Raúl Castillo Starring in Crypto-Heist Thriller “Cold Wallet”

Raúl Castillo is the cold

The 45-year-old Mexican American actor will star in Cold Wallet, a crypto-heist thriller from director Cutter Hodierne, which has wrapped production.

Castillo will star opposite Melonie Diaz, Tony Cavalero and Josh Brener in the project.

Inspired by real stories, the film follows a rag-tag team of Redditors who lose everything in a crypto ponzi scheme and plot to kidnap the ‘financial influencer’ who screwed them over.

The film was in production when news of the FTX scandal broke.

The script was written by John Hibey — the 2023 Sundance Screenwriting Lab Fellow with whom Hodierne penned his first feature, Fishing Without Nets. Serving as the foundation for it was a story by Hodierne, Derek McMurtry and Hibey.

Producers included Benjamin Wiessner of Vanishing Angle along with Hibey and Hodierne. McMurtry, Castillo, Cavalero, Diaz, Brener and crypto guru Justin Staple are the executive producers.

“I can’t stress enough how thrilled I am to be a part of Cutter’s new feature. I was a big fan of Fishing Without Nets and, though I feel our film is just as timely and relevant, I think he has managed to move in a whole new direction,” Castillo told Deadline. “He and his producers have put together an outstanding crew and an incredibly pitch-perfect cast. I am proud to share the screen with every single one of them.”

Castillo is a Gotham and Independent Spirit Award nominee coming off a year of work in decorated titles including The Inspection (A24), Hustle (Netflix) and Cha Cha Real Smooth (Apple TV+). Other upcoming feature projects for the actor include the action-thriller Breathe with Milla Jovovich, Sam Worthington and Common, FX’s limited series Class of ’09 premiering May 10th, and Prime Video’s Gael García Bernal starrer Cassandro from Roger Ross Williams, which world premiered this year at Sundance.

Best known for starring alongside Adam Devine in Danny McBride’s megachurch comedy The Righteous Gemstones, now heading into its third season on HBO, Cavalero has also been seen in ABC’s The Conners, TBS’ Miracle Workers, Hulu’s The Binge and the Netflix film The Dirt which had him playing Ozzy Osborne, among other projects.

A two-time Independent Spirit Award nominee, Diaz most recently led The CW’s reboot of Charmed, which ran for four seasons. Notable feature credits for the actress include The First PurgeAll About NinaThe Belko ExperimentThe CobblerFruitvale Station and Be Kind Rewind, to name a few.

Jason Diaz to Appear on Season 3 of The CW’s “Charmed” Reboot

Jason Diaz is livin’ a charmed life…

The Latino actor has been cast as a recurring actor on the third season of the CW’s Charmed . The reboot of the fantasy drama, which originally ran from 1998-2006, is currently in production on Season 3 in Vancouver.

Jason Diaz

Diaz will play Antonio, described as “an overly confident but charming classmate of Maggie’s (Sarah Jeffery) who quickly becomes her nemesis.” The series also stars Melonie Diaz and Madeleine Mantock.

This continues Diaz’s relationship with the CW after he was recently seen on the seventh and final season of The 100 as a recurring guest star.

Additionally, he can be seen recurring on the current season of The Good Witch. His other credits include Kim’s Convenience, The Crossword Mysteries and The Handmaid’s Tale.

Jaime Camil to Guest Star on the CW’s “Charmed” Reboot

Jaime Camil is living a Charmed life…

The 45-year-old Brazilian-Mexican actor and Jane the Virgin scene stealer will guest star on the CW’s Charmed reboot.

Jaime Camil

Camil will appear in an upcoming episode of the dramedy directed by his Jane the Virgin co-star Gina Rodriguez.

Penned by Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin and created with Jane the Virgin creator/showrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, the Charmed reboot centers on three sisters (Melonie DiazMadeleine Mantock, Sarah Jeffery) in a college town who discover they are witches. Between vanquishing supernatural demons, tearing down the patriarchy and maintaining familial bonds, a witch’s work is never done.

Camil will play Mr. Morales, the brash and eccentric new Music Director of Hillowne University’s a cappella group, The Hilltones. As an acolyte of a cappella, Morales is never seen without his hauntingly ornate pitch pipe. His commanding presence and devotion to technique make him the perfect person to ready The Hilltones for their next killer performance.

It was previously revealed that Rodriguez would direct an episode of Charmed this season.

Earlier this month, Charmed received an order for additional Back 9 episodes.

Gina Rodriguez to Direct an Episode of The CW’s “Charmed” Reboot

Gina Rodriguez is heading behind the lens…

The 34-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star will direct the 11th episode of the CW’s Charmed reboot, according to Variety.

