Shakira to Reprise Gazelle Role in “Zootopia 2”

Posted on November 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Shakira is ready to try everything again…

The 47-year-old Colombian superstar is returning to the animal world of Zootopia next year.

The news was announced on Friday at the D23 Brazil expo during Pixar’s panel.

Shakira filmed a surprise video for fans and revealed that she will be back as the singing character Gazelle in next year’s sequel “Zootopia 2.”

“I’m here to announce some big news. Are you ready? Gazelle is returning to ‘Zootopia 2,’” she said in the video, which included footage from the first Zootopia of Gazelle performing with her tiger backup dancers. “That’s right. Gazelle is back and she’s got a new look, a new song and, of course, new dance moves. Just wait until you see what she and her tiger dancers have been working on. I know you’re going to love it. That’s all I can share for now, but I look forward to seeing you all on my tour next year and I’ll see you at the movies next November.”

Shakira played Gazelle in the first Zootopia, which was released in theaters back in 2016.

The sequel is set for November 26, 2025. Gazelle is a singing Thomson’s gazelle who also happens to be a pop star.

She’ll return alongside Ginnifer Goodwin as rabbit police officer Judy Hopps and Jason Bateman as the clever fox Nick Wilde.

Newcomers to the sequel include Everything Everywhere All at Once Oscar winner Ke Huy Quan as Gary, a slippery snake being pursued by new partners Judy and Nick, and comedian Fortune Feimster as Nibbles, a beaver who runs into the law.

Disney & Pixar’s “Inside Out 2,” Featuring Lilimar Hernandez, Tops Weekend Box Office with $155 Million Haul

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Lilimar Hernandez is celebrating a massive box office debut…

Disney and Pixar‘s expressive animated sequel Inside Out 2, which stars the 24-year-old Venezuela-born Cuban actress, scored a mighty $155 million in its first weekend of release, overtaking Dune: Part Two ($82.5 million) and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire ($80 million) as the biggest opening of the year.

It’s also the first movie since last July’s Barbie ($162 million) to debut above $100 million.

Heading into the weekend, the follow-up film to 2015’s cerebral hit Inside Out was projected to collect $80 million to $90 million.

Inside Out 2 also connected at the international box office with $140 million, enough to surpass Frozen 2 ($135 million) as the biggest overseas animated opening of all time.

Turnout was especially strong across Latin America, where it landed the second-biggest opening of all time behind Disney’s Marvel epic Avengers: Endgame.

Globally, the movie has grossed $295 million to notch the title for biggest animated debut in like-for-like markets at current exchange rates. It carries a $200 million production budget.

Inside Out 2 marks a huge win for theaters, which have been nervously waiting for the dismal summer season to take off. It’s also a triumph for Pixar, which has struggled at the box office in recent years as Disney sent films like Turning Red, Soul and Luca directly to Disney+ during the pandemic.

Pixar chief Pete Docter, who directed 2015’s Inside Out, maintained that COVID-era strategy “trained” audiences to watch the studio’s movies at home — hence the comparatively less-embraced theatrical releases of 2022’s Lightyear and 2023’s Elemental.

Well, it looks like families have rediscovered the power of Pixar on the big screen.

This debut marks the second biggest in Pixar history, ahead of 2016’s Finding Dory ($135 million) and 2019’s Toy Story 4 ($120 million) and behind only 2018’s Incredibles 2 ($182 million).

Ticket sales for Inside Out 2 towered over the original, which opened to $90.5 million.

The first “Inside Out” became a runaway, Oscar-winning success, ending its theatrical run with $356 million in North America and $858.8 million globally.

“This is a sensational opening by Pixar’s own exceptional standard for a follow-up sequel,” says David A. Gross of movie consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. He adds, “Pixar sequels are in a league of their own.”

Hernandez voices the character of Valentina “Val” Ortiz in the film.

Her previous credits include Bella and the Bulldogs and Cleopatra in Space.

Pablo Alborán Releases “Somos Dos,” Spanish Version of Theme Song of Disney/Pixar Film “Elemental”

Posted on July 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Pablo Alborán is getting senti-elemental…

The 34-year-old Spanish musician and singer-songwriter gives his personal touch and a heartfelt interpretation to “Somos dos”, the Spanish version of “Steal the Show” by Lauv, which is the main theme of the Disney/Pixar film Elemental.

“We are two, no one else matters. If there is love, the rest will come,” says part of the lyrics in Spanish followed by a contagious melody.

The romantic pop song sets the scene for the love story of Candela (Ember) and Nilo (Wade), the protagonists of the story, who live in Element City along with residents of Water, Fire, Air and Earth.

