Jesse Garcia to Star in Disney+’s Film “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day”

Posted on February 27, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse Garcia is preparing for a terrible, horrible project…

The 40-year-old Latino actor will star opposite Eva Longoria and George Lopez in the Disney+ film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

The project marks his return to the franchise, having previously portrayed the character of Dwayne in the Miguel Arteta film of the same name released in 2014.

Garcia will portray Frank Garcia, a happily married vegan chef, and father of Mia, David, and the titular Alexander. Frank clashes with his family when he refuses to modify his recipes to more traditional Mexican food even if it means missing out on opportunities.

From writer Matt Lopez and director Marvin Lemus, Alexander tells the story of 11-year-old Alexander Garcia who thinks he has the worst luck in the world. When his family sets off on a road trip to California, he’s pretty sure disaster awaits at every corner. His anxiety only increases when a family secret is revealed.

The film is produced by Shawn Levy, Dan Levine, and Lisa Henson.

Garcia is a rising star with various credits in both film and television. He will be on-hand at the upcoming SXSW festival on March 11 to premiere his latest film, Flamin’ Hot, about how Frito Lay janitor Ricardo Montañez (Garcia) would go on to climb the ranks and create the spicy Cheeto snack. Up next is the release of the Netflix action-thriller The Mother, starring opposite Jennifer Lopez, Gael Garcia Bernal, Joseph Fiennes, and Omari Hardwick.

Prior credits include The Avengers, Tell It Like a Woman, Ambulance, and the award-winning film Quinceañera for the big screen; The Shield, Snowfall, Narcos: Mexico, and From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series for TV.

Costa Rica Selects Nathalie Álvarez Mesén’s “Clara Sola” for Oscars’ Best International Feature Film Race

Posted on October 25, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Nathalie Álvarez Mesén is hoping to find herself celebrating Sola at the Oscars…

Costa Rica has selected the 33-year-old Costa Rican-Swedish film writer/director’s debut feature Clara Sola as the country’s submission to the 2022 Best International Feature Film race at the Academy Awards.

The film, which made its world premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight sidebar at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, was later scooped up by Oscilloscope Laboratories, which will release it in theaters early next year.

Álvarez Mesén and Maria Camila Arias co-penned the script for the film, which is set in a remote Costa Rican village and centers on 40-year-old Clara, who endures a repressively religious and withdrawn life under the command of her mother. Tension builds within the family as Clara’s younger niece approaches her quinceañera, igniting a sexual and mystical awakening in Clara, and a journey to free herself from the conventions that have dominated her life.

Ana Julia Porras Espinoza, Daniel Castañeda Rincón, Flor María Vargas Chavez and Wendy Chinchilla Araya star. Sweden-based production company Hobab produced with the Resolve Media, Costa Rica’s Pacifica Grey, Belgium’s Need Productions and Germany’s Laïdak Films.

Costa Rica has never won the International Feature Oscar (the category was previously called the Best Foreign Language Film) or made the category’s shortlist. Last year, it submitted Ceniza Negra’s Land of Ashes.

This year, the Oscar Academy will reveal the category’s 15-film shortlist on December 21. Nominations will be announced on February 8.

Bad Bunny Earns 15th No. 1 on Billboard’s Latin Airplay Chart with “Yonaguni”

Posted on September 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special quinceañera for Bad Bunny…

The 27-year-old Puerto Rican Latin trap and reggaeton rapper, singer and songwriter has notched his 15th No. 1 on Billboard‘s Latin Airplay chart as “Yonaguni” takes over the top spot on the September 4-dated survey.

The rise to the summit follows the song’s dominance on the multi-metric Hot Latin Songs chart (which merges airplay, sales and streaming data) for five weeks in June and July.

It also became Bad Bunny’s fourth top 10, reaching No. 10, on the all-genre Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Spanish-language “Yonaguni,” which features some Japanese lyrics (as the song is named after the western-most island of Japan), lifts 4-1 on Latin Airplay with by a 19% increase to 11.6 million audience impressions in the week ending August 29, according to MRC Data.

