Mía Maestro to Star as Fidel Castro’s Real-Life Lover in Miguel Bardem’s “Alina of Cuba”

Posted on August 4, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mía Maestro has landed her next proyecto…

The 47-year-old Argentine actress will star in Miguel Bardem’s Alina of Cuba.

The Imagen Award winner will portray Natalia “Naty” Revuelta, the Cuban-born socialite who as a passionate love affair with Fidel Castro.

James Franco will play the late Cuban leader.

They join previously announced actress Ana Villafañe who is portraying Alina Fernandez aka Castro’s Daughter. The screenplay from Oscar-nominated scribe Jose Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries) and Pulitzer Prize winner Nilo Cruz, follows the true-life story of Cuban exile turned social advocate, Fernandez, whose birth was the result of the tryst between Revuelta and Castro.

Revuelta sacrificed her and her physician husband’s personal belongings and finances to help fund the start of the communist revolution.

Fernandez learned that she was Fidel Castro’s daughter at the age of 10 when after years of secret visits to her home, her mother finally revealed that “El Comandante” was her biological father. Alina grew to become one of Castro’s most outspoken critics, arrested on more than one occasion for trying to leave, and was classified as a dissident forbidden to travel outside of Cuba. Ultimately, she defected to Spain in 1993, an event that drew headlines from every major news network around the world, before she made Miami her permanent home.

Rounding out the supporting cast are Alanna de la Rosa, Maria Cecilia Botero (Encanto), Harding Junior, and Cuban-born actors Sian Chiong and Rafael Ernesto Hernandez.

The film is being shot entirely on location in and around Cartagena and Bogota, with Colombia’s colonial Spanish architecture and design playing for Castro-era Havana, Cuba. Cameras roll on August 15.

Maestro recently wrapped the Apple+ anthology series Extrapolations, starring opposite Edward Norton, as well as the lead in Domenico De Feudis’ Italian feature Il Legame (aka The Binding) for Netflix, produced by Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino. Maestro recently starred in the acclaimed Sundance Film Festival premiere The Cow That Sang Into The Future. She is known for her roles in Carlos Saura’s Oscar-nominated feature Tango, Walter Salles’ The Motorcycle Diaries, Julie Taymor’s Frida, as well as her recent role in FX’s hit series Mayans M.C.

Eduardo Franco to Star in the USA Network’s “Masters of Doom” Drama Pilot

Posted on September 27, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Eduardo Franco has found a new Master-y…

The Mexican-American actor has been cast as one of the leads in USA Network’s Masters of Doom pilot, a drama based on David Kushner’s non-fiction book, from James and Dave Franco’s Ramona Films, The Gotham Group and UCP.

Franco will star opposite Patrick Gibson, John Karna, Jane Ackermannand Siobhan Williams in the project. Peter Friedman is set to recur, and Rhys Thomas has been tapped to direct.

Written and executive produced by Tom Bissell, Masters of Doom is the true story of two computer geniuses in an obscure corner of America who, along with a group of rebellious misfits, created one of the biggest franchise hits of the ’90s, the video game Doom. Franco and Gibson play best friends who became bitter rivals, as they created a video game empire and transformed pop culture forever.

Franco’s John Romero is a brilliant young programmer and designer determined to become the video game industry’s first rock star.

Franco is best known for his role as Theo in the Olivia Wilde-directed feature Booksmart, as well as his role as Jeremy in the feature The Package, directed by Jake Szymanski.

Franco recurred on the first season of the series American Vandal, and his other television credits include Adam Ruins Everything, You’re the Worstand The Skinny.

He’ll next be seen in feature The Binge directed by Jeremy Garelick.

First Trailer Released for Rapace’s “Prometheus” Sequel, “Alien: Covenant”

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Noomi Rapace is out of this world again…

After two days of non-stop teasing, the first official trailer for Alien: Covenant, starring the 37-year-old half-Spanish actress, has been released.

While director Ridley Scott technically returned to the Alien franchise with 2012’s Prometheus, that film has only a tangential connection to the main series thanks to some continuity nods and a scene at the end. Covenant however is not, as it picks up where Prometheus left off and (presumably) leads directly to the events of the original Alien.

The story follows the crew of the colony ship Covenant, bound for a remote planet on the far side of the galaxy, that discovers what they think is an uncharted paradise, but per usual discoveries it’s actually a dark, dangerous world containing a threat beyond their imagination and, as it happens, the android David (Michael Fassbender), one of the few survivors of the Prometheus mission.

Fassbender, Guy Pearce, and Rapace reprise their Prometheus roles, joined this time out by Katherine Waterston, Billy Crudup, Danny McBride, Demián Bichir, Carmen Ejogo, Amy Seimetz, Jussie Smollet, Callie Hernandez, Nathaniel Dean, Alexander England, Benjamin Rigby, and James Franco.

Jack Paglen, Michael Green, and John Logan wrote the script.

Alien: Covenant hits theaters on May 19.

Morrone to Star in Eli Roth’s Action Crime Film “Death Wish”

Posted on October 24, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Morrone has a death wish…

The Argentine model and actress has been cast in Eli Roth’s action crime film Death Wish.

Morrone will star opposite Beau Knapp, Bruce Willis, Vincent D’Onofrio, Elisabeth Shue, Dean Norris, Mike Epps, Kimberly Elise and Ronnie Gene Blevins in MGM’s remake of the 1974 Charles Bronson film.

The film centers on Paul Kersey (Willis), whose life is destroyed by a violent crime against his wife and daughter. Frustrated that the bad guys were not brought to justice for the nefarious act inflicted on his family, he starts hunting for the perpetrators himself.

The screenplay was written by Dean Georgaris and Roth, from an original draft by Joe Carnahan.

