Bella Thorne’s “Divinity” to Have International Premiere at Italy’s Taormina Film Festival 

Bella Thorne’s latest film is preparing to have its first international showing…

The 25-year-old half-Cuban American actress/singer’s feature Divinity, hailing from Bolivian American director Eddie Alcazar, is set to premiere internationally at the Taormina Film Festival on June 29th in Italy.

Bella Thorne, DivinityWriter and director Alcazar and stars Thorne, Karrueche Tran and Moises Arias will appear at the Teatro Antico for the celebration.

The feature, produced by Steven Soderbergh, was reportedly acquired at Sundance by Utopia and Sumerian for seven figures.

It will also screen in Germany at the Munich Film Festival and in Canada at Fantasia Film Festival this summer.

Divinity is set in an otherworldly human existence where scientist Sterling Pierce (Scott Bakula) is on a quest for immortality, slowly creating the building blocks of a groundbreaking serum named “Divinity.” Jaxxon Pierce (Stephen Dorff), his son, now controls and manufactures his father’s once-benevolent dream.

Society on this barren planet has been entirely perverted by the supremacy of the drug, whose true origins are shrouded in mystery. Two mysterious brothers (Jason Genao and Arias) arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, and with the help of a seductive woman named Nikita (Tran), they will be set on a path hurtling toward true immortality.

Divinity is a creative tour-de-force. We are fortunate to be screening the film’s European premiere after its success at Sundance. I look forward to welcoming Eddie Alcazar and the film’s cast to the premiere in Taormina. It will surely be one of the highlights of the Festival this year,” said Barrett Wissman, the Festival’s Executive and Artistic Director.

Prior to his success with Divinity, Alcazar directed The Vandal, executive produced by Darren Aronofsky, which made its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021. Additionally, he directed the feature-length sci-fi thriller Perfect (2018), executive produced by Soderbergh through his company Brainfeeder Films and produced 2016’s Kuso.

Bella Thorne to Star in Steven Soderbergh & Eddie Alcazar’s Indie Film “Divinity”

It’s to Divinity and beyond for Bella Thorne

The 24-year-old half-Cuban American actress/singer has been cast in the indie film Divinity.Bella ThorneThorne is among the final cast members to be announced for the film, alongside Scott Bakula.

The project is the latest collaboration between Steven Soderbergh and Eddie Alcazar. Cypress Hills’ DJ Muggs will serve as musical composer.

Chris Santos, Danielia Maximillian, Lydia Bielen, and Emily Willis round out the cast.

Previously announced actors leading the project include Stephen Dorff, Jason Genao, Moises Arias, Karrueche Tran, and Mike O’Hearn.

Divinity follows otherworldly brothers (Genao & Arias) that are hellbent on stopping a mogul (Dorff) who is close to unraveling the secrets behind immortality.

The film includes elements of Alcazar’s “Metascope” technique which combines stop motion animation and live-action sequences. The technique was featured in his short film The Vandal, a collaboration with Darren Aronofsky, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2021.

Divinity is targeting completion ahead of the film festival circuit.

Alcazar previously worked with his mentor Soderbergh on his feature debut Perfect, released in 2018, a sci-fi thriller starring Abbie Cornish, Rainey Qualley, Courtney Eaton, and Tao Okamoto.

Sony Pictures Releases Clifton Collins Jr.’s “Jockey” in Three U.S. Theaters Ahead of Wider Release

Clifton Collins Jr. is jockeying into position…

Sony Pictures Entertainment has released Jockey, starring the 51-year-old Mexican American actor, in three theaters in New York and Los Angeles (Film Forum, AMC Lincoln Square, Laemmle Royal).

Clifton Collins Jr., Jockey, The release gets the film on the board for a January rollout ahead of the upcoming Oscar nominations.

SPC acquired Jockey out of the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury award for star Collins Jr., who portrays an aging rider trying to win one last championship race.

Clifton Collins Jr., Jockey,Collins plays Jackson Silvan, who hopes to win one last title for his longtime trainer (Molly Parker), who has acquired what appears to be a championship horse. But years and injuries have taken a toll. The arrival of a young rookie rider (Moises Arias), who claims to be his son and whom he takes under his wing, further complicates the path to fulfilling his dream.

