Adria Arjona to Star in Ed Brubaker’s Graphic Novel Series “Criminal”

Posted on May 28, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Adria Arjona is getting criminal…

The 32-year-old Puerto Rican actress has joined the cast of Ed Brubaker’s graphic novel series Criminal in a series regular role.

Arjona joins previously announced cast member Richard Jenkins.

Criminal is an interlocking universe of crime stories based on the multi-Eisner Award-winning graphic novel series created by Brubaker and Sean Phillips.

Arjona will bring to life Greta, a sharp-tongued top-level car thief and driver and the widowed mother of Angie. Ever since her husband died in a bank job gone bad, Greta has been battling with herself about how to escape the only life she’s ever known – and the only place she’s ever thrived. The problem is, she’s good at this. She’s looking for a big score, a lump of money she can use like a gun to shoot her and Angie out of this life and into another one.

Ryan Fleck and Anna Boden will direct the first four episodes.

The series is executive produced by Brubaker and Jordan Harper, alongside Phillips, Sarah Carbiener and Phillip Barnett.

Legendary Television will also serve as an executive producer. The series is produced by Amazon MGM Studios.

Arjona can currently be seen in Richard Linklater’s Netflix movie Hit Man starring alongside Glen Powell. Before that, she starred as “Bix Caleen” in the Disney+ hit series, Andor, a prequel to Star Wars’ Rogue One film.

Arjona played a recurring role in HBO’s True Detective Season 2, Netflix’s Narcos and HBO’s Irma Vep, a limited series based on Olivier Assayas’ 1996 feature film.

Up next, she’ll be seen in Zoe Kravitz’s directorial debut film Blink Twice as well as Los Frikis, a film she stars in and executive produces.

Additionally, she will star alongside Wagner Moura in the feature film adaptation of Francisco Goldman’s bestselling book Say Her Name and Jayro Bustamante’s dystopian thriller El Sombreron opposite Edgar Ramirez.

Prior film credits include Father Of The Bride, Sony’s Marvel franchise Morbius, Netflix’s Sweet Girl, Michael Bay’s Six Underground, Marco Perego Saldana’s feature The Absence Of Eden, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Life of the Party and Triple Frontier.

José María Yazpik to Star in Netflix’s New Series “The Gringo Hunters”

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

José María Yazpik is going on the hunt…

The 53-year-old Mexican actor has been cast in Netflix’s new series The Gringo Hunters, which has begun production in Mexico City.

In addition to Yazpik, who starred on Netflix’s Narcos, is among a roster of cast members that includes Sebastian Roché, Harold Torres and Mayra Hermosillo.

Plans to shoot in Tijuana are also in place.

Torres and Hermosillo are part of the gringo hunters’ core group alongside Manuel Masalva, Andrew Leland Rogers, Héctor Kotsifakis, Dagoberto Gama and Regina Nava. Gerardo Trejoluna and Paulina Dávila also star.

All 11 are contracted as series regulars on the bilingual crime series, which will be shot mostly in Spanish with some English.

The series is based on The Washington Post story “A U.S. murder suspect fled to Mexico. The Gringo Hunters were waiting,” by Kevin Sieff.

The series is inspired by a real elite Mexican police unit that catches American fugitives on the run to Mexico.

The series will be coming to Netflix in 2025 and promises to delve into the reality of the International Liaison Unit, with mysteries to solve, suspense, twists and turns and the challenges and intrigue faced by this type of police operation.

“Our commitment to the best Mexican stories and creators is clearly reflected in The Gringo Hunters. Our producers have put together a very strong cast and crew. Partnering with Imagine Entertainment has been a very enriching experience. I’m sure our subscribers will find The Gringo Hunters thrilling,” said Francisco Ramos, Vice President of Latin American Content for Netflix.

Directors include Adrián Grünberg, Alonso Álvarez, Jimena Montemayo and Natalia Beristáin.

The project is produced by Woo Films and Redrum in co-production with Imagine Entertainment and in association with The Washington Post. Luis Rosales, who was behind casting for Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, served as casting director. Netflix will announce writers at a later time.

Since its formation in 2002, the real “gringo hunters” have apprehended over 1,600 fugitives — ranging from murderers on the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list to billionaires accused of securities fraud.

Pedro Pascal to Star in Ari Aster’s Latest Film “Eddington”

Posted on March 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Pedro Pascal is going west(ern) once again…

The 48-year-old Chilean actor, who recently won his first SAG Award, will star in Ari Aster’s latest film Eddington.

