Bobby Cannavale to Receive Artist of Distinction Award at Newport Beach Film Festival

Posted on October 12, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Bobby Cannavale has earned a special distinction…

The 54-year-old half-Cuban American Emmy-winning actor will be among the honorees at this year’s Newport Beach Film Festival, which runs October 17-24.

Cannavale will be recognized with the Artist of Distinction Award during the festival’s awards brunch on October 20.

Cannavel’s recent credits include Ezra, Old Dads and Under the Boardwalk.

Margaret Qualley, meantime, will receive the Spotlight Award, while Kiernan Shipka will receive the Artist of Distinction Award.

Previously announced honorees include Nicolas Cage, Joan Chen, Colman Domingo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Sheryl Lee Ralph, George MacKay, Diane Warren and June Squibb.

The festival will also be celebrating those behind the camera with the just-announced Master of the Frame panel with leading industry cinematographers on October 19. Current participants include Alice Brooks (“Wicked”) and Lawrence Sher (“Joker: Folie à Deux.”)

The luxury lifestyle film festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a wide selection of international films including buzzy titles like Blitz, Nightbitch and The Piano Lesson.

For Festival passes, tickets, and complete line-up, visit www.NewportBeachFilmFest.com.

Andy Garcia Starring in David Mamet-Scripted Addiction Drama “The Prince”

Posted on July 18, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Andy Garcia is bringing the drama…

The 68-year-old Cuban Oscar-nominated actor has joined the cast of the David Mamet-scripted addiction drama The Prince.

Garcia is part of a cast that includes Simon Rex, Inanna Sarkis, Wayne Brady, J.K. Simmons, Nicolas Cage, Giancarlo Esposito and Scott Haze.

Director Cameron Van Hoy’s film is rumored to have been partly inspired by the journey of Hunter Biden.

George Newbern, Beverly D’Angelo, Paul Cassell and Courtnee Carter are also part of the cast.

Though most plot details are being kept under wraps, The Prince is said to chronicle the “outrageous story of Parker Scott (played by Haze), a drug-fueled power broker hungry for non-stop thrills, ruling over a privileged world where pleasure is king, and more is never enough”.

The film is produced by Sean Wolfington, Haze, Van Hoy, Jo Henriquez and Lije Sarki.

John Devaney, CJ Kirvan and Jose Luiz Zapata serve as executive producers.

Mamet alluded to his work on the project a few months ago, in an interview with podcaster Andrew Klavan. “These guys who did Sound of Freedom, they came to me and they said, ‘You want to write a movie for us?’ I said, ‘Yeah sure, what do you got?’” he shared. “They said they wanted to do a movie about Hunter Biden.”

A source close to the filmmakers last month denied that the project draws inspiration from Biden, stating, “This project has been in the works for a while and, as it currently stands and is led by van Hoy, is a fictional account of fictional events and characters.”

Garcia’s recent film credits include Expend4bles, Book Club: The Next Chapter and Father of the Bride.

FKA twigs to Star in Lotfy Nathan’s “The Carpenter’s Son”

Posted on May 6, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

FKA twigs has landed a heavenly role…

The 36-year-old part-Spanish British singer, songwriter, actress and dancer will star opposite Nicolas Cage, Noah Jupe and Souheila Yacoub in Egyptian-American director Lotfy Nathan’s The Carpenter’s Son, which will explore the rarely told story of the childhood of Jesus with a horror take.

Paris-based Cinenovo and L.A.-based Spacemaker are producing the film. Goodfellas is overseeing international sales apart from in North America, which it will co-rep with Anonymous Content and WME.

Nathan has taken inspiration from the apocryphal Infancy Gospel of Thomas for the screenplay. Dating back to the 2nd Century AD, the text recounts the childhood of Jesus.

Per the official synopsis, “The Carpenter’s Son tells the dark story of a family hiding out in Roman Egypt. The son, known only as ‘the Boy’, is driven to doubt by another mysterious child and rebels against his guardian, the Carpenter, revealing inherent powers and a fate beyond his comprehension. As he exercises his own power, the Boy and his family become the target of horrors, natural and divine.”

FKA twigs, a Grammy-nominated artist, will take the role of the Mother.

She previously won praise for her performance alongside Jupe in Alma Har’el’s Honey Boy and will soon be seen as the female lead opposite Bill Skarsgård in Lionsgate’s remake of The Crow.

The Carpenter’s Son is scheduled to shoot this summer.

Julie Viez is producing under the Cinenovo banner with Alex Hughes and Riccardo Maddalosso at Spacemaker and Cage on behalf of Saturn Films.

The film is coproduced by Alain de la Mata and Christopher Granier-Deferre for Bluelight.

Keanu Reeves & Fisher Stevens Co-Producing Documentary About Benny “The Jet” Urquidez

Posted on March 28, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Benny “The Jet” Urquidez’s life story is getting the Hollywood treatment.

