Marco Rodriguez to Star in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a Hollywoodscreen moment for Marco Rodriguez…

The 65-year-old Latino actor is among the just-added cast members of Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.

Along with Rodriguez, who starred in 1981’s Zoot Suit, the new additions include

Spencer Garrett, Martin Kove, James Remar, Brenda Vaccaro, Nichole Galicia, Mike Moh, Craig Stark, Ramon Franco and Raul Cardona.

They play a variety of characters alongside stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, Burt Reynolds, Kurt Russell,Timothy Olyphant, Damian Lewis, Dakota Fanning, Scoot McNairyand Al Pacino.

Once Upon a Time takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippie Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton (DiCaprio), former star of a Western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Pitt). Both are struggling to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore. But Rick has a very famous next-door neighbor: Sharon Tate (Robbie).

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is produced by David Heyman, Tarantino and Shannon McIntosh.

Sony Pictureswill release the film on August 9, 2019.

Lopez Shines in Her “Carpool Karaoke” Segment with the Late Late Show’s James Corden

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Jennifer Lopez isn’t too cool to carpool…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer, actress and American Idol judge helped Late Late Show host James Corden celebrate one year on the air with a memorable appearance on his Carpool Karaoke Primetime Special.

Corden’s first order of business with la Lopez was to settle on nicknames. “You’re J.Lo, I could be J. Co,” he suggested.

“I think we should make a rap group together!” Lopez said, adding that they could open for her in Las Vegas.

“Yeah, but I worry about you having to follow it,” said Corden. “I worry the audience are like, ‘Aw that’s a shame that he’s gone.'”

Sitting shotgun, Lopez taught Corden her “music video look” and showed off some impressive contacts in her phone (Leonardo DiCaprio, Demi Lovato, Bradley Cooper and Iggy Azalea among them), or “the best phone I’ve ever seen in my life.” Corden even texted DiCaprio as her, inconspicuously signing it “J.Lo, you know, from the block.”

They also sang “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” and “Booty“, then J.Lo. beat on Corden while singing her Spanish-language hit “Que Hiciste,” as well as discussed the possibility of insuring parts of Lopez’s body.

Corden’s “Carpool Karaoke” segment has become a viral hit in late night, with celebrity appearances including Adele, Justin Bieber, Elton John and One Direction bringing more than 800 million views to the Late Late Show’s YouTube account. Late Late Show producers are already exploring a spinoff series based on the segment.

Isaac Earns First Acting Critics’ Choice Awards Nomination

Posted on December 13, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is getting a heroes reception…

The 36-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor is among the Latino talents earning a Critics’ Choice Awards nomination.

Isaac earned his nod in the Actor in a Movie Made for Television or Limited Series for his performance in the HBO miniseries Show Me a Hero. It’s his first nomination in an acting category. He previously was nominated in the Song category for co-penning “Please Mr. Kennedy” for the film Inside Llewyn Davis with Adam Driver and Justin Timberlake.

Gina Rodriguez, who earned a Golden Globe earlier this year, picked up her second consecutive nomination in the Actress in a Comedy Series category for her starring role in The CW’s Jane the Virgin.

Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin co-star Jamie Camil picked up his second nod in the Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series category for his role as Rodriguez’s onscreen father. He’ll face off against Mel Rodriguez, who received his nomination for his performance on HBO’s Getting On.

In the film section, Alejandro González Iñárritu earned a nod in the Director category for helming the western drama/thriller The Revenant, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hardy. The Mexican filmmaker was nominated last year in the same category for directing Birdman. He lost in that category, but took home the Screenplay trophy for the same film.

Meanwhile, the film’s lenser Emmanuel Lubezki received a nom in the Cinematography category. He’s the two-time reigning champion in the category after winning for his work on Gravity in 2014 and Birdman in 2015. He also won the prize in 2012 for The Tree of Life.

Paco Delgado picked up a nod in the Costume Design category for his work on The Danish Girl. He previously was nominated in 2013 for his work on Les Misérables.

Hosted by T.J. Miller, the awards show will be held on January 17 at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica. It will air simultaneously on A&E, Lifetime and LMN.

