Annie Gonzalez to Star as the Late Jenni Rivera in Family-Authorized Biopic “Jenni”

Annie Gonzalez will be portraying a late banda legend…

The Latina actress will star in an authorized biopic about the life of Jenni Rivera has been greenlit at ViX.

Annie GonzalezIn addition to starring, Gonzalez will also executive produce the film.

Filming of Jenni (wt) is underway in Bogota, Colombia, and will be completed in Los Angeles.

The project is set to premiere exclusively via ViX and in select movie theaters in the United States and Mexico later this year.

Jenni (wt) will follow Rivera’s journey from her humble beginnings in Long Beach, California, to her meteoric rise to the top of the charts, and her final days before her tragic and unexpected death. The film will also share a look at the struggles she endured in her personal life and how she became the artist fans all know and love today, and how she persevered and found strength from within.

The streamer notes, Jenni is a story of resilience and bravery that shows the building blocks of what made Jenni Rivera—also known affectionately as “La Diva De La Banda”— who she was and the remarkable legacy she left behind.

“My siblings and I are very excited about this biopic and we know our mother’s story will impact generations to come,” Jacqie Rivera, daughter of Jenni Rivera and CEO of Jenni Rivera Enterprises said in a statement. “It has been an uphill battle, but we are happy to see one of our mom’s dreams come to fruition. Although we still haven’t gotten used to seeing someone portray our mother, we have faith Annie will do a great job.”

As a multiple award-winning artist—including multiple Billboard Music Awards, 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 18 Lo Nuestro Awards, and four Latin Grammy nominations— Rivera is not only known as one of the best-selling Regional Mexican artists of all time but also for her role in disrupting cultural precedent by crossing into banda, a male-dominated music genre and eventually into pop music, where her presence posthumously continues to shine. Rivera died in a plane crash in 2012.

“I am beyond honored to portray the essence of this phenomenal survivor that is Jenni Rivera who despite adversity at every turn was never a victim and showed her daughters, her family, and her audience what grace, forgiveness, and true authenticity is— liberating us all,” Gonzalez shared. “Jenni’s messages of feminism, civil rights, and nonconformity within her music were well before her time and made space for all of us to feel empowered. With the support of the Rivera family, I cannot wait to help tell the beautiful story and the impactful legacy of what Jenni means to me personally and what it will mean to women and Latinas everywhere.”

Manuel Uriza will star opposite Gonzalez in the role of Pedro Rivera, Jenni’s father, and Regional Mexican entrepreneur. The cast also includes Cinthya Carmona (East Los High) as Jenni Rivera’s eldest daughter, Chiquis Rivera, Jero Medina (Narcos: Mexico) and Miguel Angel Garcia (The Long Game) who will dually portray Trino Marín, Rivera’s first husband and father of her three eldest children at later and earlier stages in his life, respectively.

Additionally, Gabriela Reynoso (Si Nos Dejan) will be portraying Jenni’s mother Rosa Saavedra, J.R. Villarreal (Ultra Violet) will play Juan “Cinco” Lopez, Jenni’s late second husband, and newcomer Tatiana Juarez will portray Rivera during her early years.

“ViX is thrilled to be the official home and distributor of this powerful story about Jenni Rivera. Our commitment to this project is paramount and, along with a fantastic production team and director, we know we will have a film that will captivate our audiences,” stated Augusto Rovegno, Senior Vice President of Content ViX at TelevisaUnivision.

Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock) directs from a screenplay by Shane McKenzie (Bingo Hell).

Gonzalez is gearing up to promote Flamin’ Hot, the Eva Longoria-directed Searchlight Pictures film about how Frito Lay janitor Ricardo Montañez climbs the ranks at work and creates the spicy Cheeto snack. Flamin’ Hot premieres at SXSW on March 11 followed by a wide release via Hulu in June. The Chicana actress portrays the character of Judy, Montañez’s wife, opposite Jesse Garcia.

She also recently starred in Illegally Brown alongside Jessica Marie Garcia from filmmaker, Gabby Revilla Lugo, which is currently playing on the film festival circuit. Additionally, Gonzalez can next be seen in the upcoming independent thriller Body Language and an untitled Ethan Coen project.

Gonzalez is best known for her portrayal of Lidia Solis in the Netflix comedy series Gentefied and her guest roles in Apple’s Mr. Corman, Starz’s Vida, NBC’s Good Girls, Showtime’s Shameless, and FX’s American Horror Story, among other credits.

Roberto Urbina Starring in Indie Thriller “Deadland”

Roberto Urbina is patrolling the U.S./Mexico border…

The 38-year-old Colombian actor will star in Deadland, an independent thriller from director Lance Larson, which has wrapped production in Oklahoma and Texas.