Gina Rodriguez

“I’m very excited about that opportunity and obviously very excited that I get to do it with three Latinas,” Rodriguez said. “It’s really f—ing awesome. It’s going to be really exciting to see what that journey is.”

Rodriguez made her directorial debut on her CW series last season, with the 10th episode of its fourth season. At the time, she told Variety that some of her influences in stepping behind the camera were past Jane the Virgindirectors Brad Silberling and Melanie Mayron.

“Brad Silberling is very poetic with the camera — the way he sets up blocking and the way he tells a story is very poetic, where it’s a reflection of the script and it’s telling a story inside of the story. Melanie Mayron sets up really stunning shots — whether it’s a really big wide where you have somebody running through the scene or it’s inserts of a hand moving a chair, or it’s a cut between a look and a look,” she said.

Charmed, which comes from Jane the Virginshowrunner Jennie Snyder Urman, marks the first project Rodriguez will direct that she is not also starring in.

The new version of Charmed isbased on a story by Urman, with Jane the Virginwriters Jessica O’Toole and Amy Rardin writing and executive producing. Silberling, Ben Silverman and Carter Covington also executive produce. CBS Television Studios produce in association with Propagate Content.

The show stars Melonie Diaz, Madeleine Mantock and Sarah Jeffery as the sisters who discover they are witches in the pilot episode.

Rodriguez will also be back in the director’s seat on “Jane” for the fifth and final season premiere episode. She is also developing a few projects with the network.

Gina Rodriguez Among the Latinos Invited to Join The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

Gina Rodriguez is joining the club…

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has issued 928 invitations to new members, the Oscar-granting body announced Monday, including an invite to the 33-year-old actress and Jane the Virgin star.

Gina Rodriguez

The number is higher than the 774 invitations sent out in 2017. As the Academy has sought to diversify its ranks, it invited in 683 new members in 2016 and 322 in 2015 in an effort to include more women, people of color and international filmmakers.

In addition to Rodriguez, who has starred on the bog screen in the films Deepwater Horizon and Annihilation, this year’s potential Latino members include Rodriguez’s Jane the Virgin co-star Jaime Camil, Javier Bardem’s actor brother Carlos Bardem, Alice Braga, Melonie Diaz, Eugenio Derbez and Like Water for Chocolate author Laura Esquivel.

Forty-nine percent of the class of 2018 are female, and, should all accept membership, that will bring overall percentage of women in the Academy to 31 percent. Thirty-eight percent of the new invitees are people of color, which, should they all accept, would bring their overall percentage of the Academy to 16 percent.

Each of the Academy’s 17 branches draws its own list of new members, and candidates must be sponsored by two members of the branch they will be invited to join. The general requirement is that a candidate must have “demonstrated exceptional achievement in the field of theatrical motion pictures,” although each branch has its own specific requirements. Actors, for example, must have a minimum of three theatrical features under their belt, while directors must have a minimum of two helming credits. Academy Awards nominees are automatically considered for membership, although an invite is not guaranteed.

Here’s a look at the Latino invitees:

Actors
Damián Alcázar – “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” “El Crimen del Padre Amaro”
Carlos Bardem – “Assassin’s Creed,” “Che”
Diana Bracho – “A Ti Te Queria Encontrar,” “Y Tu Mamá También”
Alice Braga – “I Am Legend,” “City of God”
Javier Cámara – “Talk to Her,” “Sex and Lucia”
Jaime Camil – “Coco,” “Pulling Strings”
Tantoo Cardinal – “Wind River,” “Dances With Wolves”
Elpidia Carrillo – “Nine Lives,” “Predator”
Ricardo Darín – “Wild Tales,” “The Secret in Their Eyes”
Natalia De Molina – “Kiki, Love to Love,” “Food and Shelter”
Rossy De Palma – “Broken Embraces,” “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”
Eugenio Derbez – “Overboard,” “How to Be a Latin Lover”
Rosana DeSoto – “La Bamba,” “About Last Night…”
Melonie Diaz – “Fruitvale Station,” “Be Kind Rewind”
Verónica Echegui – “Let Yourself Go!,” “Katmandú, un Espejo en el Cielo”
Paulina García – “The Desert Bride,”Gloria”
Manuel Garcia-Rulfo – “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” “Murder on the Orient Express”
Daniel Giménez Cacho – “Zama,” “Blancanieves”
Ernesto Gómez Cruz – “El Crimen del Padre Amaro,” “El Imperio de la Fortuna”
Blanca Guerra – “Santa Sangre,” “El Imperio de la Fortuna”
Javier Gutiérrez – “Assassin’s Creed,” “Marshland”
Zaide Silvia Gutiérrez – “Bordertown,” “El Norte”
George Lopez – “Rio,” “Real Women Have Curves”
Mía Maestro – “The Motorcycle Diaries,” “Frida”
Carmen Maura – “Volver,” “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown”
Ángela Molina – “Broken Embraces,” “That Obscure Object of Desire”
Jordi Mollà – “The Man Who Killed Don Quixote,” “Blow”
Eduardo Noriega – “Vantage Point,” “Open Your Eyes”
Rubén Ochandiano – “Biutiful,” “Broken Embraces”
John Ortiz – “Kong: Skull Island,” “Silver Linings Playbook”
Pedro Pascal – “Kingsman: The Golden Circle,” “The Adjustment Bureau”
Gina Rodriguez – “Annihilation,” “Deepwater Horizon”
María Rojo – “Under the Same Moon,” “Esmeralda Comes by Night”
Emma Suárez – “Julieta,” “The Mosquito Net”
Daniela Vega – “A Fantastic Woman,” “The Guest”