Here are the categories featuring Latino nominees for the 21st annual Critics’ Choice Awards:

MOVIE

DIRECTOR
Todd Haynes – Carol
Alejandro González Iñárritu – The Revenant
Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
Ridley Scott – The Martian
Steven Spielberg – Bridge of Spies

CINEMATOGRAPHY
Carol – Ed Lachman
The Hateful Eight – Robert Richardson
Mad Max: Fury Road – John Seale
The Martian – Dariusz Wolski
The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
Sicario – Roger Deakins

COSTUME DESIGN
Brooklyn – Odile Dicks-Mireaux
Carol – Sandy Powell
Cinderella – Sandy Powell
The Danish Girl – Paco Delgado
Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan

FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
The Assassin
Goodnight Mommy
Mustang
The Second Mother
Son of Saul

TELEVISION

ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES
Wes Bentley – American Horror Story: Hotel – FX
Martin Clunes – Arthur & George – PBS
Idris Elba – Luther – BBC America
Oscar Isaac – Show Me a Hero – HBO
Vincent Kartheiser – Saints & Strangers – National Geographic Channel
Patrick Wilson – Fargo – FX

ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES
Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – The CW
Aya Cash – You’re the Worst – FXX
Wendi McLendon-Covey – The Goldbergs – ABC
Gina Rodriguez – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Tracee Ellis Ross – Black-ish – ABC
Constance Wu – Fresh Off the Boat – ABC

SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Fox
Jaime Camil – Jane the Virgin – The CW
Jay Duplass – Transparent – Amazon
Neil Flynn – The Middle – ABC
Keegan-Michael Key – Playing House – USA
Mel Rodriguez – Getting On – HBO

LACMA to Honor González Iñárritu at This Year’s Art + Film Gala

Posted on July 17, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu is being feted for his “daring and nimble vision”…

The 51-year-old Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker will be honored alongside light and space artist James Turrell at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s fifth Art + Film Gala on November 7.

LACMA trustee Eva Chow and actor Leonardo DiCaprio will once again co-chair the annual fundraiser presented by Gucci.

“In only a few years, LACMA’s Art + Film Gala has established its reputation for honoring artists and filmmakers whose impact can be felt worldwide and that have particular relevance to Los Angeles, and James Turrell and Alejandro G. Inarritu certainly fit that bill,” said Michael Govan, LACMA CEO and Wallis Annenberg director, who further elaborated on the selections.

“In the last two decades, Inarritu has displayed a daring and nimble vision for films including Birdman and Babel; his work has rightly garnered the highest of critical acclaim.”

González Iñárritu won three golden statuettes as the 87th Academy Awards for Birdman, becoming the first-ever three-time Latino Oscar winner in history.

His five feature films – Amores perros (2000), 21 Grams (2003), Babel (2006), Biutiful (2010) and Birdman (2014) – have garnered wide acclaim.

Past honorees include Barbara Kruger, Quentin Tarantino, David Hockney, Martin Scorsese, Ed Ruscha and Stanley Kubrick.

“The Art + Film Gala is now an annual highlight and brings together figures from the worlds of art, cinema, fashion and music to support the museum,” said longtime supporter and fashion designer Chow. “It’s a real honor and my pleasure to welcome two such unique and greatly talented artists whose work moves and inspires me deeply. And I am thrilled to co-chair this important fundraiser with Leonardo DiCaprio, whose support for this initiative is so critical.”

Funds from the Art + Film Gala support LACMA’s growing mission to make film a more prominent aspect of the museum’s programming, by way of exhibitions, educational sessions and screenings that explore how the film and art worlds converge.

González Iñárritu Has Cast Tom Hardy Opposite Leo DiCaprio in “The Revenant”

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu has found a co-star for Leonardo DiCaprio in his upcoming film The Revenant.

The 50-year-old Mexican filmmaker has cast English actor Tom Hardy to star opposite the Titanic star in the gritty thriller, which González Iñárritu adapted from Michael Punke’s novel The Revenant: A Novel of Revenge.

The González Iñárritu-directed film, centers on a 19th century fur trapper who gets mauled by a grizzly bear, and then is left for dead by cohorts who rob him. When he survives, he is not a happy camper and sets out on a treacherous journey to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.

Oscar-winning Gravity cinematographer Emmanuel Lubezki is also onboard for the New Regency production.

Filming is set to begin on September 22, with a Fall 2015 release scheduled.

González Iñárritu to Direct Leonardo DiCaprio in the Thriller “The Revenant”

Posted on April 17, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandro González Iñárritu is about to get revenant in the near future…

This September the 50-year-old Mexican filmmaker will direct Leonardo DiCaprio in the gritty thriller The Revenant.

González Iñárritu and Mark L. Smith co-wrote the script for the film, an adaptation of the Michael Punke novel The Revenant: A Novel Of Revenge.

The film will star DiCaprio as Hugh Glass, a 19th century fur trapper who gets mauled by a grizzly bear, and then is left for dead by cohorts who rob him. When he survives, he is not a happy camper and sets out on a treacherous journey to exact revenge on those who betrayed him.

Produced by New Regency, the film is slated for release in the fall of 2015.

