Apple TV+ Renews Michaela Jaé Rodriguez’s “Loot” for Third Season

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez has more loot in her future…

Apple has renewed Loot, starring the 33-year-old half-Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress and lead/executive producer Maya Rudolph, for a third season.

Michaela Jaé RodriguezThe cast was reportedly informed about the renewal about a month ago.

Season 3 will pick up after the Season 2 finale that saw Molly Wells (Rudolph) and her trusted and unhinged assistant Nicholas (Joel Kim Booster) board Molly’s private jet following her awkward exchange with her will-they, won’t-they colleague Arthur (Nat Faxon). Where will the PJ land? Season 3 will continue to follow the antics of the beloved group of misfits at The Wells Foundation.

In addition to Rudolph, Rordriguez, Booster and Faxon, the ensemble cast also includes

“We are thrilled to come back for a third season! We’re extremely fortunate to spend more time with our talented cast and crew,” said Rudolph and executive producer Danielle Renfrew Behrens of Banana Split. “Making this show with Apple TV+ has been a joy, and we can’t wait to reunite with our Loot family.”

Season 2 kicked off a year after Molly Wells (Rudolph) settles her very public divorce from tech billionaire John Novak (Adam Scott), and we find her thriving in her role as the head of her philanthropic organization, the Wells Foundation. Focused mainly on her charity work, Molly has sworn off any new relationships with men and embarks on a wellness journey. Fabulously single but not particularly independent, Molly keeps her trusty assistant Nicholas (Booster) by her side. He diligently caters to her every whim … and occasionally feeds her a kale smoothie spiked with gin.

Sofia Salinas (Rodriguez), the no-nonsense executive director of the Wells Foundation, continues to run things with compassionate efficiency, but her all-business ethos is thrown for a loop when she meets Molly’s charismatic architect friend Isaac (O-T Fagbenle). The bromance between Howard (Funches) and Nicholas also continues to flourish as they support each other in their endeavors both inside and outside the workplace. Meanwhile, Arthur (Faxon) has moved past his feelings for Molly and has adopted a new devil-may-care attitude on life, a change encapsulated by a very lame leather bracelet. The Wells Foundation team, including Rhonda (Meagen Fay) and Ainsley (Stephanie Styles), must pull together as co-workers and friends as Molly strives to publicly live up to her promise of giving away all of her vast fortune. Guest stars included Benjamin Bratt and Ana Gasteyer, among others.

“With each season, Loot continues to deliver joy, laughs and endearing characters for audiences around the world,” said Matt Cherniss, head of programming for Apple TV+. “We are excited to partner with Maya Rudolph, and the entire cast and creative team behind Loot, to create even more heartfelt moments with an ensemble of fan favorite characters in season three.”

Loot is created, written and executive produced by Yang and Hubbard. Rudolph serves as executive producer for Banana Split, along with her producing partner Renfrew Behrens, Dave Becky of 3 Arts and Natasha Lyonne.

Loot is produced for Apple by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Becky G to Serve as Guest Judge on Season 16 of MTV’s “RuPaul‘s Drag Race”

Life’s a drag for Becky G

The new season of RuPaul‘s Drag Race has set up an all-star lineup to guest judge Season 16, including the 26-year-old Mexican American bilingual singer/actress.

Becky GMaking her debut on the reality television competition program that aims to discover America’s next drag superstar, Becky G appears among a list of guest judges that includes Charlize Theron and Sarah Michelle Gellar.

MTV will premiere the new season on Friday, January 5 at 8:00 pm ET.

Other guest judges that will appear during the season include Adam Shankman, Icona Pop (Caroline Hjelt + Aino Jawo), Isaac Mizrahi, Jamal Sims, Joel Kim Booster, Kaia Gerber, Kelsea Ballerini, Kyra Sedgwick, Law Roach, Mayan Lopez and Ronan Farrow.

RuPaul’s Drag Race features mainstay judges Michelle Visage, Carson Kressley, Ross Mathews and Ts Madison for the 16th season. Fourteen queens will compete for the title of “America’s Next Drag Superstar” and a cash prize of $200k.

The previously announced cast of queens include Amanda Tori Meating (Los Angeles, CA), Dawn (Brooklyn, NY), Geneva Karr (Brownsville, TX), Hershii LiqCour-Jeté (Los Angeles, CA), Megami (Brooklyn, NY), Mhi’ya Iman Le’Paige (Miami, FL), Mirage (Las Vegas, NV), Morphine Love Dion (Miami, FL), Nymphia Wind (Taiwan/NY), Plane Jane (Boston, MA), Plasma (New York, NY), Q (Kansas City, MO), Sapphira Cristál (Philadelphia, PA), and Xunami Muse (New York, NY).

