Melissa Barrera to Star in the Warhol-Basquiat film “The Collaboration

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Barrera has a new collaboration…

The 32-year-old Mexican actress and singer will star in Muse of Fire’s Warhol–Basquiat film The Collaboration, based on the acclaimed play by four-time Oscar nominee Anthony McCarten.

Barrera will star alongside Jeremy Pope, Paul Bettany and Daniel Brühl in the project.

The Collaboration revolves around the relationship of the two iconic artists, starting in the summer of 1984. International superstar Andy Warhol (Bettany) and the art scene’s newest wunderkind, Jean-Michel Basquiat (Pope), agree to work together on what may be the most talked about exhibition in the history of modern art. But can these two creative giants co-exist with such opposing views of life and art?

Today, Warhol and Basquiat’s works sell for tens of millions.

Barrera will play the role of Maya, a formidable truth-teller who loves Basquiat and is wary of Warhol.

McCarten penned the screen adaptation of his play, which made its world premiere at London’s Young Vic Theatre in February, with Bettany and Pope as Warhol and Basquiat, respectively. Renowned theatre director and writer Kwame Kwei-Armah is making his feature directorial debut with the project, after directing the play in its original run.

Production on The Collaboration begins this month in Boston at Marina Studios’ Quincy location.

Once production on the Collaboration film has wrapped, the play will head to Broadway, with Kwei-Armah, Bettany and Pope again returning. December 20 has been set as opening night, with previews beginning at MTC’s Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on November 29.

Barrera is best known for her turns in Paramount/Spyglass’ recent Scream reboot, Jon M. Chu’s film adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s hit Broadway musical In the Heights for Warner Bros. and HBO Max, and the acclaimed Starz series, Vida.

She more recently led Keep Breathing, the Netflix series, which rose to #1 on the streamer when it premiered in late July.

She’s currently in production on Scream 6, reprising her role as Sam Carpenter, and will next be seen in Benjamin Millepied’s musical Carmen, which is world premiering this month at the Toronto Film Festival.

Tony Revolori to Star in “Scream 6”

Posted on July 15, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Tony Revolori is getting his scream on…

The 26-year-old Guatemalan American actor and Samara Weaving have been added to the cast of Scream 6.

Revolori and Weaving join an ensemble cast that includes Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega, who toplined the fifth film in the franchise, along with Hayden Panettiere, Courteney Cox, Dermot Mulroney, Jack Champion, Liana Liberato, Devyn Nekoda, Josh Segarra and Henry Czerny.

The next installment in the horror franchise from Spyglass Media and Paramount Pictures will pick up with Sam (Barrera), Mindy (Brown), Chad (Gooding) and Tara (Ortega)—four survivors of the most recent batch of Ghostface killings—as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.

Details as to the characters Weaving and Revolori will be playing have not been disclosed.

Radio Silence’s Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, who helmed the last Scream film, return as directors. James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick co-wrote the screenplay.

Revolori is best known for his collaboration with Wes Anderson on films like The Grand Budapest, The French Dispatch and the upcoming Asteroid City, and for his role as Flash Thompson in the most recent trilogy of Spider-Man films.

He stars in the Apple series Servant and will soon be seen in the Disney+ series Willow.

Josh Segarra to Star in Next Installment of “Scream”

Posted on June 16, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Josh Segarra is screaming with excitement.

The 36-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Arrow alum will star in the next installment of Paramount and Spyglass Media’s Scream.

Segarra is among a list of new cast additions that includes Jack Champion, Liana Liberato and Devyn Nekoda.

Melissa Barrera, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding and Jenna Ortega will reprise their roles after making their first appearance in the most recent sequel, with Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett returning to direct.

Hayden Panettiere is returning to reprise her role from a previous installment and Dermot Mulroney is also on board.

The new outing is due to shoot this summer and follows the bloody success of the fifth installment, released in January, which grossed more than $81 million domestically and $140 million worldwide.

Plot details are being kept under wraps outside of it following the four survivors of the Ghostface killings as they leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.

The film will be released on March 31, 2023.

James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick are penning the script. Vanderbilt will also produce along with his Project X Entertainment partners Paul Neinstein and William Sherak.

Original Scream scribe Kevin Williamson and the third member of Radio Silence, Chad Villella, are executive producing alongside Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre, Ron Lynch, Cathy Konrad and Marianne Maddalena.

Segarra is best known for his role on Arrow and can be seen next in Marvel’s She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.

Melissa Barrera Officially Confirmed for Return to “Scream” Reboot Sequel

Posted on May 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

There are more screams in Melissa Barrera’s future.

Spyglass Media and Paramount have officially confirmed that the 31-year-old Mexican actress and singer will be returning for the Scream sequel, with directors Radio Silence (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett) returning and James Vanderbilt and Guy Busick co-writing the screenplay.

In addition to Barrera, the new generation of actors also coming back include Jenna Ortega, Jasmin Savoy Brown and Mason Gooding.

Cameras will begin rolling early this summer for a theatrical release around the world on March 31, 2023.