Keanu Reeves is partnering with Academy Award winner Fisher Stevens to co-produce a documentary on the life story of the 71-year-old half Spanish/Mexican American former professional kickboxer, martial arts choreographer and actor, an iconic athlete who introduced mixed martial arts to the world.

Titled The Jet, the film is currently in production under the direction of Emmy-nominated sports documentary editor turned filmmaker Jennifer Tiexiera.

The film’s financiers are Chris Quintos Cathcart and Tyler Boehm of the newly formed Unapologetic Projects, a company dedicated to working with underrepresented creators.

Maura Anderson and Zak Kilberg of Stevens’ recently launched production company Highly Flammable will also serve as producers along with John Scalise and his FAYA Project.

Nancy Weisler, Brian Maya and Chris Quintos Cathcart & Tyler Boehm of Unapologetic serve as executive producers on the project slated for release in 2025.

Nicknamed for his explosive spinning back kick, Sensei Benny “The Jet” Urquidez had a profound impact on martial arts in mainstream culture, as an actor, fight coordinator, and trainer to the stars.

Known for his exceptional skills in kickboxing and karate, he held six world titles in five weight divisions and remained undefeated over the course of his 20+ year kickboxing career.

In addition to his competitive achievements, Urquidez is renowned for his contributions to martial arts cinema, having appeared in numerous action films during the 1980s and 1990s.

Notable film credits include The Octagon, Road House and Grosse Pointe Blank. Over the years, he also trained and worked with the likes of Jackie Chan, Muhammed Ali, Elvis Presley, Mark Wahlberg, Nicole Kidman, Kurt Russell, Patrick Swayze, Nicolas Cage, Michelle Pfeiffer, Duff McKagan and many others.

“Benny’s fighting career was born out of his struggles with identity, poverty, and race, but he didn’t let those things define him,” Tiexiera said. “The result is a story about how struggle and sacrifice evolved into one about love, spirituality and deeper meaning.”

Stated Reeves, “Benny is a true mentor, and has had such a profound yet underappreciated impact on both cinema and martial arts. I’m very excited to help share his story with the world.”

America Ferrera to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Oscars

Posted on March 5, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Win or lose, America Ferrera will be taking the Oscars stage…

The 39-year-old Honduran American actress, who earned her first-ever Academy Awards nod this year for her performance in Barbie, will serve as a presenter at Sunday’s Oscars.

She’s part of a roster of new presenters that includes Emily Blunt, Cynthia Erivo, Sally Field, Ryan Gosling, Ariana Grande, Ben Kingsley, Melissa McCarthy, Issa Rae, Tim Robbins, Steven Spielberg, Mary Steenburgen, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlize Theron, Christoph Waltz and Forest Whitaker.

They join previous announced presenters Bad Bunny, Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, Rita Moreno, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef, Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The Oscars will be broadcast live on March 10 ceremony from the Dolby Theater in Hollywood.

Jimmy Kimmel is returning to host the ceremony for a fourth time.

ABC, which has aired the Oscars since 1976, is televising the show live starting at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT — an hour earlier that usual. The network, which has begun to use the Oscars as a lead-out to showcase its top programming, will follow its coverage of the live ceremony with an original episode of Abbott Elementary.

ABC’s time tweak also means that its annual pre-show will now run for 30 minutes — instead of the usual 90 — beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT. As per usual, the main Oscar telecast will be rebroadcast in the Pacific Time zone in primetime after the live presentation.

Raj Kapoor will serve as showrunner and executive producer of the 96th Oscars, with Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing.

Bad Bunny to Serve as Presenter at This Year’s Academy Awards

Posted on February 29, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Bad Bunny has a date with Oscar…

The 29-year-old Puerto Rican Grammy-winning superstar has been added to the list of presenters for this year’s Academy Awards show.

But the “Monaco” singer is not the only Puerto Rican artist set to take the stage.

West Side Story star Rita Moreno, an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar & Tony Award) winner, will also serve as a presenter.

Bad Bunny and Moreno are among the list of recently added presenters for the March 10th Oscars telecast that includes Chris Hemsworth, Dwayne Johnson, Michael Keaton, Regina King, Jennifer Lawrence, Kate McKinnon, John Mulaney, Catherine O’Hara, Octavia Spencer and Ramy Youssef.

Moreno won an Oscar in 1962 for West Side Story. In 1977, she became the first Latina (and just the third person overall) to complete the EGOT.

In 2022, Bad Bunny made history when Un Verano Sin Ti became the first Spanish-language album to top Billboard’s year-end chart and to receive a Grammy nod for album of the year. His acting credits include Bullet Train, Narcos: Mexico and Cassandro,

Earlier this week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences announced that another popular Latin star, Becky G, would perform the nominated “The Fire Inside” from Flamin’ Hot on the telecast.

Previously announced Oscars presenters are Mahershala Ali, Nicolas Cage, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Fraser, Jessica Lange, Matthew McConaughey, Lupita Nyong’o, Al Pacino, Michelle Pfeiffer, Ke Huy Quan, Sam Rockwell, Michelle Yeoh and Zendaya.