Pascal, who recently starred in Pedro Almodovar’s Spanish Western drama short film Strange Way of Life, will star opposite Joaquin Phoenix, Emma Stone, Luke Grimes, Austin Butler, Deirdre O’Connell, Micheal Ward and Clifton Collins Jr. in the project.

Aster is the visionary filmmaker behind the horror films Hereditary and Midsommar, as well as the dark comedy Beau Is Afraid.

Plot details are under wraps, though the project has been discussed as a Western.

Aster will direct from his own script and produce alongside Lars Knudsen under their Square Peg banner. Darius Khondji, the Academy Award-winning cinematographer behind Bardo and Uncut Gems, is also aboard the project for his first collaboration with Aster.

Production on the film kicks off this week.

Pascal’s credits include The Last of Us, Narcos and The Mandalorian.

A24 Releases First Trailer for Wagner Moura’s Action Epic “Civil War”

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s War time for Wagner Moura.

A24 has released the first trailer for he action epic Civil War, starring the 47-year-old Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker.

Hailing from Alex Garland, the film will be released in theaters (including on IMAX screens) on April 26, 2024.

While the film’s plot has been kept under wraps, it’s now described as chronicling a race to the White House in a near-future America balanced on the razor’s edge.

Moura, Kirsten Dunst and Cailee Spaeny appear to play journalists at a time when the United States has become a literal battleground, with 19 states seceding from the Union.

While not previously announced as part of the cast, Nick Offerman is introduced in the trailer as playing a fascist U.S. President, who’s at war with the so-called “Western Forces” of Texas and California. Also making an appearance as a threatening figure along our central trio’s path to D.C. is Dunst’s husband, Oscar nominee Jesse Plemons. Rounding out the cast are Stephen McKinley Henderson and Sonoya Mizuno.

Garland directed Civil War from his own script. In addition to serving as distributor, A24 produced the film alongside Andrew Macdonald and Allon Reich of DNA and Gregory Goodman.

Moura’s previous credits include the films The Gray Man, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,and Wasp Network, as well as the television series Narcos.

Miguel Ángel Silvestre to Star in Spanish Miniseries “Lucio’s Treasure”

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Miguel Ángel Silvestre has discovered a new treasure…

The 41-year-old Spanish actor will topline the miniseries Lucio’s Treasure, a real-life inspired project co-produced by Spain’s Vértice360 and Friki Films with Red Arrow International Studios.

ilvestre will play the leading role of Lucio Urtubia, considered a modern Robin Hood who nearly bankrupted Citibank of America in the 1980s. Whether he was caught is another matter.

Structured as a six-episode, one-hour drama, the series is scheduled to lens in English by 2025.

Created by brothers Hugo and Roger Menduiña, Lucio’s Treasure is produced by Friki’s CEO Ana Manresa and Alberto Rull, Vertice’s EVP production and content.

The U.K.’s Anthony Alleyne has joined the series as co-creator, writer and executive co-producer.

Defined by Rull as “an ambitious series, both creatively and in terms of budget,” Lucio’s Treasure is set in Paris and New York, “aimed at being a world-class co-production with large appeal to global audiences.”

Red Arrow International Studios is co-producing and also managing international sales on the project.

The miniseries has been selected for the upcoming edition of MIA’s drama co-production market and pitching forum, which takes place in Rome on October 9-13.

The story follows Lucio, an apparently modest Spanish bricklayer living in Paris, hiding the brains behind the largest network of traveller’s check counterfeiters that led Citibank down a path towards ruin.

Silvestre’s acting career lifted-off in 2008, playing the role of masculine drug dealer Rafael Duque in Telecinco’s popular Spanish TV primetime series Sin tetas no hay paraíso.

In 2013 he toplined the Atresmedia-Bambú hit melodrama Velvet and played in Pedro Almodóvar’s comedy I’m So Excited.

Silvestre broke out with international roles in 2014, first playing in Lana Wachowski’s Netflix series Sense8 and then joining the Narcos Season 3 cast in 2016.

In 2019, he played a far different role, the Death Row-sentenced Pablo Ibar in Bambú–Movistar Plus+ miniseries En el corredor de la muerte. He also worked in Álex de la Iglesia’s HBO series 30 monedas.

After starring in Álex Pina’s action thriller series Sky Rojo, he joined the fifth part of Netflix flagship drama Money Heist.

Silvestre’s most recent leading work role was in the Paramount+ original series Los enviados, the platform’s biggest Spanish-language hit to date, created by Argentine Oscar-winning writer-director Juan José Campanella.

