at the 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor’s Desi Arnaz and Nicole Kidman’s Lucille Ball in the new trailer for Being the Ricardos.
The project is writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s peek behind the scenes of television’s pioneering sitcom I Love Lucy.
In the trailer, Ball and Arnaz are depicted at one of the couple’s many pivotal moments: This time, it’s the House Un-American Activities Committee’s investigation into Ball’s early ties to the Communist Party.
“We’ve been through worse than this,” Bardem’s Arnaz assures his wife. “We have?,” replies Kidman’s Ball in a throaty voice and with the perfect comic timing that would make Lucy a legend.
The trailer also unveils J.K. Simmons as William Frawley and Nina Arianda as Vivian Vance, and features a tense scene on the Lucy set as Ball makes her first appearance following news of the FBI investigation.
In addition to Kidman, Bardem, Simmons and Arianda, Being the Ricardos features Jake Lacy, Tony Hale and Alia Shawkat.
Amazon Studio’s Being the Ricardos opens in theaters on December 10, and premieres on Amazon Prime Video on December 21.
It appears Javier Bardem has some ‘splaining to do…
Amazon has released the first trailer for Being the Ricardos, starring the 52-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor as the late Desi Arnaz.
“I get paid a fortune to do exactly what I love doing,” Nicole Kidman says in the trailer for the film, which will be released on December 21. “I work side by side with my husband who is genuinely impressed by me, and all I have to do to keep it is kill for 36 weeks in a row—and then do it again the next year.”
Writer-director Aaron Sorkin’s follow-up to The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a biopic of I Love Lucy stars and real-life couple Lucille Ball (Kidman) Arnaz (Bardem). It’s set during one production week on the TV comedy—from Monday table read through Friday audience filming—when the pair face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
“You know, I did this show so that Desi and I could be together,” Kidman’s Ball admits in voiceover. “I had no idea it was going to be a hit.” Of course, in the end, it would prove to be so much more—enduring for generations as a classic, following its six seasons on CBS, which saw it win four Emmys, among numerous other accolades.
Being the Ricardos also stars J.K. Simmons, Jake Lacy, Nina Arianda, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Clark Gregg, Nelson Franklin and more.
The 40-year-old Chilean actress will star opposite J.K. Simmons and Allen Leech in the thriller The Woods.
Isabelle Anaya is also starring in the project.
Michelle Schumacher will direct from a screenplay she co-wrote with Carolyn Carpenter.
The film centers on a teenage girl suffering from anxiety due to a tragic event from her past who finds herself hunted through the woods by a sociopath on a murderous rampage.
“I didn’t want to play any truly scary bad guys when our kids were young, partly because of how it might affect them if they saw the film and also because I didn’t want to bring that energy home with me after an intense day on the set,” Simmons said. But now that his two children are in college, Simmons has freed himself to unleash his inner villain.
Urrejola can currently be seen in Warner Bros.’ Cry Macho, directed by and starring Clint Eastwood.
The 38-year-old Argentine actress has been cast as a series regular opposite Sissy Spacek and J.K. Simmons in Amazon’s genre-bending drama series Lightyears, a co-production between Amazon Studios and Legendary Television.
Zylberberg will star alongside fellow cast newcomers Adam Bartley, Chai Hansen, Rocío Hernández and Kiah McKirnan.
Written and co-executive produced by Holden Miller, Lightyears follows Franklin and Irene York, played by Simmons and Spacek, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard that inexplicably leads to a strange, deserted planet. They’ve carefully guarded their secret ever since, but when an enigmatic young man enters their lives, the Yorks’ quiet existence is quickly upended — and the mysterious chamber they thought they knew so well turns out to be much more than they could ever have imagined.
Zylberberg will portray Stella, a single mother living in rural Argentina, trying to raise her teenage daughter, but also burdened by a dark family secret.
Hernández is Toni, Stella’s daughter, a shy teenager who, wanting more from life, starts to resent her protective and secretive mother.
Daniel C. Connolly serves as showrunner. He executive produces with Mosaic’s Jimmy Miller and Sam Hansen. Philip Martin is executive producer and producing director for Season 1. Juan José Campanella will direct and executive produce the first two episodes of the series, scheduled to begin filming later this year.
