Marianly Tejada to Star in Netflix’s “Ransom Canyon”

Posted on January 19, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Marianly Tejada has lined up her next television project.

The Dominican actress has joined the cast of Netflix’s Ransom Canyon as a series regular alongside Jack Schumacher, Garrett Wareing and Andrew Liner.

Those cast in the drama series in recurring roles include Brett Cullen, Kate Burton, Jaren Robledo, Jennifer Ens, Kenneth Miller, Niko Guardado, Justin Johnson Cortez and Casey W. Johnson. Philip Winchester will guest star.

The actors join previously cast series regulars Josh Duhamel, Minka Kelly, James Brolin, Eoin Macken and Lizzy Greene.

Based on the book series by Jodi Thomas, Ransom Canyon is a romance-fueled family drama and contemporary Western saga that charts the intersecting lives of three ranching families, all set against the rugged expanse of Texas Hill Country.

Tejada plays the rough and whip-smart Ellie Estevez, who is the personification of “Do no harm, but take no sh*t,” specifically from resident curmudgeon Cap (Brolin), whom she looks after. Ellie’s young, hungry and driven to make her mark in Ransom Canyon. She has no interest in settling down with a romantic partner, at least not yet, which is why she’s a bit thrown when she crosses paths with mysterious newcomer Yancy.

Robledo plays Jack Yellowbird. Jack is Lucas’ best friend. He is a member of the high school band and has a car. Jack believes in love and does not like guys who are handed a “hall pass” through life.

Guardado plays Tim O’Grady, Reid’s eternal shadow and the wide receiver on the football team. Together, Tim and Reid have been through a lot – and are harboring some heavy secrets. Although he butts heads with his mother, Angie, Tim has a strong relationship with his Aunt Quinn.

Cortez plays Kai, a deputy on the Ransom Canyon Police Force under Sheriff Dan Lazano. Kai is learning the ropes in his job: picking up drunks, working security detail, and handing out parking tickets when needed. Kai is wary and suspicious of the new foreman in town, Yancy. Kai is protective of Ellie and doesn’t want to see Ellie hurt by Yancy.

April Blair is the series creator, writer and executive producer. Amanda Marsalis is set to direct the first two of Season 1’s 10 episodes.

Tejada’s previous credits include Peacock‘s One of Us is Lying.

Dania Ramirez to Star in Netflix’s DC Vertigo Comic-Based Series “Sweet Tooth”

Posted on July 30, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Dania Ramirez has landed a Sweet role…

The 40-year-old Dominican actress and Devious Maids star will star in Sweet Tooth, Netflix’s new drama series based on the DC Vertigo comic.

Ramirez will be part of the series’ core cast of series regulars, which includes Christian Convery, Nonso Anozie and Adeel Akhtar. Will Forte has a recurring role, while James Brolin serves as the series’ narrator.

The eight-episode Sweet Tooth follows the adventures of Gus (Convery) — part deer, part boy — who leaves his home in the forest to find the outside world ravaged by a cataclysmic event. He joins a ragtag family of humans and animal-children hybrids like himself in search of answers about this new world and the mystery behind his hybrid origins.

Ramirez will reportedly play Aimee, a pioneer in the middle of dystopic America, a lone scavenger in an abandoned city, rebuilding a sustainable habitat and giving orphaned hybrids a home.

The project hails from Robert Downey Jr. and Susan Downey’s Team Downey, Jim Mickle, Beth Schwartz and Warner Bros. Television.

Along with fellow new Netflix series Cowboy Bebop, Sweet Tooth was among of a handful of Hollywood television series and movies to be granted border exemptions by the New Zealand government several weeks ago, a crucial step for any overseas production to be able to film in the country, which has largely eradicated COVID-19.

The tentative plan is for the cast to travel to New Zealand in August, where they’ll self-isolate for two weeks ahead of a potential September 7 start of production, according to Deadline.com.

Ramirez can currently be seen as one of the leads in the first season of Kevin Williamson’s CBS All Access anthology drama series Tell Me a Story, airing on the CW.

She previously starred on Marc Cherry’s Lifetime series Devious Maids and had major roles on ABC’s Once Upon a Time and NBC’s Heroes.

