Tanya Saracho to Make Film Directorial Debut with Adaptation of Her Off Broadway Play “Mala Hierba”

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Tanya Saracho is in the (bad) weeds…

The Mexican-American actress, playwright, dramaturge, screenwriter and Vida creator is bringing her 2014 Off Broadway play Mala Hierba to the big screen, and she’ll be directing the film adaptation of her acclaimed project.

In her film directorial debut, Saracho has teamed up with Anonymous Content to adapt the Texas border town set drama.

The film version of Mala Hierba will be produced by AC Studios, with Dawn Olmstead, David Levine, and Whitney Dibo overseeing the project for outfit.

Former Vida EP Stephanie Langhoff, and Christine Davila, head of development and production at Saracho’s Ojala Productions, will serve as producers on Mala Hierba.

Originally opening at Second Stage Uptown nearly six years ago, the play unravels the coiffured life of a Lone Star State trophy wife who begins to see the cracks in her life of wealth and privilege as her first and perhaps true love reappears. The possibility of a renewed life together for the two women forces the Liliana character to make a searing decision about what she wants and who she is.

The stage production of Mala Hierba was directed by Jerry Ruiz and starred Marta Milans, Sandra Marquez, and Ana Nogueira in the primary roles.

The union with Anonymous comes just over a couple of weeks after the active Saracho launched the Ojalá Ignition Lab in conjunction with UCP, a division of Universal Studio Group.

Part of the acclaimed playwright and filmmaker’s 2020 inked development deal with the studio, the incubator program for Latinx voices will provide five writers and their own proposed projects with mentoring from experienced showrunners and EPs, including self-described “den mother” Saracho and an extended network to draw on for the future.

Since Vida, which won a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, finished its three-season stint on Starz in May 2020, Saracho stayed in Britain during the pandemic to work with musician and Lovesick actor Johnny Flynn for an upcoming project.

George P. Bush Announces Bid for Texas Attorney General

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

George P. Bush is lookin’ to move up in Texas politics….

The 45-year-old half-Mexican American politician, currently serving as Texas Land Commissioner, has announced that he’s running for attorney general in the Lone Star State, setting up a GOP showdown with one of the most high-profile Republican attorneys general in the country, Ken Paxton.

“I am proud to announce I am a Republican candidate to be the next Texas attorney general,” he said before supporters in Austin.

Bush came out swinging in his campaign announcement, taking shots at Paxton, who is currently under indictment for securities fraud and, separately, facing an FBI investigation for abuse of office.

“Enough is enough, Ken. You’ve brought way too much scandal and too little integrity to this office,” Bush said. “It’s time to go.”

Bush — the son of former two-term Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the nephew of former President George W. Bush and the grandson of the late former President George H.W. Bush — is running as a supporter of former President Donald Trump, despite the at-times blistering feud between Trump and the Bush family.

At a campaign kickoff event in downtown Austin, supporters praised Bush as the future of the Republican Party in Texas and highlighted his support of Trump as a key credential.

“I think we can all agree that President Trump was one of the best things to happen to this country,” Karen Newton, immediate past president of Texas Federation of Republican Women, said onstage as one of the introductory speakers before Bush.

Joacim Hernandez, vice chair of the Texas Young Republican Federation, argued Bush is uniquely positioned to unite the GOP. “He has a track record of support for President Trump and his America First policies, but he also has a track record of character and integrity.”

As land commissioner since 2015, Bush has long been viewed by political observers as a rising star in the GOP. He speaks Spanish and was involved in the founding of the political group Hispanic Republicans of Texas. He was also an officer in the Navy Reserves and a former businessman, with a law degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

Paxton, meanwhile, has been state attorney general since 2015 after serving in the Texas Legislature for more than a decade as both a state representative and state senator. He was highly active in filing federal lawsuits during the Barack Obama administration — most notably, he led a 20-state challenge against the Affordable Care Act — and has filed multiple suits against the Joe Biden administration over a range of issues from immigration to Medicaid.

A staunch ally of Trump, Paxton also led the lawsuit contesting election results in four states that Trump lost in November. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected the lawsuit.