Zylberberg won the Silver Condor Award for Best Actress in 2011 for her role in the film The Invisible Look. Her most recent work includes the film El Perro que no calla, and the television series Post Mortemand Separadas.
Argentinian actress Hernández has appeared onstage in theatrical productions in Buenos Aires such as Next to Normal and Juegos, ¿cuál es tu limite? Her recent television work includes the Argentinian series tierra de amor y venganza and the miniseries La caída.
It’s a clean sweep for Sergio Pablos’ acclaimed animated film…
The Spanish animator and screenwriter’s Netflix holiday tale Klauspicked up seven trophies at the 47th annual Annie Awards, including Best Animated Feature.
Pablos, who’d previously earned nods for his work on Treasure Planetand Rio, earned three awards. In addition to Best Animated Feature, he won the awards for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production andDirecting in an Animated Feature Production.
Starring Jason Schwartzman, J.K. Simmonsand Rashida Jones, Klaus is the story of a selfish postman and a reclusive toymaker who form an unlikely friendship, delivering joy to a cold, dark town that desperately needs it.
The Klaus wipeout throws the Academy Awards racefor a loop, as Netflix’s first original animated feature won all seven categories for which it was nominated.
Pablos’ film dominated over the Big 3 studio mega-grossing sequels — Disney’s Frozen 2, DreamWorks Animation’s How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World and Disney/Pixar’s Toy Story 4.
Here’s a look at this year’s Annie Awards winners:
Best Animated Feature: Klaus Best Animated Feature-Independent: I Lost My Body Best Animated Special Production: How to Train Your Dragon Homecoming Best Animated Short Subject: Uncle Thomas: Accounting for the Days Best Virtual Reality Production: Bonfire Best Animated Television/Media Commercial: The Mystical Journey of Jimmy Page’s ‘59 Telecaster Best Animated Television/Media Production For Preschool Children: Ask The Storybots Episode: Why Do We Have To Recycle? Best Animated Television/Media Production For Children: Disney Mickey Mouse Episode: Carried Away Best General Audience Animated Television/Media Production: BoJack Horseman Episode: The New Client Best Student Film: The Fox & The Pigeon Michelle Chua, Sheridan College Animated Effects in an Animated Television/Media Production: Love, Death & Robots Episode: The Secret War Animated Effects in an Animated Feature Production: Frozen 2 Character Animation in an Animated Television / Broadcast Production: His Dark Materials Aulo Licinio (Character: lorek) Character Animation In An Animated Feature Production: Klaus Sergio Martins (Character: Alva) Character Animation in a Live Action Production: Avengers: Endgame Character Animation in a Video Game: Unruly Heroes Character Design in an Animated Television/Media Production: Carmen Sandiego Keiko Murayama Episode: The Chasing Paper Caper Character Design in an Animated Feature Production: Klaus Torsten Schrank Directing in an Animated Television/Media Production: Disney Mickey Mouse Alonso Ramirez Ramos Episode: For Whom the Booth Tolls Directing in an Animated Feature Production: Klaus Sergio Pablos Music in an Animated Television/Media Production: Love, Death & Robots Rob Cairns Episode: Sonnie’s Edge Music in an Animated Feature Production:I Lost My Body Dan Levy Production Design in an Animated Television/Media Production:Love, Death & Robots Alberto Mielgo Episode: The Witness Production Design In An Animated Feature Production: Klaus Szymon Biernacki, Marcin Jakubowski Storyboarding in an Animated Television/Media Production:Carmen Sandiego Kenny Park Episode: Becoming Carmen Sandiego, Part 1 Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production:Klaus Sergio Pablos Voice Acting in an Animated Television/Media Production: Bob’s Burgers H. Jon Benjamin (Character: Bob) Episode: Roamin’ Bob-iday Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production: Frozen 2 Josh Gad (Character: Olaf) Writing in an Animated Television/Media Production:Tuca & Bertie Shauna McGarry Episode: The Jelly Lakes Writing in an Animated Feature Production: I Lost My Body Jérémy Clapin, Guillaume Laurant Editorial in an Animated Television/Media Production: Love, Death & Robots Bo Juhl, Stacy Auckland, Valerian Zamel Episode: Alternate Histories Editorial in an Animated Feature Production: Klaus Pablo García Revert
Eighty-six film and television writers have been named finalists for the 2020 HUMANITAS Prize, as announced by HUMANITAS Executive Director Cathleen Young and President Ali LeRoi, with the Spanish animator and screenwriter’s Spanish animated film Klaus making the list.