Written by Bentley and Greg Kwedar (who previously teamed with Collins on the 2016 award-winning film Transpecos), the film also stars Logan Cormier and Colleen Hartnett. Bentley’s father was a professional jockey and much of the cast is also comprised of real-life jockeys.

The directorial debut of Clint Bentley will expand nationwide in January following its exclusive debut.

The Oscar hopeful (87% Rotten Tomatoes’ Critics’ score) was one of Deadline critic Todd McCarthy’s top ten picks of the year.

Dascha Polanco to Star in the Superhero Thriller “Samaritan”

Dascha Polanco is a good Samaritan…

The 37-year-old Dominican actress is set to star in MGM’s superhero thriller movie Samaritan

Dascha Polanco

Polanco joins a cast that includes Javon ‘Wanna’ WaltonSylvester StalloneMartin StarrPilou Asbækand Moises Arias.

Walton will play a young boy who’s out to discover if a mythic superhero, who vanished 20 years earlier following a tragic event, is still alive.

Julius Avery is directing from a screenplay by Bragi F. Schut, with additional writing by Mark L. SmithZak Penn, and Chuck MacLean

The story is based on Schut’s original idea. 

The film is scheduled for release on December 11 via United Artists Releasingwith Universal handling foreign. 

Polanco portrayed Dayanara Diaz on Netflix’s Orange is the New Blackfor seven-seasons and starred in Ava DuVernay’s 2019 Netflix limited series When They See Us. She’ll soon be seen in her first lead film role in Adrian Martinez’s indie dark comedy iCreep, and Warner Brothers’ adaption of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In The Heightsthis summer. Her additional credits include the FXanthology series The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Storyand films including JoyThe Perfect MatchThe Cobblerand Gimme Shelter

Arias first made a name for himself as series regular on the Disney Channel hit original series Hannah Montana, and has since gone on to appear in several Sundance films including Kings of Summer, The Land and Stanford Prison Experiment. Last year, he appeared in CBS Films’ Five Feet Apart as well as the Sundance World Dramatic Competition Special Jury Award winner Monos and the SXSW opening weekend film The Wall of Mexico

Colombia Selects Alejandro Landes’ “Monos” as Its Pick for the Oscar’s International Feature Film Race

Alejandro Landes is representing Colombia…

The 39-year-old Brazil-born Colombian-Ecuadorian film director’s latest project, the Spanish-language survival thriller Monos, has been selected as Colombia’s selection for the International Feature Film race at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Alejandro Landes

The film centers on a young group of soldiers and rebels training on a remote mountain in Latin America with an American hostage (Julianne Nicholson).

Moisés AriasSofia BuenaventuraDeiby RuedaKaren Quintero and Laura Castrillón star in the film, which Landes co-wrote with Alexis Dos Santos.

Monos

The film won a World Cinema Dramatic Special Jury Awardat this year’s Sundance Film Festivalin Park City, Utah. 

The news comes as Neon and co-distributor Participant Media prepare to release the film theatrically in the U.S. on September 13.

Colombia has only seen one film nominated in what was formerly known as the Best Foreign Language Film category. That was Ciro Guerra’s Embrace of the Serpent in 2015, the year Hungary’s Son of Saulwon the Oscar.

Amazon Orders Arias’ “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” to Series

Moises Arias is ready to karate chop his way back onto television…

Amazon has officially ordered to series Jean-Claude Van Johnson, starring the 22-year-old Colombian American actor and former Hannah Montana star and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

Moises Arias

Van Damme plays “Jean-Claude Van Johnson,” a global martial arts and film sensation. Operating under the simple alias of “Johnson,” he’s the most dangerous undercover private contractor in the world. Lucky for the world’s bad guys, he’s been retired for years. Unlucky for them, a chance encounter with a lost love is about to bring him back to the game. And this time, he could be deadlier than ever.

In addition to Van Damme and Arias, the show also stars Kat Foster and Phylicia Rashad.

The pilot was directed by Peter Atencio, and written and created by Dave Callaham.

Amazon greenlit the series after screening the pilot for Amazon Prime subscribers in August.