Cinematographers
Céline Bozon – “Félicité,” “Black Heaven”
Benjamín Echazarretta – “A Fantastic Woman,” “Gloria”
David Gallego – “Siete Cabezas (The Sacrifice),” “Embrace of the Serpent”
Dana Gonzales – “Shot Caller,” “Incarnate”

Costume Designers
Gabriela Diaque – “Babel,” “Amores Perros”
Caroline Eselin – “Moonlight,” “The Paperboy”
Mariestela Fernández – “La Dictadura Perfecta (The Perfect Dictatorship),” “El Infierno (Hell)”
Lala Huete – “El Greco,” “Pan’s Labyrinth”
Graciela Mazón – “The Flowers of War,” “Nacho Libre”
Luis Sequeira – “The Shape of Water,” “Mama”

Designers
Cecilia Montiel – “From Dusk Till Dawn,” “Desperado”

Documentary
Claire Aguilar – “The Interrupters,” “Last Train Home”
Everardo González – “La Libertad del Diablo (Devil’s Freedom),” “Drought (Cuates de Australia)”
Carla Gutierrez – “RBG,” “When Two Worlds Collide”
Tatiana Huezo – “Tempestad,” “The Tiniest Place”
Gema Juarez Allen – “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name,” “Soldado”
Pedro Pimenta – “A Ilha dos Espíritos (Island of Spirits),” “Memories of Dreams”
Maria Augusta Ramos – “Morro dos Prazeres (Hill of Pleasures),” “Justice (Justiça)”
Bernardo Ruiz – “Kingdom of Shadows,” “Reportero”
Juan Carlos Rulfo – “Those Who Remain,” “In the Pit”

Executives
Tony Vinciquerra

Film Editors
Felipe Lacerda – “Secrets of the Tribe,” “Garapa”
Elena Ruiz – “Eva,” “The Orphanage”
Soledad Salfate – “A Fantastic Woman,” “Gloria”
Ana Lozano – “Vicky Cristina Barcelona,” “Volver”

Music
Carlinhos Brown – “Rio,” “Capitães da Areia”

Producers
Lisa Cortés – “Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire,” “Shadowboxer”

Public Relations
Dora Candelaria
Fabian Castro
Melissa Martinez
Alicia Ramirez-Wyld

Short Films and Feature Animation
Sofia Carrillo – “Cerulia,” “La Casa Triste (The Sad House)”
Pedro Collantes – “Serori,” “Eskiper”
Sergio Pablos – “Rio,” “Despicable Me”
Ruben Perez – “The Boss Baby,” “Penguins of Madagascar”
Carlos Fernandez Puertolas – “The Boss Baby,” “Home”
Gini Cruz Santos – “Coco,” “The Good Dinosaur”
Cesar Velazquez – “Zootopia,” “Wreck-It Ralph”

Sound
Antonio Diego – “Duck Season,” “Amores Perros”
Nelson Ferreira – “The Shape of Water,” “The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones”
Ruy Garcia – “Novitiate,” “Y Tu Mamá También”

Visual Effects
Nelson Sepulveda – “Kong: Skull Island,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”

Writers
Guillermo Calderón – “Neruda,” “The Club”
Laura Esquivel – “Like Water for Chocolate,” “Chido Guan, el Tacos de Oro”
Mateo Gil – “Realive,” “Open Your Eyes”
Gonzalo Maza – “A Fantastic Woman,” “Gloria”
Gibrán Portela – “The Untamed,” “La Jaula de Oro”
Fernando E. Solanas – “A Journey to the Fumigated Towns,” “La Guerra del Fracking”

Members-at-Large
Robert Alonzo
Jordi Casares
Mary Ramos

Diaz to Star in VHI’s Scripted Hip-Hop Series “The Breaks”

Melonie Diaz has landed a real Break

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of VH1’s The Breaks, the network’s new scripted series based on its critically acclaimed hit film that aired earlier this year.