In the meantime, González Iñárritu’s next film Birdman, his first comedy project, will be released by Fox Searchlight on October 17.

Spalding to Replace Beyoncé in “A Star Is Born” Remake?

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

She beat out Justin Bieber for the Best New Artist award at the 53rd Grammy Awards… And, now Esperanza Spalding could be replacing Beyoncé on a highly anticipated big screen project.

Following Beyoncé’s recent exit as the lead in the Clint Eastwood-helmed remake of A Star Is Born, the Hollywood legendary actor/director is reportedly looking at the 27-year-old part-Mexican jazz singer to fill in the female lead role.

Beyoncé quit the project due to scheduling issues, which has opened the door to Spalding to sign on for her first-ever big screen role.

However, sources say that until a male lead is signed, no discussions or offers will be made with the female lead.

In the remake to the 1976 musical film, Beyoncé was set to tackle the character which was originally played by Barbra Streisand. When the “Crazy In Love” singer was pregnant with her first child, Warner Bros. Pictures postponed the production, which was expected to begin this past February.

The delay was seen as an opportunity to give the studio more time to find the lead actor. Leonardo DiCaprio, Christian Bale, Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp, Will Smith and most recently Bradley Cooper have been mentioned as the contenders, but no deal has been firmed up of now.

The A Star Is Born remake promises an updated version of a romantic relationship between an alcoholic star on his way out and a young female artist on the rise.

Earlier this year, Spalding, who performed a moving rendition of Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” released her follow up album entitled, Radio Music Society.

Gomez Joins Fellow Hollywood Stars to Encourage You to Vote

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez wants you to exercise your right to vote…

The 20-year-old Mexican American actress currently appears in a star-studded video created by actors Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire.

The video from Vote 4 Stuff – a nonpartisan voter engagement campaign – features Gomez and a number of actors, including Joseph Gordon Levitt, Zac Efron, Benicio Del Toro, Ellen Degeneres and Amanda Seyfried, talking about what they’d like to vote for.

In the clip, the Hollywood stars answer the question, “If you could vote for anything in the world, what would you vote for?”

Their responses are inane at first. Gordon-Levitt demands an end to dubstep. Efron wants more high fives, while Gomez says, “I vote yes to anything Zac Efron says.”

But the video gets more and more serious as it progresses, with the actors asking viewers to make videos about the real issues that are important to them. Some of the tweets, videos and other content collected will be incorporated into the campaign as the election draws closer.

“This is one of the most important elections of our lifetime. We are using the power of social media throughout the Vote 4 Stuff campaign to incite bi-partisan conversation around real issues, encourage registration and voting in November,” DiCaprio said in a statement about the new video.

Diaz & Garcia Among the Latinos in Paramount’s Anniversary Photo

Posted on June 13, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

Paramount Pictures is celebrating its 100th anniversary in a picture-perfect way, with help from five of the studio’s biggest Latino luminaries, including Cameron Diaz and Andy Garcia…

The third-oldest existing movie studio in the world released a star-studded commemorative photo through Vanity Fair magazine. In all, the picture features 116 of the biggest names in the movie industry who’ve worked with one of Hollywood’s most iconic studios.

In the image, A-list actors like Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt pose together on a giant stairway alongside noted producers, directors and executives like Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and J.J. Abrams.

“It was more than thrilling… and incredibly nostalgic… to be part of that extraordinary gathering of actors who had worked for Paramount, as I had,” said actress Ali McGraw, who can be spotted standing in the middle of photo with her Love Story costar Ryan O’Neal.

Here’s a look at the five Latinos featured in the image:

Cameron Diaz
The 39-year-old half-Cuban American actress, who may be writing her first book soon, starred in the following Paramount Pictures projects: The Shrek series and Vanilla Sky.

Andy Garcia
The 56-year-old Cuban American actor received an Academy Award nomination for his performance as Vincent Santino Corleone (a.k.a. Vincent Mancini) in one of the studio’s biggest hits, The Godfather Part III.

Zoë Saldaña
The 33-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American actress will be reprising her role as Uhura in the upcoming sequel to Paramount’s hugely successful Star Trek reboot.

Alejandro González Iñárritu
The 48-year-old Mexican filmmaker, the first Mexican director to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Director, directed Paramount’s award-winning ensemble film Babel, which starred Gael García Bernal, Pitt, Cate Blanchett.

Antonio Banderas
The 51-year-old Spanish actor, who appears in the picture next to his wife Melanie Griffith, not only starred opposite Diaz in Paramount’s Shrek sequels, but he also starred in the Shrek prequel/spin-off Puss In Boots.

The epic picture is featured in the July issue of Vanity Fair.

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