In the next installment, the four survivors of the Ghostface killings leave Woodsboro behind and start a fresh chapter.

Scream architect Kevin Williamson and the third member of Radio Silence, Chad Villella, are executive producing alongside Spyglass’ Gary Barber and Peter Oillataguerre, Ron Lynch, Cathy Konrad and Marianne Maddalena.

After celebrating the franchise’s 25th Anniversary, the latest Scream earned a “Certified Fresh” score from Rotten Tomatoes and went on to gross more than $140 million at the global box office; part of Paramount’s proof that there’s appetite among moviegoers for lower budget as we come out of this pandemic.

Also starring in the movie were Kyle Gallner, Mikey Madison, Dylan Minnette, Jack Quaid, Marley Shelton, Sonia Ammar with original franchise members Courteney Cox, David Arquette and Neve Campbell.

The film is available now on digital, 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray and is currently streaming on Paramount +.

Through five movies the Scream series counts over $744M at the worldwide box office.

Jenna Ortega & Melissa Barrera’s “Scream” Debuts at the Top of the Box Office Charts

Posted on January 17, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega & Melissa Barrera have plenty of reason to scream…

Scream, starring the 19-year-old Mexican American & Puerto Rican actress and the 31-year-old Mexican actress, has dethroned Spider-Man: No Way Home over the four-day Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, becoming the first film to unseat the superhero phenomenon since it debuted on December 17.

The slasher revival grossed $34 million from 3,664 locations to top the box office. The impressive haul means that Paramount and Spyglass Media, the companies behind the reboot, will have one very profitable movie on their hands. Scream cost a mere $25 million to produce.

Scream has brought back a moribund franchise to life, introducing younger audiences to a series of films that had been left for dead after the box office disappointment of 2011’s Scream 4.

The key to its appeal was that Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett, the directing duo behind Ready or Not, paid homage to the films that came before Scream while updating the series with a savage twist on toxic fandom that resonated with younger crowds.

The filmmakers brought back series veterans Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette and paired them with newcomers like Barrera, Ortega, Jack Quaid and Dylan Minnette. And the DNA remained largely the same — once again, a serial killer in a Ghostface mask comes up with grisly and creative ways to dispatch the townspeople of Woodsboro, California, an idyllic community with a great school system and a shockingly low life expectancy.

Jared Treviño Wins “Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam” Acting Competition

Posted on December 16, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jared Treviño is slammin’…

The Latino actor/photographer is among the winners of Nosotros and Comcast NBCUniversal’s 3rd annual Ya Tu Sabes Monologue Slam.

Treviño took top honors in the acting competition for his monologue, “Reaching the Moment.”Acti

Meanwhile, Jorge J. Calderon won the writing competition for his monologue titled, “The Puerto Rican With The Mets Hat.”

The competition showcases a diverse group of Latinx writers and actors with original monologues and performances from different perspectives of the Latinx/e experience while using universally relatable themes.

The actors were coached by This Is Us director and star, Jon Huertas. Writing judges included Kenan’s Vanessa Ramos and Blindspotting‘s Rafael Casal. Huertas was joined by In the Heights star Melissas Barrera and The Sex Lives of College Girls star Vico Ortiz as acting judges.

“Ya Tu Sabes is a platform where Latinx/e creatives have the opportunity to have their work viewed by network executives and casting directors from the beginning of the competition when one first submits until the end when the finalists are shown,” said Mariana Anaya, Vice-Chair for Nosotros. “I am extremely proud and blown away with the talented writers and actors that joined us this year. Our work and fight for the Latinx/e community is necessary not just today but for generations to come. Congratulations to all of our participants on being part of a movement for representation in the entertainment industry.”

Calderon and Trevino will receive exclusive VIP meetings with talent agencies, casting directors, major network and studio creative executives as well as upper lever series writers and producers, among other prizes.

STXfilms Acquires Worldwide Rights to Melissa Barrera-Starrer “Bed Rest”

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Melissa Barrera’s latest project is going global…

STXfilms has acquired the worldwide rights to Bed Rest, a supernatural thriller to star the 31-year-old Mexican actress/singer and In The Heights star.

Writer-director Lori Evans Taylor will make her directorial debut on the project.

After years of struggling to start a family, Julie Rivers (Barrera) is pregnant again and moving into a new home with her husband as they embrace a fresh start. Upon being ordered to mandatory bed rest, Julie begins to slowly unravel as she suffers through the monotony and anxiety of her new constraints. Soon, terrifying ghostly experiences in the home begin to close in on Julie, stirring up her past demons and causing others to question her mental stability. Trapped and forced to face her past and the supernatural, Julie fights to protect herself and her unborn baby.

Bed Rest is being produced by William Sherak, James Vanderbilt, and Paul Neinstein through their Project X banner, along with Evans Taylor and Barrera. Cameras roll next month in Winnipeg.

STXfilms will release Bed Rest directly in the US, UK and Ireland, and in the rest of the world through its network of foreign distribution partners.