“Yonaguni” marks Bad Bunny’s fourth Latin Airplay leader without another artist among his compendium of 15 No. 1s. It follows three in 2020: “Vete” (one week at No. 1, March 14), “La Dificil” (one, August) and “Yo Perreo Sola” (two, June).

Bad Bunny first led Latin Airplay for a week in February 2018 as a featured artist on Becky G‘s “Mayores,” also his first chart entry. He logged his longest stay at the summit to-date with “Mia,” featuring Drake, for six weeks starting in December 2018.

Over on Hot Latin Songs, “Yonaguni” remains at No. 4, led by 7.6 million U.S. streams in the week ending August 26.

Ozuna to Headline Calibash in January 2022

Posted on June 2, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Ozuna is headed to a massive bash…

After being sidelined in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Calibash will return to Los Angeles’ Staples Center in January 2022 to celebrate its quinceañera, with the Puerto Rican singer serving as one of the headlining acts.

For the first time ever, this year’s Calibash will be a three-day show (January 14-16), headlined by Ozuna (January 14), Daddy Yankee (January 15) and J Balvin (January 16) along with a roster of superstars.

Also performing are Wisin & Yandel, Myke Towers, Becky G, Sech and Natanael Cano (on Day 1); Natti Natasha, Manuel Turizo, Rauw Alejandro, Lunay and Kali Uchis (Day 2); and Nicky Jam, Black Eyed Peas, Jhay Cortez, Justin Quiles and Nío García (Day 3).

Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. June 1 on asx.com.

The multi-artist show, produced and presented by SBS Entertainment, is the best-known urban Latin festival in the United States, and perhaps, the best-known Latin fest in the country.

Staged every year at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, and for the past three years also in Las Vegas, Calibash has since its inception reflected and set trends, hosting acts like Chris Brown, Jennifer Lopez and Justin Bieber alongside Latin names like J Balvin, Enrique Iglesias and Nicky Jam.

“There’s nothing like it,” says Alessandra Alarcón, president of SBS Entertainment, the live event arm of SBS, which also owns the SBS radio network and TV station La Mega. “We’re activating the entirety of LA Live. We’ll have an outdoor stage with performances by local and up and coming artists, and inside, for the first time, we’ll have three completely different talent lineups.”

Prices will range from $45 for the cheapest seat to $1,000 for a top VIP seat (which grants access averaging $150 per night and $600 for a three-day pass). Aside from ticket sales, SBS also sells merchandise and of course sponsorships, both for the indoor and outdoor portions of the fest.

Jesse Garcia to Star in the Eva Longoria-Directed “Flamin’ Hot” Film

Posted on May 4, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a flamin’ hot time for Jesse Garcia.

The 38-year-old Mexican American actor and former Quinceañera star has landed the lead role in Eva Longoria’s feature directorial debut Flamin’ Hot from Searchlight Pictures and Franklin Entertainment.

Garcia will play Richard Montanez, the architect of the Flamin’ Hot Cheeto, while Annie Gonzalez of Gentefied will portray his wife, Judy.

Flamin’ Hot tells the true life story of Richard Montanez, the Frito Lay janitor who took inspiration from his Mexican American heritage to create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, the snack that disrupted the food industry and became a pop culture phenomenon.

Desperate Housewives actress and Telenovela, Grand Hotel, and Devious Maids EP Longoria beat out several directors for the job after impressing Franklin and Searchlight with her authentic approach to the project.

“It has been my biggest priority to make sure we are telling Richard Montañez’s story authentically,” said Longoria in a statement. “I am so happy to have two extremely talented and fellow Mexican-Americans on board in these pivotal roles. Jesse and Annie have a deep understanding of our community and will be able to help tell this story of great importance for our culture.”

Also new to Flamin’ Hot is scribe Linda Yvette Chavez who has come aboard for revisions on the Lewis Colick-penned screenplay. Chavez is the creator of Netflix’s Gentefied and she’s also adapting I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter at the streamer for America Ferrera’s upcoming directorial debut.