Jean-Claude Van Johnson will premiere exclusively on Prime Video in 2017 in the U.S., UK, Germany, Austria and Japan.

Amazon to Debut Arias’ Comedy Pilot “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” in August

Moises Arias is ready to chop and kick…

Amazon has set the lineup for its 2016 comedy pilot season, with the 22-year-old Colombian American actor and former Hannah Montana star’s project Jean-Claude Van Johnson scheduled to debut on August 19 in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria and Japan.

Moises Arias

Starring martial arts film star Jean-Claude Van Damme, the pilot centers on “Jean-Claude Van Johnson,” a global martial arts and film sensation…and, operating under the simple alias of “Johnson,” the most dangerous undercover private contractor in the world. Lucky for the world’s bad guys, he’s been retired for years…unlucky for them, a chance encounter with a lost love is about to bring him back to the game…and this time, he’ll be deadlier than ever. Probably.

In addition to Van Damme and Arias, the project also stars Kat Foster and Phylicia Rashad

From Scott Free Productions, the pilot is directed by Peter Atencio and written by Dave Callaham.

Arias credits include television appearances on Wizards of Waverly Place, Everybody Hates Chris and The Suite Life on Deck, as well as an acclaimed role in the coming of age film The Kings of Summer.

Amazon customers can stream and review the pilots to help choose the next Amazon Original Series that will be available for Amazon Prime members.

The pilots will be available via the Amazon Video app for TVs, connected devices including Fire TV, and mobile devices, or online.

Arias to Star in the Historial Epic “Ben-Hur”

It’s a (Hollywood) epic win for Moises Arias

The 20-year-old Colombian American actor and former Hannah Montana star has joined the cast of Ben-Hur, the historical epic Timur Bekmambetov is directing for MGM and Paramount Pictures.

Moises Arias

Arias will play Gestas, a teenage Jewish zealot whose family has been murdered by the Romans, who is desperate to fight for his people’s freedom.

Jack Huston, Morgan Freeman and Toby Kebbell star in the production, which will be shot in Europe ahead of a February 26, 2016 release.

In addition to be being a former Disney Channel star, having appeared on Hannah Montana and The Wizards of Waverly Place, starred in the 2013 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize-nominated film The Kings Of Summer. He also lent his voice recently to Despicable Me 2 and appeared in Summit’s sci-fi film Ender’s Game.

He’ll next appear in the Sundance 2015 drama Stanford Prison Experiment opposite Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano, and Billy Crudup, in which Arias will play one of several university students tapped for the real life role-play exercise that got dangerously out of hand.

The Release Date for Arias’ “The Kings of Summer” Moved Up to May

It looks like Moisés Arias will be back on the big screen two weeks sooner than originally planned…

The 18-year-old Colombian American actor and former Hannah Montana star’s latest film The Kings of Summerwhich was previously called Toy’s House, will now come out on May 31.

The Kings of Summer

CBS Filmswhich picked up the domestic rights to the coming-of-age story after its critically acclaimed premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, had originally planned to release the film on June 14.

The Kings of Summer, written by Chris Galletta and directed by Jordan Vogt-Robert, centers on three friends who decide to spend their summer building a house in the woods and living off the land.

CBS Films recently released the first official trailer for the film, which features Arias showing off his mad drum and dance skills in the middle of the woods.

The film also stars Nick RobinsonGabriel BassoNick OffermanMegan Mullally and Alison Brie.

Arias’ previous film credits include Nacho LibreThe Perfect Game and Hannah Montana: The Movie.

Arias’ “The Kings of Summer” Gets June Release Date

Moises Arias will be the king of summer

The 18-year-old Colombian American actor and Hannah Montana alum’s latest film The Kings of Summer will open in the United States on June 14.

The Kings of Summer

The coming-of-age comedy, which was originally titled Toy’s House, earned rave reviews at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. CBS Films acquired the domestic rights for the film shortly after.

Along with Arias, The Kings of Summer stars Nick Robinson and Gabriel Basso as teenagers who head into the wilderness to build a house and live off the land. Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally and Alison Brie co-star.

Toy's House Poster

The film was directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts in his feature debut.