CBS Renews Angelique Cabral’s Comedy “Life in Pieces” for Fourth Season

Posted on May 13, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

There’s still plenty of pieces to Angelique Cabral’s story…

CBS has picked up its comedy Life in Pieces, starring the 39-year-old Latina actress, for a fourth season.

The family comedy, which has delivered solid ratings in its third season, is well received and features a strong ensemble cast. It’s also the fourth highest-rated and most watched CBS comedy series behind The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon and Mom.

Created by Justin Adler, Life in Pieces, from 20th Century Fox Television and Kapital Entertainment, is a comedy about one big happy family and their sometimes awkward, often hilarious and ultimately beautiful milestone moments as told by its various members.

Along with Cabral, the series also stars Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl, Niall Cunningham, Holly J. Barrett, Giselle Eisenberg and Hunter King.

CBS Renews Cabral’s “Life in Pieces” for Second Season

Posted on May 12, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Angelique Cabral is picking up the pieces…

CBS has renewed its freshman comedy series Life in Pieces, starring the 37-year-old part-Latina actress, for another season.

It appears the well-received family show will be one of only a couple of single-camera CBS comedies to get to a second season since the end of M*A*S*H* in 1983 and the first in more than two decades, since Brooklyn Bridge ran for two seasons from 1991-1993.

Life in Pieces, which had received a full-season order, had been considered a safe bet to return. The series, from 20th Century Fox Television, got CBS’ premier half-hour slot, behind flagship The Big Bang Theory, and was kept there for its entire freshman run.

With that lead-in, Life in Pieces ranked as this season’s No. 1 new comedy in viewers (10.53 million) and adults 18-49 (2.7 rating).

In addition to Cabral, who portrays Colleen, the series also stars Dianne Wiest, James Brolin, Zoe Lister-Jones, Colin Hanks, Thomas Sadoski, Betsy Brandt, Dan Bakkedahl, Niall Cunningham, Holly J. Barrett and Giselle Eisenberg.

The series was created by Justin Adler.

Leguizamo to Star Opposite Tina Fey & Amy Poehler in “The Nest”

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is flying to the nest…

The 49-year-old Colombian actor has landed a role in The Nest, a comedy starring Tina Fey and Amy Poehler as two 30-something sisters who throw one last party in their parents’ soon-to-be-sold house.

Directed by Pitch Perfect-helmer Jason Moore froma screenplay by Paula Pell, the film will also star John Cena, James Brolin, Ike Barinholtz and Maya Rudolph.

No word yet on Leguizamo’s character in the film for Universal Pictures.

Earlier this year, he starred in the hit comedy Ride Along, where he co-starred with Ice Cube and Kevin Hart. He was also recently seen in the Open Road pic Chef and has a handful of projects set to go into production, including Fugly and American Ultra.

The multi-hyphenate has also begun expanding his brand outside of film with his HBO special Ghetto Klown premiering in March and his PBS special American Masters: The Boomer List currently in pre-production. He will also be performing at Central Park SummerStage on July 28th.

The Nest is set for release on December 18, 2015.

Vazquez’s “Rob the Mob” to Premiere at the Miami International Film Festival

Posted on January 29, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Yul Vazquez is preparing to rob the mob in Miami…

The Cuban American actor’s latest film, Rob the Mob, will have its world premiere at the Miami International Film Festival in March.

Directed by Raymond De Felitta and starring Andy Garcia, the film also stars Michael Pitt, Ray Romano, Burt Young, Griffin Dunne, Frank Whaley, Cathy Moriarty, Aida Turturro and Nina Arianda.

Rob the Mob, which centers on a couple that targets the Mafia for heists and stumbles upon something big at an underground club, is one of nearly 100 films set to be screened at the Miami International Film Festival.

The North American premiere of the Shirley MacLaine–Christopher Plummer pairing Elsa & Fred will take place at the 10-day event, which runs March 7-16.

Directed by Michael Radford, the film is a remake of the 2008 Argentine/Spanish film of the same name. Also in the cast are Marcia Gay Harden, George Segal, Chris Noth, James Brolin, Wendell Pierce, Jaime Camil and Osvaldo Rios.