“Bed Rest is a chilling supernatural cinematic thriller,” said Adam Fogelson, chairman, STXfilms Motion Picture Group. “Lori Evans Taylor’s script was on the Black List for a reason: her compelling writing comes from a personal point of view we haven’t often seen on the big screen, and that will elevate the material. We’re also big believers in Melissa Barrera’s talent as an actress to bring this character to life. Horror has been a consistently successful genre for us at STX, and as a studio with a strong track record supporting female filmmakers, we are proud to be releasing Lori’s directorial debut. We’re also thrilled to be in business with William, James, Paul and the Team at Project X on a movie that will keep audiences riveted.”

Project X partners Sherak, Vanderbilt and Neinstein added, “We have known Lori both personally and professionally for years and have always been huge fans of her writing. This screenplay was so unnerving and deeply felt, we knew she was the right director to bring this to the screen. We had just worked with Melissa on Scream, where we saw her incredible talent first hand. We’re thrilled to have put them together, and that our longtime friends at STX will be our partners on this project. Their success with low and mid budget films and their commitment to female and diverse talent, both in front of and behind the camera, make them the ideal home for this film.”

In addition to In the Heights, and the upcoming Scream from Spyglass Media and Paramount, Barrera starred in the musical Carmen, and the Netflix series Breathe. She previously starred in the Starz series Vida and the independent film All The World Is Sleeping, which recently premiered at the New York Latino Film Festival. She was recently announced as Clinique’s new Global Ambassador.

Florencia Lozano to Appear in Netflix’s Drama Series “Breathe”

Posted on July 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Florencia Lozano is breathe-ing easy…

The 51-year-old Latina actress, best known for portraying Téa Delgado on ABC’s daytime series One Life to Live, has landed a recurring role in Breathe, Netflix’s one-hour drama series from Blindspot creator Martin Gero and writer-executive producer Brendan Gall, and Warner Bros. Television.

Lozano will recur alongside 40-year-old Colombian actor Juan Pablo Espinosa on the series, which stars Melissa Barrera.

In Breathe, written by Gero and Gall, when a small plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness, a lone woman (Barrera) must battle the elements and odds to survive. Barrera’s Liv is a razor-sharp Manhattan attorney who finds herself profoundly out of her comfort zone when her plane crashes and she must battle for survival.

Lozano and Espinosa will play Liv’s mother and father, respectively.

Lozano co-wrote and stars in Life After You, which was awarded Best Feature and Best Actress at the Nice International Film Festival. She will next be seen in the feature Here After. Her previous television credits include the starring role of Claudia Messina on Netflix’s Narcos, as well as Madam Secretary, The Blacklist, Blue Bloods, Law & Order: SVU, among others.

Espinosa most recently starred in Focus Features’ comedy Half Brothers. His other recent credits include Apple TV’s Acapulco, Cocaine Godmother opposite Catherine Zeta Jones, and a recurring role as Luis Carlos Galán on Netflix’s Narcos. In Latin America, he’s known for his work on El Secretario, A Corazon Abierto and La Fan with NBC/Telemundo, among others.

Melissa Barrera to Star in the Netflix Survival Drama Series “Breathe”

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Will Melissa Barrera make it through the wilderness?

The 30-year-old Mexican actress and singer has been cast as the lead in Breathe, Netflix’s one-hour drama series from Blindspot creator Martin Gero and writer-executive producer Brendan Gall, and Warner Bros. Television.

Barrera, who rose to acclaim in Starz’s Latinx series Vida, will portray a lone woman who must battle the elements and odds to survive after her plane crashes in the middle of the Canadian wilderness.

Barrera’s Eve is a razor-sharp Manhattan attorney who finds herself profoundly out of her comfort zone when her plane crashes and she must battle for survival.

Gero executive produces via his Quinn’s House production company, along with Gall. Warner Bros. Television is the studio.

Barrera most recently starred as co-lead Lyn in Tanya Saracho’s Vida, which aired for three seasons on Starz.

She next stars in In the Heights, the feature adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning musical, and also will be seen in a key role in the upcoming Scream 5.

She recently wrapped Sony Pictures Classics’ Carmen, the modern-day reimagining of the classic opera.

Anthony Ramos Releases Steamy Video for New Single “Say Less”

Posted on April 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Anthony Ramos is encouraging you to keep the talk to a minimum…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actor, who starred on Broadway in the Tony Award-winning Hamilton musical, has released his latest single “Say Less,” along with the track’s steamy music video.

Ramos shows off his seductive, effervescent croon on “Say Less,” an atmospheric R&B late-night jam in the vein of the Weeknd.

“‘Say Less’ is a transition song into this darker world I am exploring in my music,” Ramos said in a statement. “This video is a depiction of two people in a fleeting inferno of a relationship — one that can never be stable — but is too amazing to give up in spite of the inevitable outcome. They’re keeping a flame alive that will eventually burn out or explode. Not sure how it’ll end up, but in the meantime ‘Say Less’.”

Bonus fun: The sensual music video features Ramos’ In the Heights co-star Melissa Barrera.

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