Andrea Londo Wraps Production on Road Trip Dramedy “Adventure Tom”

Posted on July 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Adventure Tom for Andrea Londo …

The Latina actress and Graham Patrick Martin have officially wrapped a cross-country shoot for Adventure Tom, a road trip dramedy written and directed for Create Entertainment by Miguel Duran.

Kicking off production in Minneapolis, MN before hitting the road for a filmmaking journey of 2,869 miles across seven states, Adventure Tom follows a reserved artist, Tom, in the wake of personal losses as he is paired up with a stranded accountant, Lilly. The two embark on an unexpected road trip, encountering catharsis along empty highways and bonding as they navigate their way home through iconic American landscapes.

Duran and producer Atit Shah of Create Entertainment worked together on the development of the project for a number of years, most recently reframing the story to reflect the changing viewpoints of their characters in a post-pandemic world.

Work on animated components of the film is currently being completed, as Shah looks to sell worldwide rights.

When I read Adventure Tom I felt really excited by how fun, honest, and original the story was,” said Londo in a statement to Deadline. “Bringing Lilly to life while actually doing a cross-country road trip was an insane experience. One that will stay with me for a long time!”

Remarked Martin, “I was hooked by Miguel’s script and the nuanced lens in which he explores the loss of a complicated parent. Setting Tom’s grieving process to the backdrop of America’s most beautiful national parks is a remarkable contrast, and I’m grateful to take part in telling this story.”

Added Duran of his drive in making the film, “I really wanted to showcase beautiful parts of this country that aren’t often seen, while also capturing two characters meeting at a time when both their lives were at a crossroads, and these two accepted the challenge beautifully and dove right in without hesitation.”

Most recently seen on The CW’s The Winchesters, Londo has also appeared on FX’s Snowfall and Netflix’s Narcos, as well as in the indie comedy Good Egg from writer-director Nicole Gomez Fisher.

Wagner Moura to Star as Paulo Freire in Upcoming Biopic “Angicos”

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Wagner Moura has landed a new role…

The 46-year-old Brazilian actor, director and filmmaker will star in the upcoming biopic Angicos about Brazilian educator and author Paulo Freire.

Felipe Hirsch will write and direct the film.

Angicos begins in the town of the same name in Rio Grande do Norte in 1963, with the mission of educator Freire (Moura) to fight against illiteracy by teaching the entire village of blue-collar, domestic, and cotton farm workers how to read and write in only 40 hours – a seemingly impossible feat.

Funded by President John F. Kennedy to solidify the South American nation as an ally in the Cold War amidst worldwide social and economic tensions, the success of the endeavor resulted in the planned implementation of Freire’s literary system on a nationwide level. However, before long, political uprisings, a military coup and authoritarian local politicians resisted Freire’s education initiative, destroying texts, deeming the curriculum “subversive,” and eventually sending Freire into exile. These events demonstrated the power of literacy and education against autocratic rule – a testament to the significance of Freire’s methods.

“The enchantment amongst the people of Angicos by the battery-powered slide projectors Freire used in his classes is undeniable, especially as they associated the projections with cinema – something rare in their city at this time, as home television sets had not yet arrived,” said Hirsch. “To that end, Angicos doubles as a film about the power of cinema and the power of knowledge.”

Casting is underway for the film’s ensemble, with principal photography beginning in November of this year.

Moura’s previous credits include television appearances in Narcos, Narcos: Mexico and Mr. & Mrs. Smith, as well as film appearances in Wasp Network, The Gray Man and Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.

Hirsch is a Brazilian film and theater director and one of the founders of Ultralíricos, a company where he develops award-winning and critically-acclaimed experiential art. He has been named by O Globo newspaper as one of the most influential thinkers in the country. In 2008, he won the Grammy for his work as the director of the show Homage to Tom Jobim.

In 2009, he directed his first feature film, Sunstroke, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival. In 2016, he directed Severina, his second feature film, which made its world premiere at the Locarno Film Festival. Most recently, Hirsch developed the stage project Língua Brasileira with singer/songwriter Tom Zé, and also directed the concert special 2022 for HBO Max, featuring Chico Buarque, Caetano Veloso and many other Brazilian musicians.

First Trailer Released for Manolo Cardona’s Spanish-Language Sci-Fi Thriller “Pacific”

Posted on April 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Manolo Cardona is headed to a haunted paradise…

The first trailer has been released for Pacific, the ensemble Spanish language sci-fi thriller starring the 45-year-old Colombian actor.

The film, a Colombian-Argentinan co-production, is currently in post and was made with a budget of around $10M. FilmSharks has launched pre-sales and will debut footage and promotional materials at the forthcoming Cannes market.