In total, 92 feature films and 28 shorts representing 38 countries will premiere at this year’s festival, which marks its 31st edition.

“The programming team believes the selection of films showcased in the festival this year is a reflection of our passion for film, and we hope that it will strengthen our community’s love and appreciation for the art of filmmaking,” MIFF executive director Jaie Laplante said.

The festival will present actor-director John Turturro with its Career Achievement Tribute. Turturro will present his latest film, the Woody Allen starrer Fading Gigolo. The film, which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, also stars Sharon Stone and Sofia Vergara.

Here’s the complete list of competition films:

Festival Competition Categories:

The Knight Competition, open to dramatic works from Latin America, Spain and Portugal as well as Latino-themed works produced in the United States:

All About The Feathers (Por las plumas) (Costa Rica, directed by Neto Villalobos) U.S. Premiere
Asteroid (Asteroide) (Mexico, directed by Marcelo Tobar) World premiere
Club Sandwich (Mexico, directed by Fernando Eimbcke)
The Man of the Crowd (O homem das multidões) (Brazil, directed by Marcelo Gomes and Cao Guimarães) North American premiere
Memories of the Desert (Romance policial) (Brazil/Chile, directed by Jorge Durán) World premiere
Natural Sciences (Ciencias naturales) (Argentina, directed by Matias Lucchesi) North American premiere
Séptimo (Spain/Argentina, directed by Patxi Amexcua) North American premiere
To Kill A Man (Matar un hombre) (Chile/France, directed by Alejandro Fernández Almendras)
We All Want What’s Best For Her (Tots volem el millor per a ella) (Spain, directed by Mar Coll) North American premiere
A Wolf at the Door (O lobo atrás da porta) (Brazil, directed by Fernando Coimbra)

Knight Documentary Competition, open to engaging and thought-provoking feature-length documentaries created by international filmmakers that examine social issues, diverse cultures, icons and inspiring people:

The Art Rush (France, directed by Marianne Lamour) North American premiere
The Dog (U.S.A., directed by Allison Berg and Frank Keraudren)
Europe in 8 Bits (Spain, directed by Javier Polo)
Finding Vivian Maier (U.S.A., directed by Charlie Siskel and John Maloof)
Ivory Tower (USA, directed by Andrew Rossi)
Locations: Looking For Rusty James (Locaciones: buscando a Rusty James) (Chile, directed by Alberto Fuguet)
The Notorious Mr. Bout (U.S.A./Russia, directed by Tony Gerber and Maxim Pozdorovkin)
The Overnighters (U.S.A., directed by Jesse Moss)
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (U.S.A., directed by Mike Myers)
Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger (U.S.A., directed by Joe Berlinger)

The Lexus Ibero-American Opera Prima Competition for first-time feature filmmakers emerging from Spain, Portugal and Latin America:

Here’s the Deal (Somos gente honrada) (Spain, directed by Alejandro Marzoa) U.S. premiere
Mateo (Colombia/France, directed by Maria Gamboa) World premiere
Stockholm (Estocolmo) (Spain, directed by Rodrigo Sorogoyen) U.S. premiere
We Are Mari Pepa (Somos Mari Pepa) (Mexico, directed by Samuel Kishi Leopo)

Papi Shorts Competition:

A Big Deal (China, directed by Yoyo Yao) U.S. premiere
Blue (U.S.A., directed by Justin Malone) World premiere
Chub (U.S.A., directed by Samuel Albis) World premiere
Flamingo (Venezuela, directed by Carl Zitelmann)
Grace (Graça) (Brazil, directed by Anna Clara Peltier) North American premiere
The Phone Call (United Kingdom, directed by Mat Kirkby)
Skin (France, directed by Cédric Prévost) North American premiere
Shirt Out, Game Over! (Switzerland, directed by Eric Paternot) World premiere
Unicorn (Unicornio) (Bolivia, directed by Rodrigo Bellott)
Xenos (United Kingdom/Greece/Denmark, directed by Mahdi Fleifel) North American premiere

A list of noncompetition films and seminars can be found at MiamiFilmFestival.com.

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