RuPaul’s Drag Race and the after-show RuPaul’s Drag Race: Untucked are produced by World of Wonder Productions with Fenton Bailey, Randy Barbato, Tom Campbell, Steven Corfe, Mandy Salangsang, Michele Mills and RuPaul Charles serving as executive producers.

Vertical Entertainment Acquires U.S. Rights to Eva Longoria’s Comedy “Unplugging” 

Eva Longoria will be unplugging next spring…

Vertical Entertainment has acquired the U.S. rights to the comedy Unplugging, starring the 46-year-old Mexican American actress and former Desperate Housewives star, with plans to release it in theaters nationwide next spring.

Eva LongoriaThe film also stars Matt Walsh, Lea Thompson, Keith David and Nicole Byer.

In the feature directorial debut of veteran film editor Debra Neil-Fisher, husband and wife Dan (Walsh) and Jeanine (Longoria) plan a weekend getaway of “digital detox” without kids, phones, or social media. They need—or think they need—only clean fresh air and alone time together to rekindle their romance. But once they forego GPS to guide them and disconnect from the internet, can they reconnect their own internal servers to spark their marriage?

Johnny Pemberton, Al Madrigal, Joel Kim Booster, and Nancy Friedrich round out the cast of the film, scripted by Walsh and Brad Morris.

Longoria executive produced the film.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better time in the director’s chair than with this marvelous cast captained by Eva and Matt, and our dedicated crew,” said Neil-Fisher. “Vertical is the perfect partner to bring Unplugging to audiences next spring.”

Unplugging unites great talents in front of and behind the camera,” said Vertical Entertainment Partner Rich Goldberg, “and Debra’s storied skills as editor translate to a keen directorial eye for comedy.”

“Having previously partnered on many successful releases (Four Good DaysBuckley’s Chance) we know our friends at Vertical are the perfect distributor to bring the hilarious Unplugging to US audiences,” added Santor, who serves as Productivity Media’s CEO. “Eva and Matt are at the top of their game in this whip-smart, comedic look at relationships in the digital age, and we’re sure audiences will love it just as much as we loved making it.”

NBC Orders Diana-Maria Riva’s Immigrant Comedy “Sunnyside” to Series

Diana-Maria Rivais ready for the Sunnysideof life…

NBC has picked up to series the Queens immigrant comedy Sunnyside,  starring the 49-year-old Dominican American actress.

Diana Maria Riva

Co-written and executive produced by Kal Penn and Matt Murray and executive produced by Michael SchurSunnyside stars Penn as former New York City Councilman Garrett Shah, who finds his calling when faced with six recent immigrants in need of his help and in search of the American Dream. In keeping the authenticity of the project, the producers assembled a cast of predominantly immigrant actors to star opposite Penn, a rarity on broadcast television.

In addition to Riva and Penn, the cast includes Joel Kim BoosterKiran DeolPoppy LiuMoses Stormand Samba Schutte.

Sunnyside is produced by Universal Televisionin association with Fremulonand 3 Arts Entertainment.

Riva previously starred on the short-lived NBC series Telenovela, as well as CBS’  Man with a Plan.

Diana Maria Riva to Star in NBC’s Comedy Pilot “Sunnyside”

Diana Maria Riva is looking at the sunnyside of life…

The 49-year-old Dominican American actress has been cast opposite Kal Penn in NBC’s comedy pilot Sunnyside (formerly Untitled Kal Penn/Matt Murray).

Riva joins a cast that includes Kiran Deol, Moses Storm, Samba Schutte, Poppy Liu, Joel Kim Booster and Tudor Petrut.

Co-written by Penn and Matt MurraySunnyside is named after the neighborhood in the historically diverse Queens borough of New York where the show is set. It centers on former New York City Councilman Garrett Shah (Penn), who finds his calling when faced with seven recent immigrants — five of them played by immigrant actors — in need of his help and in search of the American Dream.

The single-camera comedy is being executive produced by Penn, writer-producer Murray, The Good Place creator/executive producer Michael Schur and Universal Television.

The seven recent immigrants are Jin Hao, played by South Korea-born Booster; Mallory, played by UK-born Deol; Mei Lin, played by China-born Liu; Drzen, played by Romania-born Petrut; Hakim, played by Africa-born Schutte; Griselda, played by Riva, a first generation Dominican; and Brady, played by Storm.

Directing the pilot is another immigrant, Oz Rodriguez. The ensemble was put together by casting director Allison Jones who also has worked with Schur on his other shows, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine and The Good Place

Riva was last seen in the CBS sitcom Man with a Plan and NBC’s Telenovela. She’ll next appear in the Netflix series Dead to Me and the Appledrama series Morning Show.