Clouding Paxton’s run for reelection will be the FBI investigation and separate indictment. Paxton vehemently denies the charges and allegations.

Bush has made it clear he won’t be shy in going after Paxton’s legal issues.

“We have a web of corruption and lies that affect one of the highest offices in our land and it’s time for a change,” Bush said.

Bush will make South Texas — where Trump made heavy inroads in November — a key part of his strategy, and he plans to make his first official campaign trip to the Rio Grande Valley on Thursday.

Given his political connections and Paxton’s legal troubles, Bush is expected to raise significant cash for the race.

Camila Alves to Host “We’re Texas” Fundraiser with Husband Matthew McConaughey

Posted on March 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Camila Alves is helping her fellow Texans with a little help from their musical friends…

The 39-year-old Brazilian-born model and designer, who resides in the Lone Star State, and her actor-husband and Native Texan Matthew McConaughey, have roped in a slew of stars for the power couple’s “We’re Texas” fundraiser on Sunday, March 21 for Texans impacted by devastating winter Storm Uri.

The storm, which left thousands of Texans without heat, water and electricity, will be hosted by Alves and McConaughey, with performances by Post Malone, Kelly Clarkson and Kacey Musgraves.

The event will also feature performances from native Texans Willie Nelson, Miranda Lambert and George Strait, as well as Gary Clark Jr., Khalid, Don Henley, Kirk Franklin, Leon Bridges, Lukas Nelson, Lyle Lovett, Charlie Sexton, Clint Black, Los Lonely Boys, Parker McCollum and Randy Rogers.

The show will kick off at 7:00 pm CT on McConaughey’s YouTube channel, with 100% of funds raised going to the Just Keep Livin’ Texas Relief Fund.

Earlier this week McConaughey made news when he teased a potential run for Texas governor. The state’s next gubernatorial election is in 2022 and in an interview with The Today Show the 51-year-old Uvalde native said, “Am I considering that? Sure, it’s a great thing and an honorable thing to be able to consider. What I’ve gotta choose for myself is, I want to get into a leadership role in the next chapter of my life. Now, what role am I gonna be most useful in? I don’t know that that’s in a political position, or if that’s me as a free agent. It might be me as a free agent. So that’s something I’m personally working on is what is my position of most use in a leadership role.”

https://twitter.com/iamcamilaalves/status/1371944048164937730

The massive winter storm that killed more than 70 people in the U.S. while leaving more than 4.5 million Texans in the dark due to a massive power grid failure is predicted to have a significant financial impact as well, potentially costing anywhere form $195-$295 billion from lost income, reduced economic output and infrastructure damage.

Netflix Releases Opening Scene of Upcoming Second Season of David Castañeda’s “The Umbrella Academy”

Posted on July 29, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

David Castañeda is blasting into the past…

Netflix has released the opening scene of Season Two of the 30-year-old Mexican-American actor’s comic book series The Umbrella Academy.

The opening scene shows Aidan Gallagher’s Number Five land in Dallas. While searching for his siblings in the Lone Star State, the super-powered human sees the beginnings the Cold Warunfold before him as the Soviet Union and the United States begin carrying out their first attacks against each other.

As the teaser progresses, Frank Sinatra’s iconic voice rings out, scoring a montage of high impact combat scenes between the two opposing world powers and the Hargreeves family fighting against their adversaries. The season two opening sequence concludes as a mushroom cloud blooms and reveals the show’s title card.

Season two of The Umbrella Academy, which Netflix announced in May, hits the streamer on Friday July 31.

The Umbrella Academy is based on the Dark Horse Comicsseries created and written by Gerard Wayand illustrated by Gabria Bà.

Castañeda, Gallagher, Ellen Page, Tom Hooper, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Robert Sheehanand Justin H. Minwill reprise their roles as unlikely superheroes.

Also joining the new 10-episode season are Ritu Arya, Marin Ireland and Yusuf Gatewood. Showrunner Steve Blackman will return to produce the second season.

In 2019, The Umbrella Academy ranked third on the list of Netflix’s most popular series of the year and was one of the only three series to crack the streamer’s overall top 10 list of its most popular 2019 releases.