Melonie Diaz

Diaz will portray a new character in the series. She’ll play Damita Alonzo, a writer for a hip New York weekly.

Diaz joins a cast that includes Sinqua WallsAli Ahn, Afton Willamson, Wood Harris, Mack Wilds, Antoine Harris, David Call and Evan Handler.

Inspired by Dan Charnas’ book The Big Payback, a narrative history of the hip-hop business, The Breaks is written, directed and executive produced by Seith Mann with a story by Mann and Charnas.

The film followed three young friends fulfilling their hip hop dreams in New York City in 1990. The series will continue to explore their triumph and heartbreak trying to make their mark in a new and complex hip hop culture.

Diaz’s previous television credits include appearances on Girls, Person of Interest and CSI: Miami.

Del Rio to Star in the Action Horror Film “The Belko Experiment”

David Del Rio is experimenting…

The 27-year-old Latino actor has been cast in The Belko Experiment, the Greg McLean-directed action horror film that was written and is being produced by Guardians Of The Galaxy director James Gunn.

David Del Rio

Gunn has been leaking out a new role a day for the MGM thriller, which stars Melonie Diaz.

Del Rio will play a snarky young man with a wicked sense of humor and a key component in the panic of the employees at a San Paulo office building who are mysteriously forced to either start killing one another or be killed.

John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona, Michael Rooker and John C. McGinley are among those already aboard.

Del Rio will next appear in Undrafted with Chace Crawford and Aaron Tveit.

Diaz to Star in MGM’s Action Horror Film “The Belko Experiment”

It experiment time for Melonie Diaz

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of the MGM action horror pic The Belko Experiment.

Melonie Diaz

Written and produced by Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn, the film is set to begin production next month in Bogota with director Greg McLean.

Diaz will play Dany Wilkins, the new girl at Belko Corporation. It’s her first day working in the building, and she really couldn’t have chosen a worst first day, since this is the day the employees are forced to either kill each one other or be killed.

Diaz starred in 2014 Sundance hit Fruitvale Station, and her recent credits also include HBO’s Girls and the features X/Y and The Cobbler.

Beals to Star in TNT’s Supernatural Medical Drama Pilot “Proof”

It’s a case of science vs. religion for Jennifer Beals

The 50-year-old part-Puerto Rican actress has landed the lead role in TNT’s pilot Proof.

Jennifer Beals

The supernatural medical drama, which is being executive produced by The Closer alum Kyra Sedgwick, will be written by Rob Bragin and directed by Alex Graves.

Proof centers on Dr. Kathryn Russo (portrayed by Beals), a skeptical, hard-science, brilliant female surgeon with a caustic edge who has been struggling with the devastating loss of her teenage son and a growing estrangement from her surviving daughter.

She’s persuaded to investigate cases of reincarnation, out-of-body experiences, hauntings — all of it looking for verifiable proof to answer one of life’s greatest questions: Is death truly the end, or is there something else beyond?

Beals, best known for portraying Alexandra “Alex” Owens in the 1983 film Flashdance, previously starred in Fox’s Chicago Code. She also co-created and is executive producing Laughs Unlimited, starring Melonie Diaz, which is currently in development at HBO.

Beals’ previous television credits include appearances on The L Word, Lie to Me, Castle and The Mob Doctor.

Diaz Cast in HBO’s Drama Series Project “Laughs Unlimited”

Melonie Diaz has plenty of reason to laugh

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican actress, who earned critical acclaim for Spirit Award-nominated her performance in Fruitvale Station, has landed the lead in HBO‘s Laughs Unlimited (working title).

Melonie Diaz

The drama series, which centers on a war vet’s struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder, has been in the works at HBO for several months.

While it hasn’t been picked up to pilot yet, the network is doing preliminary casting and working on the budget as it does on most scripts it is high on before making a formal pilot order.

Laughs Unlimited hails from Oren Moverman, who has directed Rampart and The Messenger, and Anthony Swofford, best known for writing the book Jarhead.

It centers on Army Reserve medic Billie Crown (Diaz) who, after fifteen months as a combat medic in Afghanistan, discovers that “real life” is just as perilous as war. Duty as a Sacramento cop offers the same dangers and thrills as combat, and repairing relationships with her husband and young daughter is as difficult as saving a comrade after an IED attack. Moverman and Swofford wrote the script

Diaz recently wrapped production on The Cobbler.