Garcia appears in the Searchlight Pictures title Under the Same Moon, alongside Kate del Castillo and Ferrera. He has been widely recognized for his role in the highly acclaimed Quinceañera winner of the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. For his performance as Carlos, Garcia was nominated and won the prestigious ALMA Award (American Latino Media Arts) as Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture in 2007. Garcia can also be seen in The Avengers.

Gonzalez is a Chicana actress and East Los Angeles native. She grew up singing with the band Quetzal, (which has been a noted force in the Chicano movement), was one of the original dancers on Jamm X Kids for the WB and has been appearing on TV since the age of 10. She is most known for her roles in Gentefied, Vida, Shameless, and Legion. She was recently cast in the ABC pilot, Bucktown starring opposite Jane Lynch and Nicole Richie. Gonzalez also has a YouTube page with videos dedicated to her thoughts on spirituality, self-love, peace, positivity and living life as a Latina.

Jesse Garcia to Star in Michael Bay’s Action Feature “Ambulance”

Posted on February 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse Garcia is calling 9-1-1…

The 39-year-old Spanish and Mexican American actor has joined the cast of Michael Bay’s Endeavor Content–Universal Pictures action feature Ambulance.

Garcia joins a growing cast that includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Eiza Gonzalez, Garret Dillahunt, A Martinez, Keir O’Donnell, Moses Ingram, rapper Wale Folarin, Cedric Sanders, Jackson White, Colin Woodell and Olivia Stambouliah.

Ambulance is based on the original Danish film Ambulancen and is in the spirit of such 1990s action films as Speed and Bad Boys. Chris Fedak wrote the original screenplay.

Garcia recently wrapped the new season of Narcos and was attached to the Marvel/Hulu series Ghost Rider before it was stalled. Garcia plays Ranger Freddie Gonzalez in the El Rey Network’s From Dusk Till Dawn. He is also known for the award-winning film Quinceañera, written and directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, executive produced by Todd Haynes. The film won both the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival in the Dramatic Independent Feature Competition. Garcia won Best Actor at the 2007 ALMA Awards for his role as Carlos, a troubled gay teenager. In 2012, Garcia played a supporting role in The Avengers, in addition to roles in Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day and Manifest Destiny. His TV work also includes Edward James Olmos’ movie Walkout for HBO, recurring roles on Sons of Anarchy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and The Shield.

Carlos Portugal Developing Thriller Drama “Heirs” for NBC

Posted on December 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Portugal is television’s heir(s) apparent…

NBC has put in development Heirs, a thriller drama from the Daytime Emmy-nominated Latino television writer, director and producer, Davis Entertainment and Universal Television.

Written by Portugal, Heirs is set in Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island. It revolves around the heirs of a Latin American ex-dictator who face an unexpected dilemma when a young girl is kidnapped from their home on the night of their own daughter’s lavish quinceañera.

Portugal executive produces with Davis Entertainment’s John Davis, Jordan Davis and John Fox. Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, is the studio.

Portugal is also developing his original scripted drama Miss-ng at HBO Max with Macro/UCP, as well as a feature film musical entitled El Beso at Netflix with Lucky Chap and Screen Arcade producing. El Beso is based on the romantic Mexican urban legend around Guanajuato, Mexico’s famous ‘Alley of the Kiss’.

Portugal previously co-created the Hulu series East Los High, on which he also served as a director and executive producer. The show, which earned him a Daytime Emmy nod, was one of Hulu’s first original series and ran for four seasons.

His other credits include Meet the Browns, House of Payne and the feature film East Side Story.

Jesse Garcia to Star on Netflix’s “Narcos: Mexico”

Posted on November 15, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Jesse Garcia is joining the drug war…

The 36-year-old Latino actor has landed a series regular role opposite Diego Luna and Michael Peña on Narcos: Mexico, the upcoming fourth season of Netflix’s drug trafficking drama series.

After three seasons in Colombia in the pre- and post-Pablo Escobar world, Narcos has moved to Mexico, where it explores the origins of the modern drug war by going back to its roots, beginning at a time when the Mexican trafficking world was a loose and disorganized confederation of independent growers and dealers.