Klaus, which Pablos wrote and directed, is nominated in the Family Feature Film category.Distributed by Netflix as its first original animated feature, the film was co-written by Zach Lewis and Jim Mahoney. It stars Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones and Joan Cusack and serves as a fictional origin story to the myth of Santa Claus.The plot revolves around a postman stationed in a town to the North who befriends a reclusive toy-maker (Klaus).
Steven Canalshas earned his own Humanitas nod…
The queer Afro-Latinx screenwriter and co-creator of FX’s Pose was named a finalist in the Drama Teleplay category for co-writing the Pose episode “In My Heels,” alongside Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuck.
Mario Correa is also being recognized this year…
The Chilean screenwriter and playwright was named a finalist in the Drama Feature Film category for co-writing the screenplay for Dark Waters with Matthew Michael Carnahan; based on the New York Times Magazine article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich.
The HUMANITAS Prize, now in its 45th year, honors film and television writers whose work inspires compassion, hope, and understanding in the human family.
The finalists are nominated for their work in 10 categories including Comedy Teleplay, Drama Teleplay, Children’s Teleplay, Independent Feature Film, Drama Feature Film, Comedy or Musical Feature Film, Family Feature Film, and Documentary. In addition, this year HUMANITAS has introduced two new categories, Limited Series, TV Movie or Special and Short Film, to reflect the increased significance of those forms in the digital media landscape.
All prize winners will be announced at the 45th Annual HUMANITAS Prize event on Friday, January 24, 2020, at The Beverly Hilton Hotelin Beverly Hills, California.
“As we celebrate four and a half decades of empowering, supporting, and honoring storytellers, HUMANITAS continues to evolve and grow to reflect the world around us,” said LeRoi. “This year we have added two new categories to recognize work in forms that have seen dramatic increases in both popularity and artistic merit in the age of streaming and online viewing.”
Added Young: “As our world faces enormous challenges to the goal of peace and love in the human family, which is at the core of HUMANITAS’s mission, it is extremely inspiring to be able to honor the work of so many talented individuals. Intelligent, insightful and compassionate storytelling remains one of the most powerful weapons against hate and intolerance, and our finalists’ work epitomizes those qualities.”
The 45th Annual HUMANITAS Prize finalists are:
Drama Teleplay Category THIS IS US “Our Little Island Girl” Written by Eboni Freeman POSE “In My Heels” Written By Ryan Murphy & Brad Falchuck & Steven Canals THE TWILIGHT ZONE “Replay” Written by Selwyn Seyfu Hinds THE HANDMAID’S TALE “Useful” Written by Yahlin Chang; based on the novel by Margaret Atwood
Comedy Teleplay Category SHRILL “Annie” Teleplay by Aidy Bryant & Alexandra Rushfield & Lindy West; based on the book Shrill: Notes From a Loud Woman by Lindy West BLACK-ISH “Black Like Us” Written By Peter Saji ATYPICAL “Road Rage Paige” Written By Robia Rashid VEEP “South Carolina” Written By Alex Gregory & Peter Huyck
Limited Series, TV Movie or Special Category WHEN THEY SEE US “Part 4” Teleplay by Ava DuVernay & Michael Starrbury; story by Ava DuVernay TRUE DETECTIVE “Now Am Found” Written by Nic Pizzolatto CHERNOBYL “Vichnaya Pamyat” Written by Craig Mazin LIVE IN FRONT OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE: NORMAL LEAR’S ALL IN THE FAMILY AND THE JEFFERSONS “All in the Family #406: ‘Henry’s Farewell'” Written by Don Nicholl; “The Jeffersons #101: ‘A Friend in Need'” Teleplay by Don Nicholl, Michael Ross & Bernard West, Barry Harman & Harve Brosten; story by Barry Harman & Harve Brosten
