Padilha’s Netflix Crime Thriller “Narcos” Earns British Academy Television Awards Nomination

José Padilha’s latest project is earning special recognition overseas…

The 48-year-old Brazilian film and television director, producer and screenwriter has earned his first-ever British Academy Television Awards nomination for his Netflix original series Narcos, starring frequent collaborator Wagner Moura.

José Padilha

Padilha’s crime thriller, which tells the true story of notorious drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, earned a nod in the Best International Series category from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA).

Narcos

The series, which was renewed for a second season in September 2015, is up against The Good Wife, Spiral and Transparent.

The British Academy Television Awards will be handed out on May 8.

Here’s the detailed information on the category:

INTERNATIONAL SERIES
THE GOOD WIFE Production Team – Scott Free Productions, King Size Productions, CBST/More 4
NARCOS Jose Padilha, Eric Newman, Chris Brancato – Gaumont International Television/Netflix
SPIRAL Vassili Clert, Anne Landois – Canal + Creation Originale/Son et Lumiere/In association with BBC Four/BBC Four
TRANSPARENT Production Team – Amazon Studios/Amazon Prime Instant Video

de la Reguera to Star in David Lynch’s New “Twin Peaks” Installment

Ana de la Reguera’s career has reached a new peak

The 38-year-old Mexican actress has booked an arc on the upcoming new installment of David Lynch’s groundbreaking 1990 supernatural mystery series Twin Peaks.

Ana de la Reguera

de la Reguera joins returning star Kyle MacLachlan, who is reprising his role as Special Agent Dale Cooper from the original series.

New cast additions for the new season, set for an early 2017 premiere, are also believed to include Naomi Watts, Laura Dern, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Amanda Seyfried, Ashley Judd, Tom Sizemore, Balthazar Getty, Patrick FischlerDavid DastmalchianGrant Goodeve, Larry Clarke and Caleb Landry Jones.

Lynch is directing the new installment from a script he co-wrote with fellow Twin Peaks co-creator Mark Frost.

de la Reguera has recurred as Elisa Alvaro on Narcos and Paola on Jane The Virgin. Her other credits include Eastbound & Down, The Blacklist, Royal Pains and Anger Management.

Canto to Star Opposite Kiefer Sutherland in ABC’s Conspiracy Thriller Drama “Designated Survivor”

Adan Canto is a survivor…

The 34-year-old Mexican actor will co-star opposite Kiefer Sutherland in ABC’s straight-to-series conspiracy thriller drama Designated Survivor.

Adan Canto

Canto, who emerged as one of the most sought after actors this pilot season, had been pursued for talent holding deals and received seven pilot offers since December until settling on Designated Survivor, signing a deal with the project’s leading studio, the Mark Gordon Company.

Designated Survivor, from ABC Studios, is building a formidable cast, with Canto joining previously cast Sutherland, Maggie Q, Kal PennNatascha McElhone and Italia Ricci.  Paul McGuigan is directing.

Designated Survivor, written by David Guggenheim and executive produced by Simon Kinberg, centers on Tom Kirkman (Sutherland), a lower level United States Cabinet member who is suddenly appointed President after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession. Canto will play the aggressive deputy Chief of Staff Aaron who advises Kirkman after the attack and guns for a promotion.

Canto has been working continuously on American television over the past couple of years, including playing the male lead in the NBC pilot The Curse of the Fuentes Women last year. His series credits include NarcosSecond ChanceBlood & Oil and The Following.

Juanes Developing Autobiographical TV Series “Persiguiendo el Sol”

Juanes is looking to break into the television…

The 43-year-old Colombian musician and his manager, Rebeca Leon, have partnered with Golden Globe-winning producer Ben Silverman for an Empire-like television drama.

Juanes

The three have joined to develop and produce a television show titled Persiguiendo el Sol that will chronicle Juanes’ rise to stardom, from his beginnings in Colombia through his arrival in Miami, according to Billboard.

“It’s a mix of Entourage and Narcos,” Silverman told Billboard, referencing the Netflix drug drama not for its content, but as an example of a show shot in Latin America for mainstream audiences.

Producer Eric Newman, the showrunner for Narcos, will also be executive producer and showrunner for Persiguiendo el Sol.

“He’s the first American producer to bring American show running to American production,” said Silverman, who has worked several Latin-themed projects in recent years, including Jane the Virgin and Killer Women.

Silverman, who is the founder and chairman of entertainment production company Electus, arrived in Miami on January 18 in time for the NATPE global television market. He’ll be shopping the show concept to potential production partners in both Latin and mainstream media with plans to start shooting as early as spring or summer.

Persiguiendo el Sol, which is named after Juanes’ memoir, will be a bilingual show and will feature cameos from multiple artists in both mainstream and Latin worlds.

The notion of the show began to brew after Silverman met Juanes through Leon in 2014 and enlisted him to perform in an episode of Jane the Virgin. Silverman was already heavily vested in Latin themed productions. Among other projects, he was putting the finishing touches on bilingual film Hands of Stone, which is due out in April and tells the story of boxer Roberto “Mano de Piedra” Durán. Its cast includes Edgar Ramirez, Ruben Blades, Usher and Robert de Niro.