“Happy to have adapted and sung the original song from the movie ELEMENTAL for @disneyspain !! Thank you for wanting to count on me!! I want to be Nilooo!!! On July 14 Only in theaters!!!!!!” shared the Spanish singer on his social media.

The beautiful music video shows various scenes from the film and Alborán in various settings that symbolize the four elements.

Disney & Pixar Release Trailer for Animated Film “Elio,” Featuring America Ferrera

Posted on June 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera is getting animated…

Disney and Pixar have released the first teaser for Elio, featuring the 39-year-old Honduran American award-winning actress as part of the voice cast.

In addition to Ferrera, the voice cast of Pixar Animation’s 28th animated feature will also include up-and-comer Yonas Kibreab, Jameela Jamil and Brad Garrett.

Directed by Adrian Molina, the co-director and writer of Pixar’s Coco, Elio introduces viewers to Kibreab’s character of the same name. An underdog with an active imagination, Elio finds himself inadvertently beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide.

Mistakenly identified as Earth’s ambassador to the rest of the universe, and completely unprepared for that kind of pressure, Elio must form new bonds with eccentric alien life forms, survive a series of formidable trials and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.

Ferrera voices Elio’s mom, Olga, with Jamil as Ambassador Questa and Garrett as Ambassador Grigon.

Produced by Mary Alice Drumm, who associate produced Coco, the film is set for release in theaters on March 1, 2024.

America Ferrera to Star in Disney/Pixar’s Intergalactic Animated Film “Elio”

Posted on September 11, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

America Ferrera is getting animated…

The 38-year-old Honduran American actress will star in Disney & Pixar’s new animated film, Elio.

Elio centers on an 11-year-old boy who finds himself transported across the galaxy and is mistaken for the intergalactic Ambassador for our Planet Earth.

Yonas Kibreab stars as Elio, with Ferrera as his mom, Olga Solis.

“Olga is super-confident, smart and can hold her own in any situation,” the Superstore and Ugly Betty alum says. “She’s a character who speaks to me in so many ways as a mother. And of course, with my advanced mathematical degree, I can finally put it to use. Don’t Google it.”

The film is directed by Annie Award-winning Coco co-helmer and screenwriter Adrian Molina and produced by Mary Alice Drumm.

Elio is set to hit theaters in Spring 2024.

https://twitter.com/Pixar/status/1568391606654627840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1568391606654627840%7Ctwgr%5E1faca911a59bbdcf322882f312ef9d8f548ec078%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fdeadline.com%2F2022%2F09%2Felio-pixar-movie-america-ferrera-yonas-kibreab-adrian-molina-1235113672%2F

Germaine Franco Wins ASCAP Composers’ Choice Award for “Encanto” Score

Posted on May 3, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Germaine Franco is encantada…

The Mexican American film composer, conductor, songwriter, arranger, record producer, and percussionist’s Oscar-nominated score for the acclaimed Disney/Pixar film Encanto has claimed the ASCAP Composers’ Choice Awards’ film score of the year honors at the 2022 ASCAP Screen Music Awards.

Cristobal Tapia de Veer proved to be the big winner on the television front…

The Chilean-born Canadian film and television score composer, arranger, producer and multi-instrumentalist’s work for HBO Max’s series The White Lotus took home two Composers’ Choice awards for television score of the year and television theme of the year.

Honorees for the top rated television series category, which honor composers and songwriters for their themes and underscore from the highest rated series during calendar year 2021, include Josefina Severino and Carmenza Gomez for Café Con Aroma De Mujer, and Gil Novelo, Jorge Tena Martínez Vara, Jorge Jurado and John Sereda for the Mexican telenovela La Desalmada.

Winners for the Composers’ Choice Awards are voted upon by the ASCAP composer and songwriter community.

The awards were held virtually once again and started at noon E.T. on Monday, May 2.

The complete list of winners is available on the ASCAP website.

Lindsey Olivares Claims Two Annie Awards for Netflix’s “The Mitchells vs. The Machines”

Posted on March 13, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsey Olivares is celebrating a big night…

The Latina production designer, character designer and caricature artist claimed two awards at the 49th annual Annie Awards, which honor the year’s best in animated fare across movies, television and video games.

Olivares, the production designer and lead character designer on Netflix’s The Mitchells vs. The Machines, took home the award for Character Design, Feature for her work on the acclaimed animated film, which was named Best Feature.

Olivares also was along the design team winning the Production Design, Feature award for The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

The Annies are presented by ASIFA-Hollywood.

