HBO Max Releases First Trailer for “Gordita Chronicles,” Starring Olivia Goncalves

Posted on June 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Olivia Goncalves is heading back to the 80s…

HBO Max has released the first trailer for its coming-of-age series Gordita Chronicles, starring the Latina Hollywood newcomer.

The series, which is about family, opportunity, love, resilience and boldly defying the status quo in pursuit of the “American Dream,” will premiere on Thursday, June 23 on HBO Max.

Here’s the logline for the series from Sony Pictures Television and executive producers Eva Longoria and Zoe Saldana: The year is 1985 and Cucu “Gordita” Castelli (Goncalves) has just said goodbye to all of her friends and family in Santo Domingo. She has moved to Miami with her marketing-executive father Víctor (Juan Javier Cardenas), bold and vivacious mother Adela (Diana Maria Riva) and status-obsessed older sister Emilia (Savannah Nicole Ruiz). While life in America is far from what they imagined — “The song said ‘America the Beautiful,” Cucu says, “I think they oversold it” — the Castellis are determined to take charge of their strange new world. The coming-of-age series is about family, opportunity, love, resilience, and boldly defying the status quo in pursuit of the “American Dream.”

After immigrating from their home in the Dominican Republic, 12-year-old Cucu Castelli (Goncalves) and her eccentric family must discover and define their version of the “American Dream” in 1980s Miami. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Noah Rico, Cosette Hauer and Dascha Polanco also star in the series, whose first episode was directed by Longoria. Patrick Fabian and Loni Love are guest stars.

Showrunner Brigitte Munoz-Liebowitz executive produces alongside writer Claudia Forestieri, Longoria, Saldana, Josh Berman, Jennifer Robinson, Chris King, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana.

HBO Max Orders Family Comedy Pilot “Gordita Chronicles,” Starring Olivia Goncalves, to Series

Posted on May 13, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Olivia Goncalves is preparing to Chronicle(s) her latest endeavor…

HBO Max has picked up to series the family comedy pilot Gordita Chronicles, starring the Latina actress and Hollywood newcomer.

The project hails from Claudia Forestieri, Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television

Goncalves leads the comedy, written and executive produced by Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria. Diana Maria Riva and Juan Javier Cardenas also star.

Gordita Chronicles, inspired by Forestieri’s life, centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

“We are thrilled to partner with Zoe, Eva, Josh and Sony Pictures Television to bring to life this beautiful coming-of-age story inspired by Claudia’s personal journey,” said Jennifer O’Connell, Executive Vice President, Non-Fiction and Live-Action Family Programming, HBO Max.

“HBO Max is proud to work with the powerhouse Latinx talent in front of and behind the camera for this series, which we believe will resonate with all families,” added Sarah Aubrey, Head of Original Content, HBO Max.

Cast also includes Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

“From the minute we heard Claudia’s childhood story, we knew it was not only incredibly funny, but emotionally poignant and an important story to tell,” said Jason Clodfelter, Co-President, Sony Pictures Television Studios. “Cucu and the Castellis remind us of the iconic sitcom families we grew up watching, but none of those ever captured a Dominican family’s experience of coming to America. This show changes all of that, and we are thrilled and grateful to dive back in and make a wonderful series for our friends at HBO Max.”

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Sony Pictures TV is the studio.

Diana Maria Riva to Star in HBO Max’s Family Comedy Pilot “The Gordita Chronicles”

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Diana Maria Riva is beginning to chronicle…

The 51-year-old Dominican American actress has joined the cast of HBO Max’s upcoming family comedy pilot The Gordita Chronicles, from Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television.

Riva, who recently started in NBC’s short-lived comedy Sunnyside, joins a roster of new cast additions that includes Juan Javier Cardenas, Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

They join newcomer Olivia Goncalves, who will lead the comedy written by Claudia Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria.

The Gordita Chronicles centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Riva will appear as Adela, Cucu’s mom. The actress appeared as Detective Ana Perez in Netflix’s Dead to Me. Her additional roles include Man with a Plan, Kajillionaire, and McFarland, USA.

Cardenas takes on Victor Castelli, Cucu’s dad. He played Dante in The Walking Dead and Ben in S.W.A.T. His credits also include Snowfall, Damnation, Scandal and Lusa.

Ruiz will appear as Emilia, Cucu’s older sister. High School Musical: The Musical actor Noah Rico joins the cast as Yosmel “Yoshy” Hernandez, a Cuban refugee and Cucu’s ﬁrst friend in Miami.