Roberto Urbina

Urbina stars opposite McCaul LombardiJulieth Restrepo, Kendal Rae, Luis Chávez, Julio César Cedillo, Manuel Uriza and Chris Mulkey in the film.

The film centers on border agent Angel Waters (Urbina), who is called to investigate a man who walks the harsh plains of the South Texas desert, finding that what should be a routine apprehension quickly turns into his worst nightmare.

In an unexpected turn of events, the migrant is accidentally killed, with Waters and his fellow officers quickly burying the body in the desert. They swear to an oath of silence—but the migrant refuses to stay silent.

Larson and Jas Shelton wrote the script, with David Elliot providing creative supervision.

Urbina’s credits include Heroes, Grey’s Anatomy, Narcos and Snowpiercer.

Luis Chávez starred in Our Brand in Crisis, In Time and Crash; Julio César Cedillo’s credits include Cowboys & Aliens (2011), Sicario and The Three Burials of Melquiades Estrada.

Uriza starred in Better Call Saul.

Netflix to Premiere Season 2 of JJ Soria’s “Gentefied” in November

JJ Soria is returning to East L.A. in November…

Netflix’s half-hour Latinx dramedy Gentefied, starring the 40-year-old Mexican American actor, is returning for Season 2 on November 10.

Gentefied

From creators Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, the series follows East Los Angeles Latinos on their respective and collective search for the American Dream.

Season 2 picks up after the emotional debut season’s finale that saw Erik Morales (Soria) and his girlfriend Lidia (Annie Gonzalez) welcome a daughter, Delfina. As Erik realizes his grandfather Pops (Joaquin Cosio) is missing from the hospital celebration, it is revealed that he has been arrested for an outstanding warrant and his beloved pick-up truck is being impounded.

The streamer teases the return will tackle Erik and his cousin Chris’s (Carlos Santos) struggle to keep Pops in the country while dealing with new love, new babies, estranged fathers, and tracking down Bad Bunny at a Halloween party. They’ll fight to thrive, but along the way will question where they truly belong in a world made up of borders, family separation, and the potential loss of their beloved taco shop, Mama Fina’s.

Gentefied is a Netflix production also starring Karrie Martin Lachney, Julissa Calderon; and newly added season 2 cast Melinna Bobadilla, Manuel Uriza, Ivana Rojas, and Clarissa Thibeaux.

The series is executive produced by Lemus, Chávez, Charles D. King, Marta Fernandez of MACRO, America Ferrera of Take Fountain, Aaliyah Williams, Kim Roth, and Teri Weinberg of Yellow Brick Road.

Manuel Uriza to Appear on Netflix’s Dramedy “Gentefied”

Manuel Uriza is getting gentefied

The Latino actor has landed a recurring role on Netflix’s dramedy Gentefied.

Manuel Uriza

Uriza joins a list of new recurring cast additions that includes Clarissa Thibeaux, Ivana Rojas and Melinna Bobadilla.

The series hails from Marvin Lemus and Linda Yvette Chávez, the duo behind the Sundance Film Festival darling Gente-fied: The Digital Series, and Macro.

Created by Chicano first-gen writers Lemus and Chávez, Gentefied is a half-hour dramatic comedy adapted from the 2017 Sundance digital series of the same name. Described as a badass bilingual series about family, community, brown love, and the displacement that disrupts it all, Gentefied follows three Mexican-American cousins who struggle to chase the American Dream, even while that same dream threatens the things they hold most dear: their neighborhood, their immigrant grandfather, and the family taco shop. Set in a rapidly changing Los Angeles, the dramedy navigates important themes like identity, class, and balancing insta-fame with translating memes for their parents.

Karrie Martin, JJ Soria, Carlos Santos and Joaquín Cosio star.

Uriza will play Ernesto Morales, Pop’s estranged, oldest son. By any measure, the personification of the American Dream, Pop has never forgiven him for moving his family from East LA to the calmer suburbs of Boise, Idaho. Unlike the rest of the family, Ernesto is the only one who can stand up to Pop, as their relationship reaches a boiling point.

Rojas will portray Sarai Damian. An up-and coming Chef, Sarai is career-focused, hella ambitious, and a truth-teller. She knows what she wants and she isn’t willing to compromise her dream for anyone. We meet her as she is about to be catapulted into her biggest career high, but it comes with a big price to pay.

Bobadilla will play Melinna Barragan, a fierce non-profit lawyer, she’s down for her community, even if it means working pro-bono. If your prima with the big hoops who always got into fights got her law degree at ELAC – that would be Melinna. Passionate and fierce, she treats her clients like family.

Uriza’s credits include Magnum P.I., Hawaii Five-O, Rambo: Last Blood, The Last Ship and Snowfall.

Bad Bunny to Make Acting Debut on Season Three of Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico”

Bad Bunny’s ready to make his acting debut…

The 26-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton singer, whose real name is Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, has joined the Season 3 cast of Netflix’s series Narcos: Mexico.

