Disney+/Marvel Studios Moving Up Debut of Season Two of “Loki,” Featuring Rafael Casal

Rafael Casal’s Loki debut is coming one day sooner…

The second season of Disney+/Marvel Studios’ Loki, featuring the 38-year-old part-Spanish and part-Cuban American actor, was originally set to debut on Friday, October 6, but the streamer is following a new rule out of its primetime playbook with Ahsoka and dropping episodes in primetime.

Rafael Casal

The new premiere date for Loki is October 5 at 6:00 pm PST and all subsequent episodes will drop on Thursday at 6:00 pm PST for the season.

In the new featurette, “The Amazing Loki,” stars Tom Hiddleston, Sophia Di Martino and Ke Huy Quan, along with EP Kevin R. Wright explore what it means to be Loki this season.

The second season picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.

Loki season 2 also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Casal, Tara Strong, Kate Dickie, Liz Carr, Neil Ellice, Jonathan Majors and Owen Wilson.

Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Dan DeLeeuw and Kasra Farahani are the directors for the six-episode series. Eric Martin is the head writer.

Jennifer Lopez Signs New Recording & Publishing Partnership with BMG

Jennifer Lopez is celebrating a new deal…

The 54-year-old Puerto Rican superstar has agreed to a new recording and publishing partnership with BMG.

Jennifer LopezUnder the global alliance, J.Lo will release her forthcoming ninth studio album, This Is Me…Now—home to 13 tracks, released via Nuyorican/BMG.

The set will mark Lopez’s first studio album as a solo artist in nine years, following the 2014 release of A.K.A. on Capitol Records. That album, produced by RedOne, peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2022, she and Maluma released the soundtrack to their film Marry Me under Universal Studios/Sony Music US Latin.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with her and her team to release her first album in nearly a decade,” said Thomas Coesfeld, BMG’s CEO in a statement, calling Lopez a “global superstar artist, entertainer… a phenomenon.”

Thomas Scherer, BMG’s president, repertoire & marketing, Los Angeles and New York, added: “We are both excited and proud to partner with Jennifer Lopez on this long-awaited sequel to ‘This is Me… Then.’ Clearly written with love and through experience, ‘This Is Me..Now’ is uplifting and inspiring. ‘Jenny From The Block’ is back at a point in her career when her message is bigger than ever.”

Produced by J.Lo, Rogét Chahayed, Angel Lopez and Jeff “Gitty” GitelmanThis Is Me…Now was created during 2022 and 2023 at Lopez’s home studio in Los Angeles.

Other songwriter-producers who worked on the album include Hitboy, Ink, Tay Keith, Yeti Beats, Carter Lang, Kim “Kaydence” Krysiuk, with BMG’s Brandon Riester serving as the album’s A&R.

According to the press statement, the upcoming set “is an exciting musical trilogy showcasing the triple-threat’s extraordinary talents.”

The full This Is Me…Now track list includes:

“This Is Me…Now”
“To Be Yours”
“Mad in Love”
“Can’t Get Enough”
“Rebound”
“not.going.anywhere.”
“Dear Ben, Pt. II”
“Hummingbird”
“Hearts and Flowers”
“Broken Like Me”
“This Time Around”
“Midnight Trip to Vegas”
“Greatest Love Story Never Told”

Disney+ to Begin Streaming Rosario Dawson’s “Haunted Mansion” in October

Rosario Dawson’s latest film will be bringing the fright to Disney+ soon.

Haunted Mansion, starring the 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist, will begin streaming on Disney+ on October 4.

Rosario Dawson, Haunted MansionThe feature, inspired by the famed theme park ride at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland, opened in theaters on July 28.

Directed by Justin Simien and penned by Katie Dippold, the film tells the story of a woman (Dawson) and her son who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help them rid their home of supernatural squatters.

In addition to Dawson, the cast includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Chase W. Dillon and Daniel Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto as The Hatbox Ghost.

The film also will be available at digital retailers on October 4, including Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu.