The The Mitchells vs. The Machines victory in the Best Feature race gives it front-runner status leading up to the Oscars next month. Last year, eventual Animated Feature Oscar winner Soul from Pixar won the top Annie Awards prize, the 14th time in 20 years the society and the Academy have matched their top picks.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and Germaine Franco won in the Music, Feature category for their score/soundtrack work on Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Encanto.

Evan Monteiro won the award for Character Design, TV for his work on Arcane, while Sebastian Trujillo among the animation team on Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings that claimed the Character Animation, Live Action prize.

Gustavo Santaolalla won alongside Tim Davies in the Music, TV category for their work on Netflix’s Maya and the Three.

Hugo Covarrubias won in the Short Subject category for Bestia, which he co-wrote with Martín Erazo.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix

Independent Feature
Flee
Neon, Final Cut For Real, Sun Creature, Vivement Lundi !, MostFilm, Mer Film, VICE, Left Hand Films, Participant

Directing, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Directors: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Directing, TV
Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Directors: Pascal Charue, Arnaud Delord, Barthelemy Maunoury

Storyboarding, Feature
Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Storyboard Artist: Jason Hand

Storyboarding, TV
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Storyboard Artist: Simon Andriveau

General TV Production
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix

Children’s TV Production
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
A Netflix Series

Preschool TV Production
Ada Twist, Scientist
Episode: Twelve Angry Birds
Laughing Wild, Higher Ground Productions, Wonder Worldwide, Netflix

Writing, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Writers: Mike Rianda, Jeff Rowe

Writing, TV
Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Writers: Christian Linke, Alex Yee

Voice Acting, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
As ‘Katie Mitchell’: Abbi Jacobson

Voice Acting, TV
Arcane
Episode: When These Walls Come Tumbling Down
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
As ‘Jinx’: Ella Purnell

Editing, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Editorial Team: Greg Levitan, Collin Wightman, T.J. Young, Tony Ferdinand, Bret Allen

Editing, TV
What If…?
Episode: What If…Ultron Won?
Marvel Studios
Editorial Team: Joel Fisher, Graham Fisher, Sharia Davis, Basuki Juwono, Adam Spieckermann

Animated Effects, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
FX Team: Christopher Logan, Man-Louk Chin, Devdatta Nerurkar, Pav Grochola, Filippo Maccari

Animated Effects, TV
Arcane
Episode: Oil and Water
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
FX Team: Guillaume Degroote, Aurélien Ressencourt, Martin Touzé, Frédéric Macé, Jérôme Dupré

Character Animation, Feature
Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Animator: Dave Hardin

Character Animation, TV
Arcane
Episode: The Monster You Created
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Animator: Léa Chervet

Character Animation, Live Action
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings
Marvel Entertainment, Weta Digital
Animation Team: Karl Rapley, Sebastian Trujillo, Richard John Moore, Merlin Bela Wassilij Maertz, Pascal Raimbault

Character Animation, Video Game
Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart
Insomniac Games
Animation Team: Insomniac Games Animation Team

Character Design, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Designer: Lindsey Olivares

Character Design, TV
Arcane
Episode: Some Mysteries Better Left Unsolved
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Designer: Evan Monteiro

Music, Feature
Encanto
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Score: Germaine Franco, Lin-Manuel Miranda

Music, TV
Maya and the Three
Episode: The Sun and the Moon
A Netflix Series
Score: Tim Davies, Gustavo Santaolalla

Sponsored Production
A Future Begins
Nexus Studios

Special Production
Namoo
Baobab Studios

Production Design, Feature
The Mitchells vs. The Machines
Sony Pictures Animation for Netflix
Design Team: Lindsey Olivares, Toby Wilson, Dave Bleich

Production Design, TV
Arcane
Episode: Happy Progress Day!
A Riot Games and Fortiche Production for Netflix
Design Team: Julien Georgel, Aymeric Kevin, Arnaud Baudry

Short Subject
Bestia
by Hugo Covarrubias and co-written with Martín Erazo.
Trebol 3 Producciones, MALEZA Estudio

Student Film
Night of the Living Dread
Student director: Ida Melum
Student producer: Danielle Goff
School: National Film and Television School, UK

Winsor McCay Award
Ruben Aquino
Lillian Schwartz
Toshio Suzuki

Special Achievement Award
Glen Vilppu

Ub Iwerks Award
Python Foundation

June Foray Award
Renzo & Sayoko Kinoshita

Alanna Ubach to Appear on Season 2 of HBO Max’s “The Flight Attendant”

Posted on November 12, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Alanna Ubach is taking Flight…

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress will appear on Season 2 of HBO Max’s critically acclaimed series The Flight Attendant as a recurring guest star.