Argentinian filmmaker Gonzalo Gutierrez ‘G.G.’ directed the film, which follows a group of young travelers stranded on an island in the Pacific where they struggle to escape an evil presence that has been kept hidden from humans for centuries. Gutierrez has had an extensive VFX career, working on projects like Gonzalo Tobal’s 2018 Venice title The Accused and the Colombian drama sci-fi drama Cumbia Ninja.

The cast of Pacific is rounded out by Maria Gabriela de Faria (The Exorcism of God), Ricardo Abarca (Miss Bala), Christopher Von Uckermann (How to Break Up with Your Douchebag), Claudio Cataño (Thousand Fangs) and Maria Nela Sinisterra (Corazon de Leon).

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra recorded the music for the film’s score. The Orchestra has a long cinematic history, with company musicians working extensively on scores such as the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit series. John Neill of Peter Jackson’s post-production house Park Road Studio served as recording producer and score mixer. The film’s main theme was also recorded at Park Road with Kiwi singer-composer Caii-Michelle Baker on vocals in collaboration with Argentinian music composer Pablo Borghi.

Pacific was produced by Mauricio Brunetti’s Patagonia Films alongside Guido Rud’s FilmSharks.

Pacific was partially funded by the Colombian film entity Proimagenes and the Argentine film institute INCAA. Production took place on location in the Colombian capital of Bogota and the coastal region of Choco, with post-production now based in Buenos Aires.

“I strongly believe that Pacific is very likely to be a ‘before’ and ‘after’ in the latín American genre cinema,” says Gutierrez.

Cardona’s previous credits include Who Killed Sara?, Narcos and The Snitch Cartel.

Danny Pino Lands Leading Role in MGM+’s Crime Thriller “Hotel Cocaine”

Posted on March 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Danny Pino is checking in to a new project…

The 48-year-old Cuban American actor, who stars in Mayans M.C., will star as the lead in Hotel Cocaine, MGM+’s upcoming crime thriller from creator Chris Brancato.

Hotel Cocaine is the story of Roman Compte (Pino), a Cuban expatriate who fought against Fidel Castro in the Bay of Pigs invasion and re-made his life in Miami. He is general manager of the Mutiny Hotel, the glamorous epicenter of the Miami cocaine scene of late ‘70s and early ‘80s. The Mutiny Hotel was Casablanca on cocaine, a glitzy nightclub, restaurant and hotel frequented by Florida businessmen and politicians, international narcos, CIA and FBI agents, models, sports stars and musicians. At the center of it all was Compte, who was doing his best to keep it all going and fulfill his own American dream.

Brancato serves as executive producer and showrunner. Guillermo Navarro will direct the pilot episode and executive produce the series, with Michael Panes and Alfredo Barrios Jr. also serving as executive producers. The eight-episode series from MGM+ Studios, in partnership with MGM Television, will begin production in May in the Dominican Republic, and is slated to premiere in early 2024.

Pino, born and raised in Miami, stars as organized crime boss Miguel Galindo in Mayans M.C., which is heading into its fifth and final season on FX.

He made his episodic directorial debut in the drama’s fourth season. Pino, also known for his roles as police detective Nick Amaro on Law & Order: SVU and Detective Scotty Valens on Cold Case, recently completed the short film, Union de Reyes (Union of Kings), which he wrote, directed, produced and starred in.

Hotel Cocaine will be distributed internationally by MGM.

Wagner Moura to Star in Apple TV+’s Crime Drama Series “Sinking Spring”

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Wagner Moura is springing forward with a new television project…

The 46-year-old Brazilian actor and Narcos star will star opposite Brian Tyree Henry in Apple TV+’s crime drama series Sinking Spring, from Top Gun: Maverick writer Peter Craig, in a recasting.

Better Call Saul alum Michael Mando was originally tapped for the role but has been let go after an on-set physical altercation with another cast member.

The recasting is being done during filming on the series, directed and executive produced by Ridley Scott via his Scott Free Productions.

Based on Dennis Tafoya’s book Dope Thief, Sinking Spring follows long-time Philly friends and delinquents who pose as DEA agents to rob an unknown house in the countryside, only to have their small-time grift become a life-and-death enterprise, as they unwittingly reveal and unravel the biggest hidden narcotics corridor on the Eastern seaboard.

Moura will play Manny Cespedes, a good-hearted friend of Ray’s (Henry), who he first met when they did time together in the Youth Authority.

Craig created the eight-episode series, executive produces and directs one episode. Scott executive produces for Scott Free Productions.

The series hails from Apple Studios and will be produced by Scott Free Productions.

Moura recently starred opposite Elisabeth Moss in the Apple TV+ series Shining Girls.

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