The 96th Oscars will air live on ABC and broadcast to outlets worldwide on Sunday, March 10, at the new, earlier time of 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT.

Jimmy Kimmel is hosting the show for the fourth time. It will be held at its usual home, the Dolby Theatre at Ovation Hollywood.

Raj Kapoor is executive producer and showrunner for the 2024 Oscars. Molly McNearney and Katy Mullan are also executive producers. Hamish Hamilton is directing. Rickey Minor is music director.

Peacock to Exclusively Stream “Renfield,” Featuring Adrian Martinez

Posted on June 2, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Adrian Martinez will be vamping it up online…

Universal Pictures has set the streaming premiere date for its Chris McKay-directed horror comedy Renfield, featuring the 51-year-old Mexican American actor.

Starring Nicholas Hoult and Nicolas Cage, the film will bow exclusively on Peacock on Friday, June 9th.

Released in theaters on April 14th, the film follows Renfield (Hoult), the tortured aide to history’s most narcissistic boss: Dracula (Cage). For centuries, Renfield has slavishly served Dracula by procuring his master’s prey and doing his every bidding, no matter how debased. But now, Renfield is ready to look for a new life outside the shadow of The Prince of Darkness, if only he can figure out how to end the toxic, co-dependent relationship.

Martinez portrays Chris Marcos, a traffic cop and Rebecca’s (Awkwafina) co-worker.

The film was scripted by Ryan Ridley, from a story by Robert Kirkman — one of a number of projects through which Universal has looked to leverage its movie monster library for a modern audience.

Lisette Alexis to Star in Disney+’s “National Treasure” Television Series

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Lisette Alexis has struck gold…

The young Mexican American actress will star as the lead in Disney+’s National Treasure television series from Disney Branded Television and ABC Signature.

The project, executive produced by the films’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer, director Jon Turteltaub and writers Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, is an expansion of the National Treasure movie franchise told from the point of view of a young heroine (Alexis) — a DREAMer in search of answers about her family–who embarks on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover the truth about the past and save a lost Pan-American treasure.

The series, whose pilot episode is written by the Wibberleys and will be directed by Mira Nair, centers on Jess (Alexis), a Latina whose brilliant and resourceful mind loves a good mystery, and she has a natural talent for solving puzzles. Over the course of the show, Jess will uncover her own buried history, as well as the truth about her parents and her connection to a long-lost treasure.

In the television extension of the National Treasure franchise, Jess is taking the proverbial torch from Benjamin Gates, the National Treasure films’ protagonist played by Nicolas Cage.

Production is starting in early 2022.

Alexis stars opposite Sierra McCormick in the Tribeca Film Festival selection We Need To Do Something, produced by Josh Mallerman.

The “National Treasure” Television Reimagining of the Nicolas Cage Films to Star a Latina

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

The long-gestating National Treasure television series will feature some Latina power…

The project, which has been granted a 10-episode order, explores the timely issues of identity, community, historical authorship and patriotism, told from the point of view of Jess Morales, a 20-year-old DREAMer who, with her diverse group of friends, sets off on the adventure of a lifetime to uncover her mysterious family history and recover lost treasure.

The series, which hails from the films’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer and original writers Marianne and Cormac Wibberley, is a reimagining of the National Treasure franchise.

Written by the Wibberleys and to be directed by Mira Nair (Vanity Fair), the series sees Jess Morales taking the torch from Benjamin Gates, the National Treasure films’ protagonist played by Nicolas Cage.

The development of the National Treasure series has been on parallel tracks with the long gestating threequel to Jon Turtletaub’s film franchise starring Cage, which brought in Chris Bremner as writer in January 2020.

Disney+ has several upcoming series based on the Disney movies, including Turner & Hooch, The Mighty Ducks and a Beauty and the Beast spinoff.

Emily Tosta to Star Opposite Nicolas Cage in the Thriller “Wally’s Wonderland”

Posted on February 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Emily Tosta is rebelling…

The 21-year-old Dominican & Venezuelan actress is set to star opposite Nicolas Cage in the genre thriller Wally’s Wonderland, currently shooting in Atlanta.

Tosta, who currently stars on Freeform’s Party of Fivereboot, will portray the rebellious teena lead in the film from director Kevin Lewis.

Tosta’s character Liv joins Cage’s character The Janitor in their bid to survive a hellish night trapped inside an abandoned family entertainment center populated by possessed animatronics.

The film also stars Beth Grant, Ric ReitzandChris Warner. The screenplay is written by G.O. Parsons.

“I’m so excited to be working with Nicolas Cage, who has always been one of my favorite actors, in this totally fun and unique feature film,” said Tosta.

“When I first saw Emily in Mayans M.C., I was struck by her unique combination of toughness and sensitivity and knew immediately we found our perfect Liv,” added Lewis.

In addition to her roles on Party of Fiveand Mayans M.C., Tosta’s other credits include The Resident, Rosewoodand The Last Ship.

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