Juanes has also been dabbling further in mainstream film and television. Last year, his song “Juntos,” co-written with fellow Colombian Fonseca, was used for the ending credits of Disney film McFarland USA.

Raba to Star in History Channel’s Military Action Drama Series “Six”

Juan Pablo Raba has six reasons to celebrate…

The 38-year-old Colombian actor has signed on for the History Channel’s military action drama series Six.

Juan Pablo Raba

Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter and Vietnam War veteran William Broyles and his son David Broyles, a military special operations veteran, Six follows a Navy SEAL Team Six, whose 2014 mission to eliminate a Taliban leader in Afghanistan goes awry when they uncover a U.S. citizen working with the terrorists.

Raba will play Ricky “Buddha” Ortiz, one of the veterans on SEAL Team Six.

Raba is currently shooting the feature 7 Years in Madrid, Spain. He recently was seen in Narcoand The 33 and next appears in the indie drama Shot Caller.

XLrator Media Acquires U.S. Rights to Vargas’ “Crossing Point”

Jacob Vargas’ latest project is crossing into the United States…

XLrator Media has acquired the U.S. rights to Crossing Point, the film starring the 44-year-old Mexican actor.

Jacob Vargas

Along with Vargas, the action-thriller stars Rudy Youngblood (Apocalypto), Luke Goss (the Death Race series, Blade II), Tom Sizemore (Saving Private Ryan), Paulina Gaitan (Sin Nombre, Netflix’s Narcos), María Gabriela de Faría (Nickelodeon’s Isa TKM) and newcomer Shawn Lock.

It’s directed by Daniel Zirilli from a script by Paul Dominic and Lock.

Compound B, the genre division of Bleiberg Entertainment, is representing the sales rights to the film and will be introducing Crossing Point to international buyers at the American Film Market 2015.

XLrator Media will release the film in 2016 through its Turbo action label.

Arjona Signs with United Talent Agency (UTA)

Adria Arjona has a united front in Hollywood…

Considered one of Hollywood’s rising Latina talents, the Guatemalan-American actress—the daughter of singer-songwriter Ricardo Arjona—has signed with United Talent Agency (UTA), one of the entertainment industry’s premier talent and literary agencies.

Adria Arjona

Arjona, who appeared on television’s Person of Interest, recently wrapped the Michael Bay and Jerry Bruckheimer Untitled Miami Project for Warner Bros./TNT opposite Matt Barr and Óscar Jaenada.

She recently landed a recurring role in the second season of HBO’s True Detective.

Her other credits include Narcos and Unforgettable.

Arjona Lands Recurring Role on HBO’s “True Detective”

It’s a true Hollywood role for Adria Arjona

The Latina actress has landed a recurring on the upcoming second season of HBO’s True Detective.

Adria Arjona

The second installment in the crime franchise revolves around three police officers, played by Colin Farrell, Taylor Kitsch and Rachel McAdams, and a career criminal (Vince Vaughn) who must navigate a web of conspiracy in the aftermath of a murder.

Arjona, who recently landed a regular role on Michael Bay/Jerry Brukcheimer’s Miami drug-trade drama pilot at TNT, will play Emily, Kitsch’s girlish but practical girlfriend.

Arjona previous television credits include appearances on Unforgettable, Point of Interest and Narcos.

Urbina to Star in Netflix’s Drama Series “Narcos”

Roberto Urbina is dealing with a new high-profile project…

The 30-year-old Colombian actor has joined the cast of Netflix’s drama series Narcos as a series regular.

Roberto Urbina

Directed by Jose Padilhathe series centers on notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar and Javier Pena, a Mexican DEA agent sent to Colombia on a U.S. mission to capture and ultimately kill him.

Narcos is basically the true-life story of the growth and spread of cocaine drug cartels across the globe and attendant efforts of law enforcement to meet them head on in brutal, bloody conflict.

Urbina will play Fabio Ochoa, one of a trio of Colombian brothers, all playboy drug dealers, who works in the cocaine business with his brothers.

Narcos, which was written by Chris Brancato, also stars Manolo Cardona, Wagner Moura and Pedro Pascal.

Urbina’s previous television credits include appearances on The Mentalist and Grey’s Anatomy.

Pascal Signs with William Morris Endeavor (WME)

Pedro Pascal’s stock is on the rise in Hollywood…

The 39-year-old Chilean actor, who recently portrayed Oberyn Martell in the fourth season of the HBO series Game of Thrones, has signed with talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME).

Pedro Pascal

Pascal will next star on Netflix’s upcoming drama series Narcosas a DEA agent on the hunt for notorious Colombian cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar.

He also recently recurred on USA’s Graceland and CBSThe Mentalist.

Pascal will continue to be repped by Jason Weinberg at Untitled Entertainment and Kim Jaime at Jackoway Tyerman.