Filming is underway in Montreal.

Morrone, who has appeared on the cover of Vogue, made her acting debut in James Franco‘s film Bukowski.

Netflix Gives Gomez’s “13 Reasons Why” a Straight-to-Series Order

Posted on October 30, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is going behind the scenes for her next project…

Netflix has given Anonymous Content and Paramount Television’s 13 Reasons Why, executive produced by the 23-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer, a straight-to-series order.

The show, based on the New York Times bestselling Young Adult (YA) book by Jay Asher, was created by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Brian Yorkey, who also wrote the pilot.

13 Reasons Why is the second Netflix straight to order series for Anonymous Content. The first is the Plan B collaboration The OA, which goes into production next quarter.

Gomez recently wrapped four films: In Dubious Battle, directed by James Franco; The Revised Fundamentals of Caregiving, alongside Paul Rudd; The Big Short, starring Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling and Christian Bale; and Seth Rogen’s Neighbors 2.

Most recently, she reprised her role as Mavis in Sony Pictures’ Hotel Transylvania 2, which opened to record-breaking box office.

She is not starring in 13 Reasons Why.

As a recording artist, Gomez has sold more than 22 million singles worldwide, and her new album Revival debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. She will embark on a global tour next year.

Hayek to Lend Her Voice to Seth Rogen’s R-Rated Animated Film “Sausage Party”

Posted on April 10, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Salma Hayek’s next project may be animated, but it might not be family friendly…

The 47-year-old Mexican actress will lend her voice to the raunchy animated tale of a sausage’s quest to discover the truth about his existence.

The Oscar-nominated actress will play Teresa the Taco in Sausage Party, the R-rated animated film written by Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, Kyle Hunter and Ariel Shaffir.

Hayek joins a voice cast that includes Rogen, James Franco, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Michael Cera, Edward Norton and David Krumholtz.

After falling out of a shopping cart, the hero sausage and his new friends embark on a journey through the supermarket to get back to their aisles before the Fourth of July sale.

Sony Pictures is planning to distribute the film worldwide with a 2015 release date in the plans.

Hayek most recently appeared in Grown Ups 2 and Here Comes The Boom. She next stars in How To Make Love Like An Englishman and Everly.

Carey Records “Oz: The Great and Powerful” Theme Song

Posted on February 17, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

She’s got a great and powerful voice… And now Mariah Carey is lending it to a great and powerful movie.

The 42-year-old part-Venezuelan singer has recorded the theme song for Disney‘s new fantasy movie Oz: The Great and Powerful, starring James Franco, Mila Kunis and Rachel Weisz.

Entitled “Almost Home,” Carey co-produced the track with Stargate and co-wrote the inspirational song with Simone Porter, Justin Gray, Lindsey Ray, Tor Erik Hermansen and Mikkel Eriksen.
“’Almost Home’ has a message that works beautifully with the film,” says the American Idol judge. “It’s a feel-good record, evoking the feeling of reaching your home and being with people that you love.”

The song will be fully released on iTunes this Tuesday February 19, with a music video directed by fashion photographer David LaChapelle to follow later on.

Oz: The Great and Powerful, directed by Sam Raimi, will open in theaters on March 8.

Gomez’s “Spring Breakers” to Open Earlier in New York & LA

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Spring Break will arrive a week earlier than scheduled for Selena Gomez…

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer’s highly anticipated Disney-image-shattering film Spring Breakers will now be getting a limited sneak peek in Los Angeles and New York City on March 15, one week before opening nationwide on March 22, according to Annapurna Pictures.

The R-rated girls-gone-wild film, directed by Harmony Korine, follows a gang of trouble-seeking coeds (Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine) who get mixed up with a drug-dealing rapper (James Franco) in Florida.

Spring Breakers first debuted at the Venice Film Festival last year; and it will get its big premiere in the United States on March 10 at the SXSW Film Conference and Festival in Austin.

The International Trailer of Gomez’s “Spring Breakers” Released

Posted on February 2, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

The international trailer for Selena Gomez’s Spring Breakers shows just how far of a departure she’s taken from her Wizards of Waverly Place character…

The 20-year-old half-Mexican American actress/singer, who will be releasing a new music soon, appears in the just-released, red-band worthy Spring Breakers trailer from French company Mars Distribution.

The clip for Harmony Korine’s R-rated Day-Glo coed crime romp shows a racier look at what the domestic previews have held back: drug use, nudity, guns galore and gratuitous f-bombs dropped by Gomez and her co-stars Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine.

James Franco also stars in the film as a blinged-out thug rapper complete with a gold grill.

Spring Breakers, which will premiere at the SXSW Film Conference and Festival in Austin next month, will open in theaters in the United States on March 22.

Gomez Covers Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River”

Posted on January 21, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Selena Gomez could be giving ex-boyfriend Justin Bieber a taste of his own medicine…

The 20-year-old half-Mexican-American singer/actress covered Justin Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River” at her third annual UNICEF charity concert in New York over the weekend, only weeks after breaking up with the Biebs. Gomez’s ex performed the exact same song in November following the couple’s first break-up.

“I’ve been through a lot the past few months. It’s been weird and sad and cool,” Gomez told the crowd. She then confessed, “This song definitely speaks to me,” right before performing a stripped-down version of Timberlake’s smash break-up track.

Gomez followed it up with another break-up tune, her bestie Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble.

“It’s by my best friend in the entire world and if anybody has felt anything painful to their heart, they know who this girl is. Sing along if you know it,” said Gomez.

In addition, Gomez offered event attendees her rendition of Britney Spears‘ “Baby One More Time“, possily alluding to her upcoming film with Vanessa Hudgens and James Franco, Spring Breakers, which is reportedly filled-with Spears covers.

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