Disney+ Releases New Trailer for Season Two of “Loki,” Featuring Rafael Casal’s New Character

It’s all about time for Rafael Casal.

Disney+ has released a new trailer for Loki Season 2, which will see the 38-year-old part-Spanish and part-Cuban American actor join the cast.

Rafael CasalIn the preview, Tom Hiddleston’s Loki is being pulled through time and at one point Sophia Di Martino’s Sylvie warns that “everything is turning to sh**.” Jonathan Majors makes an appearance as He Who Remains.

Loki Season 2 picks up in the aftermath of the shocking season finale when Loki finds himself in a battle for the soul of the Time Variance Authority. Along with Mobius, Hunter B-15 and a team of new and returning characters, Loki navigates an ever-expanding and increasingly dangerous multiverse in search of Sylvie, Judge Renslayer, Miss Minutes and the truth of what it means to possess free will and glorious purpose.

Casal’s Loki season two character is reportedly named X-5. He’s a rogue agent of the Time Variance Authority who escaped in the ’70s to become a Hollywood star.

The series also stars Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Eugene Cordero, Tara Strong, Kate Dickie, Liz Carr, Neil Ellice, with Ke Huy Quan and Owen Wilson.

Eric Martin is the head writer of the Marvel Studio series with Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead, Dan Deleeuw, Kasra Farahani serving as directors.

Loki Season 2 is set to premiere on October 6 on Disney+.

Disney Releases New Trailer for Rosario Dawson’s “Haunted Mansion”

More Haunted moments from Rosario Dawson

Disney has released a new trailer for Haunted Manson, starring the 44-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist.

Rosario Dawson“When my son and I moved in here, it wasn’t as warm as we’d hoped,” says Dawson’s character Gabbie. 

Directed by Justin Simien, the film follows a woman (Dawson) and her son (Chase W. Dillon) who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters. “It’s time to assemble the Dream Team,” we are told. 

LaKeith Stanfield plays a paranormal tour guide, Tiffany Haddish is a psychic, Owen Wilson is a priest, and Danny DeVito is a historian. Daniel Levy also stars, along with Jamie Lee Curtis as the disembodied Madame Leota and Jared Leto as the Hatbox Ghost — and all get some screen time in the new trailer.

Fans of the longtime Disney ride — it opened in 1969 at Disneyland and two years later at Walt Disney World — will recognize the eerie hallways, the stretching room, the ghostly ballroom and the creepy house itself.

“You’re all in for a treat.”

Katie Dippold wrote the Haunted Mansion script, Dan Lin and Jonathan Eirich are the producers, and Nick Reynolds and Tom Peitzman serve as executive producers.

Disney earlier had planned to open the filmon March 10, but now it is set to hit theaters on July 28.

Penélope Cruz In Talks to Star in Netflix’s Upcoming Nancy Meyers Film “Paris Paramount” (Working Title)

Penélope Cruz could be starring in a comedy soon…

The 48-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actress is in talks to star opposite Scarlett Johansson, Michael Fassbender and Owen Wilson in the big-budget Netflix comedy marking Nancy Meyers’ return to directing, Deadline can confirm.

Penelope CruzSources say actor deals have not yet closed, as budgeting is still being worked through. Netflix had no comment.

The film currently titled Paris Paramount, which tells the story of an above-the-line filmmaking duo who reunite (begrudgingly) on set after falling in and out of love with one another.

Meyers will direct from her own script and also serve as producer on the film, which sources tell us is at a budget exceeding $100M.

The project will mark her first as director since The Intern, a buddy comedy of sorts starring Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway, which was released by Warner Bros in 2015.

Most recently appearing in films including Emanuele Crialese’s L’immensitàOfficial Competition with Antonio Banderas, and Pedro Almodóvar’s Oscar-nominated Parallel Mothers, Cruz will next be seen starring opposite Adam Driver in Michael Mann’s Ferrari.