Aracely Jimenez to Speak on Climate Change at SXSW

Posted on March 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Aracely Jimenez is bringing a little Sunriseto the Lone Star State…

With SXSW just weeks away, the annual confab has added more featured speakers and keynotes to the 34th edition of its conference which takes place March 13-22, including a climate change talk featuring the Latina activist and member of Sunrise Movement, which mobilizes young people to take action to combat climate change.

Jimenez’s panel, entitled Climate Justice and Unlearned Lessons of the Day the Levees Broke, will also feature The Atlantic’s staff writer Vann Newkirk and CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir.

Here’s the full list of additions:

Newly-announced SXSW 2020 Keynotes include:

“5 Ways You’re Killing Your Creative Potential” — Keynote with Chief Creative Officer of TBWA\Media Arts Lab Brent Anderson(Convergence)
“Are You Ready for the Future of Space Exploration?” — Keynote with NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli, Tyler N. “Nick” Hague, and CNN Business writer Jackie Wattles(Convergence)

Newly-announced Featured Speakers and Sessions include:

Comedian, actor, creator and host of Adult Swim’s hit series The Eric Andre Show, and star of Bad Trip Eric Andre has joined a conversation with Academy Award-winning filmmaker and director of Apple’s upcoming documentary feature Beastie Boys Story, Spike Jonze (Making Film & Episodics)
Performer and independent afrobeats artist Mr. Eazihas joined the Featured Session “The Path To Creative & Economic Freedom”, with CEO and Founder of Platoon Denzyl Feigelson(Future of Music)
Entrepreneur, fashion model and Kode with Klossy founder Karlie Kloss, and SAP Global Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Tillmanwith CNN Newsroom co-anchor and host of the CNN podcast BossFiles, Poppy Harlow(Tech Industry & Enterprise)
Journalist, writer, attorney and the host of MSNBC’s The Beat with Ari Melber, Ari Melberhas been added to a conversation with CEO and co-founder of 300 Entertainment and author Kevin Liles(Future of Music)
NBC News’ Today, co-host of The 3rd Hour of Today and anchor of MSNBC live Craig Melvin will be joining “Oxygen’s Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project” with Kim Kardashian West, #cut50 Co-Founder and Senior Counsel Jessica Jackson along with Momolu Stewart
Wu-Tang Clan founding member, filmmaker and Cut Throat Citydirector RZA has been added to “The Black List Podcast” (Film & TV Industry), co-hosted by The Black List founder Franklin Leonard and Kate Hagen.
Entrepreneur, founder of Venture 4 America and former Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang has been added to The Privacy Project at SXSW session with New York Times Opinion writer Charlie Warzel and contributing writer Kara Swisher.
The Big Picture Live: The Illusion of Identity with Frank Oz and Derek DelGaudio (Making Film & Episodics): RingerEditor-in-Chief Sean Fennessey sits down with filmmaker Frank Oz and writer/creator Derek DelGaudio.
Climate Justice and Unlearned Lessons of the Day the Levees Broke (Climate & Social Action): In this session, The Atlantic’s staff writer Vann Newkirk and CNN’s chief climate correspondent Bill Weir will share their reporting on issues of climate change, where vulnerable communities are increasingly on the frontlines. Joining the session is Aracely Jimenez of the Sunrise Movement, which mobilizes young people to take action to combat climate change.
A Conversation with the executive producers of Apple’s Little America with actor, writer, and producer Kumail Nanjiani; writer and producer Emily V. Gordon; Co-founder of Epic Magazine and film and television producer Joshuah Bearman in conversation with CNN anchor and host of At This Hour, Kate Bolduan (Making Film & Episodics)
The Next Big Bets: Optimists’ Take on the Media Landscape(Media & Journalism): Hear from three leaders who are navigating a fast-changing industry with partnerships, creativity, community building — and making big bets. A conversation with Vox Media co-founder and CEO Jim Bankoff; renowned journalist turned podcast host and founder of Katie Couric Media, Katie Couric; NYU Marketing professor, founder of section4, bestselling author, and co-host of the Pivot podcast, Scott Galloway; and moderated by Hollywood Reporter editor Natalie Jarvey
A Starting Point (Government & Politics): A conversation about “a new civics engagement project aimed at helping to demystify politics while bringing our elected leaders closer to the communities they represent. Hosted by the organization’s co-founders: actor/director Chris Evans; Golden Globe and Emmy-nominated filmmaker/actor Mark Kassen; media & technology entrepreneurJoe Kiani; and executive producer and host of theTamron Hall Show, Tamron Hall
Wondery Presents: The Success of Blood Ties and the Future of Scripted Drama (Making Film & Episodics): Wondery’s CEO and Founder Hernan Lopez and Chief Content Officer Marshall Lewy, and star of Blood Ties Gillian Jacobs in conversation with Hollywood Reporter Editor Natalie Jarvey