Ubach will appear in the new season—which is currently in production—alongside returning series regulars Kaley Cuoco, Zosia Mamet, Griffin Matthews, Deniz Akdeniz and Rosie Perez; new series regulars Mo McRae, Callie Hernandez and JJ Soria; returning recurring guest stars T.R. Knight, Yasha Jackson and Audrey Grace Marshall; and new recurring guest stars Cheryl Hines, Jessie Ennis, Mae Martin, Margaret Cho, Santiago Cabrera and Shohreh Aghdashloo.

The Max Original, based on Chris Bohjalian’s 2018 novel of the same name, centers on Cassie Bowden (Cuoco), a reckless flight attendant with an alcohol problem who in Season 1, wakes up in the wrong hotel, in the wrong bed, with a dead man—and no idea what happened.

Season 2 finds Cassie living her best sober life in Los Angeles while moonlighting as a CIA asset in her spare time. But when an overseas assignment leads her to inadvertently witness a murder, she becomes entangled in another international brouhaha.

Ubach will play Carol Atkinson, also known as Black Market Carol, a perfectly groomed, icy flight attendant who is not a fan of Cassie.

Ubach is best known for her work in the Legally Blonde films, along with her turn as Mamá Imelda in Disney/Pixar’s Coco, and as Jo Hernandez-Frumpkis in the Bravo series Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce.

She recurs opposite Kate Beckinsale on the Paramount+ series Guilty Party, and will return for the sophomore seasons of Disney+’s Monsters at Work, HBO’s Euphoria, and Hulu’s Crossing Swords.

The actress has also appeared in Netflix’s Maya and the Three, Fox’s Filthy Rich, FX’s Snowfall, AMC’s Dietland, Amazon’s Hand of God, Showtime’s Californication and HBO’s Hung, among others.

Additional film credits include Bombshell, Gloria Bell, To the Bone, Bad Teacher, Rango, Waiting… and its sequel Still Waiting… and Clockwatchers.

Alice Braga to Star in Robert Rodriguez’s Thriller “Hypnotic”

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Alice Braga has landed a hypnotic role…

The 38-year-old Brazilian actress has joined the cast of Robert Rodriguez’s thriller Hypnotic, starring Ben Affleck.

Cameras are set to roll starting on September 20, in Austin, Texas, after the film’s original start date in April 2020 was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and then insurance issues.

Hypnotic will follow a detective who becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program while investigating a string of high-end crimes.

The film is written by Sin City and Alita: Battle Angel filmmaker Rodriguez and Max Borenstein. Rodriguez, Studio 8 CEO Jeff Robinov and Studio8’s Guy Danella and John Graham are producing with Solstice.

Solstice has already sold the film well into international markets and is due to release Hypnotic in the U.S.

Braga will next be seen in The Suicide Squad, alongside Margo Robbie, Idris Elba and Viola Davis. She’s known for her starring role in the long-running USA Network series Queen Of The South, Luca Guadagnino’s limited series We Are Who We Are, and was one of the lead voices in Oscar-winning Pixar film Soul.

Alice Braga to Star in Innovative Sci-Fi Film “Share”

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Alice Braga is ready to share, and share alike…

The 38-year-old Brazilian actress and producer will star in Share, an innovative sci-fi film from The Traveling Picture Show Company, Wavemaker Creative and award-winning commercial director Ira Rosensweig.

Braga will star opposite Melvin Gregg, Bradley Whitford and Danielle Campbell in the film.

Scripted by Benjamin Sutor, Rosensweig’s debut feature follows a man who awakens to find himself stripped of all his possessions, and trapped in a bare room. Aided by a primitive computer, he must learn to survive in his new isolated existence where entertainment is the only currency.

While the actors’ roles have not been disclosed, the indie will reportedly be brought to life using “unique and immersive” filmmaking techniques. Given that each character in the story is physically isolated, the shoot (which is currently underway) called for the construction of multiple identical sets with integrated camera systems, teleprompters, and live event technology.

The system designed for the project allows the actors to fully interact both with each other and the computer interface central to the story in real time, while giving the director and crew a precise pre-visualization of the finished product.

Braga recently lent her voice to Oscar-winning Pixar feature, Soul. On the television side, the actress currently stars in USA Network’s drama, Queen of the South.

She also recently appeared in the HBO series We Are Who We Are, from Luca Guadagnino.

Up next, she’ll appear opposite Margot Robbie, Idris Elba and Viola Davis in James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad.

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Celebrating the Latino Influence

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