Lastly, Hauer joins as Ashley, a needy go-getter desperate to ﬁt in, but nevertheless always sticks out.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is co-executive producer. Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Eva Longoria to Direct & Executive Produce HBO Max’s “The Gordita Chronicles” Pilot

Posted on March 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Eva Longoria has lined up her next directorial project…

The 45-year-old Mexican American actress/producer will direct and executive produce The Gordita Chronicles pilot at HBO Max.

The single-camera family comedy hails from Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures, and Sony Pictures Television, where Berman’s Osprey Prods is under a deal.

Written by Claudia Forestier, The Gordita Chronicles centers on a willful, chubby, 12-year-old Dominican who struggles to fit into hedonistic 1980s Miami as her family pursues the American Dream.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures.

Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Longoria will be making her film directorial debut with Searchlight’s Flamin’ Hot, an inspiring biopic about the janitor turned executive who created the flaming hot Cheetos snack. She’ll also direct the workplace comedy 24/7 and star alongside Kerry Washington for Universal and direct the action comedy Spa Day for Sony.

The former Desperate Housewives star made her television directing debut on Devious Maids in 2014. Her television producing/directing credits also include ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Versus, and episodes of Black-ish, The Mick and Telenovela.

Longoria made her pilot directing debut with the CW’s Glorious.

HBO Max Developing Claudia Forestieri’s “The Gordita Chronicles”

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Claudia Forestieri is getting personal on her next project…

HBO Max has put in development The Gordita Chronicles, a coming-of-age kids and family comedy from the half-Dominican writer, Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, where Osprey is under a deal.

Written by Forestieri, The Gordita Chronicles, loosely inspired by Forestieri’s life, centers around a Latina reporter looking back on her childhood as a chubby, willful and reluctant Dominican immigrant growing up with her eccentric family in 1980s Miami.

Berman and Chris Kingexecutive produce for Osprey Productions. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldanaand Cisely Saldanaexecutive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is co-executive producer. Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Forestieri was a producer for Telemundo’s L.A. affiliate where she earned five local Emmys and a GLAAD Media award for her work covering the Latino community. She is an alumnus of HBO’s Access Writing Fellowship, NALIP’s Latino Writers Lab and NBC’s Writers on the Vergeprogram. Forestieri is a writer on the upcoming Selena: The Seriesfor Netflix and previously wrote on Freeform’s Good Trouble.

Saldana is next set to star and executive produce From Scratch, a limited series from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshinefor Netflix.

Guzman to Star in ABC’s Drama Pilot “Notorious”

Posted on March 8, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

There’s a notorious role in Ryan Guzman’s future…

The 28-year-old half-Mexican American actor has landed a series regular role opposite Piper Perabo and Daniel Sunjata in ABC’s drama pilot Notorious.

Hailing from Sony Pictures Television and Jeff Kwatinetz’s The Firm, the project was inspired by the relationship between famed criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos and longtime Larry King Live executive producer Wendy Walker.

Written by Drop Dead Diva creator Josh Berman and blogger Allie Hagan, Notorious is described as a provocative look at the interplay of criminal law and the media. It follows the professional and personal relationship between charismatic attorney Jake Gregorian (Sunjata) and powerhouse television producer Julia George (Perabo) as they attempt to control the media, the justice system, and ultimately each other.

Guzman will play Ryan Mills, Julia’s eager-to-please intern, son of the network president. Despite his youth and innocent facade, he’s ambitious and conniving, desperate to prove himself to his overbearing father.

Guzman, who rose to acclaim after starring in Step Up Revolution, most recently starred as Carlos Gutierrez on NBC’s Heroes Reborn and in the cartoon-based film Jem and The Holograms. His other credits include The Boy Next Door.

He can next be seen in Richard Linklater’s Everybody Wants Some.

Austin to Appear on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva

Posted on March 7, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It’s game on for Jake T. Austin…

The 17-year-old Puerto Rican, Argentine and Spanish actor has signed on to appear on Lifetime’s Drop Dead Diva, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Austin, who rose to fame as Selena Gomez’s brother on Disney Channel’s hit series, Wizards of Waverly Place, guest star on the series’ upcoming fourth season.

In the episode titled “Home,” he’ll play a 16-year-old multi-millionaire CEO and video game designer who hires Jane (Brooke Elliott) and Grayson (Jackson Hurst) to sue his father for emancipation.

Along with playing Max for four seasons on Wizards, Austin’s television credits include a guest-starring role on Law & Order: SVU and the voice of Diego on Nickelodeon’s animated series, Go Diego! Go!

His film credits include Gary Marshall’s New Year’s Eve and the title role of Huck Finn in the upcoming film, Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, in theatres next year.

Drop Dead Diva, created by Josh Berman, was renewed for a fourth season last September and returns to Lifetime with 13 new episodes this summer.

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