Children’s Teleplay Category THE LOUD HOUSE “Racing Hearts” Written by Kevin Sullivan A SERIES OF UNFORTUNATE EVENTS “The Penultimate Peril, Part 1” Teleplay by Joe Tracz; based on the book by Lemony Snicket ELENA OF AVALOR “Changing of the Guard” Written by Kate Kondell NIKO AND THE SWORD OF LIGHT, SEASON 2: NIKO AND THE AMULET OF POWER “The Automatron” Written by Shaene Siders
Drama Feature Film Category A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Written by Micah Fitzerman-Blue & Noah Harpster; inspired by the article “Can You Say… Hero?” by Tom Junod A HIDDEN LIFE Written and directed by Terrence Malick; source material: letters between Franz and Fani Jagerstatter taken from Franz Jagerstatter: Letters and Writings from Prison edited by Erna Putz DARK WATERS Screenplay by Mario Correa and Matthew Michael Carnahan; based on the New York Times Magazine article “The Lawyer Who Became DuPont’s Worst Nightmare” by Nathaniel Rich BOMBSHELL Written by Charles Randolph
Comedy or Musical Feature Film Category YESTERDAY Story by Richard Curtis, Jack Barth; Written by Richard Curtis THE FAREWELL Written by Lulu Wang JOJO RABBIT Screenplay by Taika Waititi; Based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens THE LAUNDROMAT Written by Scott Z. Burns; based on the book Secrecy World by Jake Bernstein
Family Feature Film Category THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON Written by Tyler Nilson & Michael Schwartz FROZEN 2 Story by Jennifer Lee, Chris Buck, Marc E. Smith, Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez; Screenplay by Jennifer Lee TOY STORY 4 Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton, Josh Cooley, Valerie LaPointe, Rashida Jones & Will McCormack, Martin Hynes and Stephany Folsom; Written by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom KLAUS Story by Sergio Pablos; screenplay by Sergio Pablos, Jim Mahoney, Zach Lewis
Independent Feature Film Category END OF SENTENCE by Michael Armbruster HOTEL MUMBAI by John Collee & Anthony Maras BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON Written and directed by Paul Downs Colaizzo THE BANKER Story by David Lewis Smith & Stan Younger and Brad Caleb Kane; screenplay by Niceole Levy & George Nolfi and David Lewis Smith & Stan Younger
Short Film Category VARIABLES Written by Sabina Vajraca PURL Written by Kristen Lester THE CHARGE FOR THE SUN Story by Terence Nance; screenplay by Eugene Ramos KITBULL Written by Rosana Sullivan
Documentary Category TORN APART: SEPARATED AT THE BORDER Directed by Ellen Goosenberg Kent ERNIE & JOE: CRISIS COPS Directed by Jenifer McShane, SEA OF SHADOWS Directed by Richard Ladkani; THIS IS FOOTBALL “Redemption” Directed by James Erskine, Written by John Carlin
The David and Lynn Angell College Comedy Fellowship Eliana Pipes (Boston University) FAUXRICUA Nick Madson (Boston University) DOWN AND OUT Sheridan Watson (USC) LADY LAZARUS
The Carol Mendelsohn College Drama Fellowship James Bentley (UCLA) THE PIRATES OF FELLOWSHIP, MAINE King Lu (Columbia) FROM JUNE TO JULY Jennifer Frazin (USC) CHOSEN PEOPLE
New Voices Winners Robert Axelrod, TUCKED Christina Brosman, SACRIFICIAL Jeanine Daniels, CONVOLUTED John Doble, THE AMEN SISTERHOOD Obiageli Odimegwu, THE SHOW Roniel Tessler, BLUE MOON
For more information, visit the HUMANITAS Prize at www.humanitasprize.org.
Garcia is part of a cast that includes Simon Rex, Inanna Sarkis, Wayne Brady, J.K. Simmons, Nicolas Cage, Giancarlo Esposito and Scott Haze.