The new installment follows the rise of the Guadalajara Cartel in the 1980s as Félix Gallardo (Luna) takes the helm, unifying traffickers in order to build an empire. When DEA agent Kiki Camarena (Peña) moves his wife and young son from California to Guadalajara to take on a new post, he quickly learns that his assignment will be more challenging than he ever could have imagined. As Kiki garners intelligence on Félix and becomes more entangled in his mission, a tragic chain of events unfold, affecting the drug trade and the war against it for years to come.

Garciawill reportedly portray a DEA agent who volunteers for a dangerous assignment in Mexico.

Garcia played Ranger Freddie Gonzalez in the El Rey Network’s From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series and stars in the upcoming feature film Collision. Best known for his award-winning film Quinceañera, Garcia’s television work also includes Edward James Olmos’ HBO movie Walkout and recurring roles on Sons of Anarchy, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and The Shield.

Narcos: Mexico premieres November 16 on Netflix.

Thalia Directing the HBO Documentary Series “15: A Quinceañera Story”

Posted on November 4, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Thalia is shining a spotlight on a special rite of passage four young Latinas…

The 46-year-old Mexican Latin Grammy-winning singer and actress is directing the HBO special, 15: A Quinceañera Story, alongside Emmy winner Matthew O’Neill.

The collection of four short documentary films will debut on the premium cable channel on December 19-22.

Thalia’s husband, music industry veteran Tommy Mottola, is executive producing the project.

The films follow five Latina girls from different cultural, ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds as they transition to adulthood, all observing the traditional rite of passage of the quinceañera, a celebration of their 15th birthdays.

The short films will premiere on four consecutive nights, airing simultaneously on HBO and HBO Latino. O’Neill and Xochitl Dorsey also produced, along with HBO’s senior producer Sara Bernstein and executive producer Sheila Nevins.

“As a Latina, I’m proud to share our culture and shine a spotlight on these dynamic, talented and beautiful young women featured in these four films,” Thalia Sodi said in a statement. “These young women are fierce and determined and represent the rising generation of American Latinas who are helping define the future of our country,” added Mottola.

“The featured young women are examples of the breadth and diversity of the Latina experience in America,” commented O’Neill. “We’re proud to celebrate them and their communities as they contend with the complicated realities of growing up in America today.”

The quinceañera girls profiled include Zoey, a young Mexican-American living south of Los Angeles who was assigned male gender at birth and celebrates with her trans-madrinas (godmothers) who never had quinceañeras of their own; and Rosi, an American growing up in Florida with a mother from Guatemala and a father from Cuba, who combines all three of her cultures for a quinceañera in Havana, where she chooses to celebrate because her beloved grandfather cannot get a visa to the U.S.

Also profiled is Ashley, an amateur East L.A. boxer whose mother is a “Dreamer” and whose father has been deported. Nervous about her quinceañera and her first official fight, she also struggles with the reality that her coach is undergoing deportation procedures. The final film centers on Jackie and Nina, two best friends from San Antonio, who decide to honor their multi-generational Mexican American heritage by mixing their joint quince with their love of escaramuza, a traditional Mexican horse-dancing display.

Rios to Star in FX’s John Singleton Drug-Drama Pilot “Snowfall”

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Winter is coming for Emily Rios…

The 27-year-old Mexican American actress has signed on to star as series regular on FX’s Snowfall, John Singleton’s 1980s cocaine-epidemic drama pilot.

Co-created and executive produced by the Boyz N The Hood director Singleton and Erick Amadio, and directed by El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the pilot has been undergoing a revamp.

Rios, who portrayed Andrea Cantillo on AMC’s Breaking Bad, will play Lucia, the self-possessed daughter of a Mexican crime family that imports and sells marijuana throughout Los Angeles.

Rios, who earned her big break in the film Quinceañera, also starred in FX’s The Bridge, as well as guest appearances on True Detective, Friday Night Lights and Men of a Certain Age.

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