An Academy Award-nominated writer, director and producer best known for her work in the rom-com space, Meyers has also previously helmed features including It’s Complicated, The HolidaySomething’s Gotta GiveWhat Women Want and The Parent Trap.

Disney Releases Teaser Trailer for Rosario Dawson’s “Haunted Mansion”

Rosario Dawson is ready to thrill

Disney has released the teaser trailer for Haunted Mansion, its theme park attraction-turned-creepy comedy adventure film starring the 43-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist.

Rosario DawsonJustin Simien directs a cast that includes LaKeith Stanfield, Tiffany Haddish, Owen Wilson, Danny DeVito, Dawson, Chase W. Dillon and Dan Levy, with Jamie Lee Curtis and Jared Leto. Kate Dippold wrote the script.

The plot centers on a woman (Dawson) and her son (Dillon) who enlist a motley crew of so-called spiritual experts to help rid their home of supernatural squatters.

The opening shot of the trailer and some hat(box)-tips inside the house will be familiar to all who have been to Disneyland, and the comic-fright balance seems right especially thanks to the vibe put out by Stanfield and Wilson, with Roy Orbison’s “House Without Windows” playing in the background.

Simien introduced the film originally last summer at Comic-Con, where fans saw a fuller trailer for the film based on the ride that debuted at Disneyland in 1969 with characters including Madame Leota, the skeletal Bride and the cloaked Hatbox Ghost. Eddie Murphy starred in a 2003 movie version.

“For me, there was something about that ride I felt was there in the [new] script,” said Simien, who worked at Disneyland one summer and said Haunted Mansion was his favorite ride. “It was funny and full of interesting characters, but with a dark edge to it. I just related to it. It felt I knew how to make it. I love New Orleans and I felt I had a responsibility here to make sure all the little Easter eggs are there.”

Haunted Mansion will hit theaters on July 28.

Rafael Casal Lands Major Role in Second Season of Disney+’s Marvel Series “Loki”

Rafael Casal is joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The 36-year-old part-Spanish and Cuban American actor will appear in a major role in the upcoming second season of Disney+’s Marvel series Loki.

Rafael CasalA representative for Marvel declined to comment on the casting, but word of Casal’s addition started trickling out when a photo from the set of Season 2 leaked online.

It features Casal walking alongside Tom Hiddleston and Owen Wilson, who are back, reprising their roles as anti-hero Loki and Mobius, respectively.

Details about Casal’s character are being kept under wraps; online speculation includes a hypothesis that he could be playing Zaniac.

Following strong reviews and record viewing numbers for the original installment, Loki became the first Marvel series for Disney+ to get a second season.

Loki is set in a Marvel Cinematic Universe-adjacent world, in which the God of Mischief is a fish-out-of-water when he lands in trouble with the bureaucratic TVA (Time Variance Authority) after absconding with the Tesseract.

Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead are co-directing a majority of the episodes in the new season. Hiddleston and Michael Waldron, who wrote and served as showrunner in Season 1, executive produce. Eric Martin is penning all six episodes.

Casal, along with Daveed Diggs, co-wrote, produced and starred in the 2018 movie Blindspotting.

The two co-created and executive produce Starz’s Blindspotting series spinoff, which debuted earlier this year, with Casal as showrunner and reprising his role from the movie.

The series, which has been renewed for a second season, earned an Indie Spirit Award and Gotham Award nominations for Best New/Breakthrough series.

Casal’s acting credits also include Good Lord Bird, Bad Education and Are You Afraid of the Dark?

Maluma Becomes First Musician to Design Limited-Edition Bottle for Hennessy V.S.O.P.

Maluma is bottling up his artistic talent…

The 28-year-old Colombian singer-songwriter is celebrating his three-year partnership with cognac brand Hennessy with the release of a special, limited-edition bottle.

The neon-hued Hennessy V.S.O.P bottle, designed entirely by Maluma — who becomes the first musician ever to design a limited-edition bottle for Hennessy V.S.O.P. — is a reflection of the singer-songwriter’s culture and roots.