Jose Ramirez to be Part of Cleveland Indians’ Opening Day Lineup

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Jose Ramirez should be in the game on Opening Day…

The 26-year-old Dominican professional baseball third baseman is expected to be in the Cleveland Indians‘ opening day lineup Thursday, four days after fouling a pitch off the area below his left knee.

Manager Terry Francona said that Ramirez should be ready to go for the opener against the Minnesota Twins.

The MLB All-Starworked out Monday and Tuesday in Arizona, testing his bruised left knee while Cleveland finished its exhibition schedule with games against the Texas Rangers in the Lone Star State.

Ramirez will join the team for a workout in Minnesota on Wednesday.

Ramirez left the field in a cart Sunday in a scary scene for the Indians, who will already be without shortstop Francisco Lindor and second baseman Jason Kipnis. Both players are working back from right calf strains.

Ramirez had 39 home runs and 105 RBI last season, finishing third in AL MVPvoting for the second straight year.

Sylvia Garcia & Veronica Escobar Become Texas’ First Latinas in the U.S. Congress

Posted on November 7, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Sylvia Garcia and Veronica Escobar are making history…

The Texas politicians will be the Lone Star State’s first Hispanic women in the U.S. Congress, with Democrats in Houston and El Paso both earning that trailblazing distinction during the same electoral cycle.

Garcia, a state senator, won a heavily Hispanic district in Houston, replacing retiring Democratic Rep. Gene Green, who remained popular representing the area for decades despite being a self-described white man who spoke marginal Spanish.

A former county judge in El Paso, Escobar won a seat to replace El Paso Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke, who left the House to challenge Republican Sen. Ted Cruz.

Texas has the nation’s second-largest Hispanic population behind California but had never elected a Latina to either congressional chamber. Cruz became the state’s first Hispanic male senator in 2012.

Leguizamo to Star in the Six-Part Branch Davidians-Themed Event Series “Waco”

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is ready to crash and learn…

The 52-year-old actor/comedian will star opposite Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch in Waco, a six-part event series produced by Weinstein Television.

Written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle and directed by John Erick Dowdle, Waco tells the story of the 51-day 1993 standoff between the FBI, ATF and David Koresh’s spiritual sect, The Branch Davidians, in Waco, Texas, that resulted in a deadly fire. It explores the true life details leading up to and chronicling the standoff told from several perspectives of those most intimately involved in both sides of the conflict.

Leguizamo will play ATF agent Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez was sent into Koresh’s Mount Carmel to gather evidence and build a federal case against the Branch Davidians but forged a bond with the people inside.

Set to air on Paramount Network in 2018, production will begin on Waco next month in Santa Fe, NM.

Leguizamo was most recently cast in a co-starring role opposite Allison Miller in ABC’s drama pilot Salamander. He also recently co-starred on the Netflix drama series Bloodline and reprised his roles in the latest installments of the John Wick and Ice Age movie franchises.

“We are thrilled to have John in this part. He brings phenomenal range and authenticity to everything he does,” says Ted Gold, Senior Vice President, Scripted Original Series for Paramount. “The role of Robert Rodriguez is little known, but utterly fascinating as he was the only undercover agent to infiltrate David Koresh’s compound.”

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