Bad Bunny

Bad Bunny joins a roster of cast additions that includes Luis Gerardo Méndez, Alberto Guerra and Luisa Rubino.

Bad Bunny will guest star as Arturo “Kitty” Paez, a member of Ramon Arellano Felix’s gang called the “Narco Juniors” – rich, well connected kids from upper society who fell in with the cartel life for the money, drugs and violence.

Méndez will play Victor Tapia, a Juarez cop with a moral dilemma; despite his
misgivings over getting involved, he is drawn into the mystery of a series of brutal killings

Guerra is Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, an independent drug trafficker, whose unassuming manner belies the fact that he is quietly one step ahead of everyone else

Rubino will be Andrea Nuñez, a young idealistic and ambitious journalist, whose mission to expose corruption brings her an even bigger story than she anticipated

Additional new cast series regulars include: Alejandro Furth as Ramon Salgado, Lorenzo Ferro as Alex Hodoyan, José Zúñiga as General Rebollo, Diego Calva as Arturo Beltran Leyva, Kristen Lee Gutoskie as Dani, Beau Mirchoff as Steve Sheridan.

Additional new guest stars include: Yessica Borroto as Marta, Damayanti Quintanar as Hortencia, Manuel Uriza as Carlos Hank Gonzalez and Markin López as Rogelio

Returning regular cast members are Scoot McNairy, José María Yázpik, Alfonso Dosal, Mayra Hermosillo, Matt Letscher, Manuel Masalva, Alejandro Edda, Gorka Lasaosa. Returning guest star is Alberto Ammann.

Set in the 1990s, when the globalization of the drug business ignites, Season 3 examines the war that breaks out after Felix’s empire splinters. As newly independent cartels struggle to survive political upheaval and escalating violence, a new generation of Mexican kingpins emerge. But in this war, truth is the first casualty – and every arrest, murder and take-down only pushes real victory further away.

Directors are Andrés Baiz, Alejandra Márquez Abella, Luis Ortega, Amat Escalante and Wagner Moura. Production company is Gaumont.

A premiere date for Narcos: Mexico Season 3 has not been announced.

Peris-Mencheta’s “Snowfall” to Kick Off This Year’s ATX Television Festival

Sergio Peris-Mencheta will experience Snowfall in Austin…

The ATX Television Festival will kick off with an opening-night screening and panel for John Singleton’s upcoming FX series Snowfall, starring the 41-year-old Spanish actor.

Sergio Peris-Mencheta

Set in Los Angeles circa 1983, the series’ focus is set on the first cocaine epidemic and its impact on the culture of the city.

Peris-Mencheta portrays Gustavo Zapata on the series, which also stars Manuel Uriza, Emily Rios and Camila Banus.

The Snowfall panel joins previously announced ATX fest events including a reunion of Alias writers, a Parks and Recreation community screening; reunions for Designing Women, Northern Exposure, thirtysomething and The Comeback; “Canceled Too Soon” panels with The Black Donnellys and The Middleman; and much more.

The ATX Television Festival will run from June 8-11 in Austin, Texas. For a full list of additional panels and screenings, click here.

Peris-Mencheta’s previous credits include Resident Evil: Afterlife, and the Spanish-language projects A salir de clase and Estripe.

Uriza Lands Recurring Role on AMC’s Drama Series “The Son”

Manuel Uriza has landed a son (of a gun) role…

The Latino actor has landed a recurring role in AMC’s upcoming drama series The Son.

Manuel Uriza

Based on the book by Philipp Meyer and penned by Meyer, Lee Shipman and Brian McGreevy, The Son is a multi-generational epic tale of the story of America’s birth as a superpower through the bloody rise and fall of one Texas family.

Uriza will play Aniceto Pizana, a charming revolutionary in the mold of Che Guevera.

Uriza’s credits include a recurring role in AMC’s Better Call Saul, as well as stints on The Bridge and Castle.

Uriza to Star in FX’s Drama Pilot “Snowfall”

Manuel Uriza is preparing for a white Christmas…

The Latino actor has landed a series regular roles on FX’s drama pilot Snowfall.

Manuel Uriza

Co-created and co-written by the Boyz N The Hood director John Singleton and Eric Amadio and directed by Singleton, the series is set against the infancy of the crack cocaine epidemic in Los Angeles in the 1980s.

Uriza will portray Manuel Villanueva, a cocaine distributor who makes it clear that working for him means doing “bad things,” but he pays well.

Uriza has starred in numerous Spanish language projects including the telenovela Una Maid en Manhattan, which was based on Jennifer Lopez’s hit film Maid in Manhattan.

He most recently appeared on TNT’s Agent X and had a recurring role on FX’s The Bridge opposite Demian Bichir.

His other credits include Magic City and Burn Notice.