“That was the most important thing for me,” Maluma, who partnered with Hennessy back in 2019, tells Billboard via Zoom. “That they give me the opportunity to come up with how the bottle would look. Not only because I’d be the first musician to do so, but because I wanted to tell my story with the design. If you look closely, you can see the buildings that identify my city, Medellín. That’s always been my plan, to take my city and my culture to a global level. I always want everyone to know where I come from.”

Jasmin Allen, senior vice president, Hennessy U.S., said in a statement: “Hennessy has a long history of championing and celebrating those who push the limits of potential, and Maluma’s journey is the perfect personification of our brand ethos.  With this collaboration, we continue our legacy embracing Maluma’s expansive perspective in this Hennessy V.S.O.P limited edition — where quality meets unapologetic originality.”

In tune with Hennessy’s “Never Stop. Never Settle” motto, Maluma — whose 2021 Papi Juancho Tour grossed a grand total of $24 million and is featured as narrator in the newly released Amazon Prime documentary Mi Selección Colombia — most recently scored his first-ever entry on Billboard‘s Regional Mexican Airplay chart thanks to “Cada Quien,” his collaboration with Grupo Firme.

“I’ve always been a fan of regional Mexican music, of ranchera and mariachi,” he says about scoring a No. 1 on the tally. “Being on a Mexican chart in the U.S., well that’s a big deal. I always dreamt of that. When I travel to Mexico, it’s like being at home, I feel part of it, and I am very grateful to Grupo Firme for making this possible.”

Additionally, the “Hawái” singer will make his debut on the big screen on February 11 with Marry Me, starring alongside Jennifer Lopez and Owen Wilson. He’s also featured on the film’s soundtrack, which is set to drop Friday. Originally slated to be released in 2021, Maluma is eager for fans to see his acting chops in the rom-com. “I feel happy, I feel very proud. It’s the beginning of a new journey because I didn’t act before and doing it next to Jennifer and Owen, it’s such a big deal. I want to keep acting. I love it and it’s part of my art.”

The Hennessy V.S.O.P Limited Edition by Maluma design is now available nationwide for a limited time only.

Visit Hennessy.com for more information.

Rosario Dawson to Help Reveal This Year’s SAG Awards Nominations

Rosario Dawson is helping with a big reveal…

The 42-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist will team up with Vanessa Hudgens to announce this year’s SAG Awards nominations on Wednesday, January 12, at 10:00 am ET/7 am PT via Instagram Live.

Rosario DawsonThis marks the second consecutive year the SAG nominations will be announced via Instagram Live as part of the @sagawardsInstagram Stories.

With the Golden Globes mired in a diversity scandal, resulting in a non-telecast of the awards show on NBC, the SAG Awards this year reps the first big awards show to honor the best of actors and actresses in television and film for 2021.

SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher will give an introduction before the SAG nominations are revealed.

Nominations for the Outstanding Action Performances by Television and Film ensembles will follow, with announcements made by SAG Awards Committee members Jason George and Elizabeth McLaughlin.

The 28th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards will be simulcast live on TNT and TBS on Sunday, February 27, 2022 at 8:00 pm ET / 5:00 pm PT from The Barker Hangar in Santa Monica.

Dawson recently starred in the Hulu series Dopesickand stars next in the Disney+/Lucasfilm series Ahsoka as Ahsoka Tano and the HBO Max/DC series DMZ

She’s filming Disney’s new Haunted Mansion movie with Owen Wilson, Tiffany Haddish, LaKeith Stanfield and Danny DeVito.

Her feature credits include Harmony Korine’s KidsSpike Lee’s He Got Game and The 25th Houras well as Alexander, Rent, Clerks II, Top Five, Trance, Unstoppable and Men in Black II, as well as the Sin City franchise.

For her performance in Seven Pounds, she won Best Actress in a Motion Picture Award at the 2009 NAACP Image Awards.