Robert Rodriguez to Direct Ben Affleck in the Action Thriller “Hypnotic”

Posted on November 7, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez is ready to thrill…

The 51-year-old Mexican American filmmaker is set to direct Ben Affleck in the action thriller Hypnotic.

The film centers on a detective who, while investigating a string of impossible high-end heists, becomes entangled in a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program.

The big budget film, which is reportedly set at $60m-$80m, comes from Studio 8 and Solstice Studios. And it’s the first project greenlit under a partnership between the two companies.

Production is slated for April.

Rodriguez, Studio 8 CEO Jeff Robinovand his colleagues Guy Danellaand John Grahamwill produce the film with Solstice, which will handle US distribution and launch international sales beginning at American Film Market.

“Working with Ben on his award-winning projects, including Argoand The Town, I have seen how his versatility and creativity has made him one of the most talented filmmakers both in front of and behind the camera,” said Robinov. “It’s very meaningful to be collaborating with Ben again on this uniquely riveting suspense thriller, and I know he and Robert will make a terrific film together.”

Rodriguez’s previous credits include El Mariachi, Machete, theSpy Kidsfranchise, Sin Cityand Sin City: A Dame to Kill Forand Alita: Battle Angel.

Morena Baccarin to Star in the Nourish Thriller “Tropico”

Posted on September 5, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Morena Baccarin is hittin’ the tropics…

The 40-year-old Brazilian actress is set to star in director Giada Colagrande’s Tropico, a noirish thriller set in Brazil.

Baccarin will star opposite Pedro Pascal and Willem Dafoein the film, from a screenplay by Barry Gifford.

In Tropico, Dafoe plays Raymond Sanz, a veteran operative hired to spy on Mark, an American businessman (Pascal) in a steamy costal town in Northern Brazil. However, things get more complicated when Sanz falls simultaneously for Mark’s wife, the mysterious and beautiful Lucia (Baccarin), and her equally beautiful identical twin sister, Olivia (Baccarin).

“Barry’s atmospheric screenplay is an exotic thriller in the best traditions of the noir genre,” said Colagrande, “and I also couldn’t be more excited to work with such an accomplished group of actors.”

Eclipse Pictureshas acquired the worldwide sales rights to Tropico.

Colagrande previously directed Padre and her debut film Open My Heart played at Venice Film Festivalin 2002.

Production on the film is due to start in the first quarter of 2020 in São Luis Do Maranhão, Northern Brazil.

In addition to her regular roles on the iconic series Homeland and Gotham, Baccarin has two Deadpool blockbusters under her belt and next stars opposite Gerard Butlerin Greenland forSTX Filmsand opposite Charlie Hunnam and Mel Gibsonin Waldo.

Pascal, who starred on television in Game of Thrones and Narcos and appeared in the Equalizer 2 film, will next be seen in the Robert Rodriguez-directed We Can Be Heroes, and opposite Gal Gadotin the sequel Wonder Woman 1984. He also stars in the title role of Jon Favreau’s upcoming Star Wars spinoff, The Mandalorian.

Trailer Released for Robert Rodriguez’s VR Action Film “The Limit,” Starring Michelle Rodriguez

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Michelle Rodriguez has reached herlimit…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican-American actress appeared in the trailer for The Limit, Robert Rodriguez’s 20-minute Virtual Reality action film first teased last spring at Mip TV in Cannes.

“Look me in the eye when I’m talking to you,” says Rodriguez, who portrays the “super assassin” in the film.

The Limit, co-starring The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus, hails from STXsurreal, the VR and Immersive content division of STX Entertainment.

The film is available now as a paid app download across all major VR platforms. It’s available in 3-D and 2-D versions at www.TheLimitVR.com.

Rodriguez stars as an “enhanced super-assassin” known as M-13. You – the viewer – are a rogue agent “with a mysterious past,” and M-13 has been enlisted to help you retrieve your identity and strike against the deadly organization that created you.

The Mexican-American director (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City) says that, new technology aside, The Limit is a “full-blown Rodriguez action flick.” He said he’s considering The Limit as a franchise, and would be interested in taking some of his previous films into the VR world.

The Limit, shot entirely in Austin, was directed by Rodriguez from a script by himself and son Racer Max Rodriguez.

The Limit is a paid app download available across major VR platforms. To mark the launch, a sale price has been set at $4.99 for VR headset platforms, and $3.99 for mobile platforms, Google Play and iOS.

Danny Trejo to Star in the ABC Comedy Project “Food & Familia,” Inspired By His Life

Posted on October 15, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Danny Trejo is bringing his life to the small screen, so to speak…

The 74-year-old Mexican American actor is attached to star in an ABC comedy project that boasts Will Smith among its executive producers.

Trejo will star in and executive produce Food & Familia, which is currently in development at the network. The multi-camera comedy, is inspired by Trejo’s life. When the matriarch of the family passes away, she leaves her restaurant to her son, Danny (Trejo) – who’s about to get out of prison — and her granddaughter, Michelle, who hates her father for abandoning her. This gift from beyond the grave might heal the father and daughter and get them back together but, it’s gonna be rocky as the two of them work their differences out while trying to operate a restaurant, live together, and become a real family again.

Peter Murrietta will write and executive produce the project. Trejo and Smith will executive produce along with Caleeb Pinkett and James Lassiter of Smith’s Overbrook Entertainment. ABC Studios will produce.

Should the project move forward, it would only be Trejo’s second series regular role, with the other being the short-lived George Lopez FX sitcom Saint George. Trejo is also known for his role in the Machete films as well as several other Robert Rodriguez films. His other TV roles include appearances on Sons of Anarchy, Rick & Morty, The Adventures of Puss in Boots, and From Dusk til Dawn: The Series. Trejo also opened his first restaurant, Trejo’s Tacos, in 2016 with multiple locations now open throughout Los Angeles. He also operates Trejo’s Coffee & Donuts and Trejo’s Cantina.

Murrietta most recently worked on the CBS comedy Superior Donuts. His other recent credits include One Day at a Time, Lopez, and Cristela. Murrietta also won two Emmy awards for his time on the Disney Channel series Wizards of Waverly Place.

Amazon Studios Gives Rosa Salazar’s Adult Animated Series “Undone” Straight-to-Series Order

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Rosa Salazar is getting animated…

The 32-year-old Latina actress will star in the adult animated show Undone, which has received a straight-to-series order from Amazon Studios.

Co-created by Bob-Waksberg and BoJack Horseman writer-producer Kate Purdy, Undone is a half-hour animated dramedy that explores the elastic nature of reality through its central character, Alma, voiced by Salazar.

After getting into a near fatal car accident, Alma discovers she has a new relationship with time and uses this ability to find out the truth about her father’s death.

Also cast in the series is Angelique Cabral (Life in Pieces) as Alma’s younger sister.

Undone is in pre-production and expected to premiere in 2019 on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories.

Dutch artist Hisko Hulsing will oversee the production design and direct a team of animators working in the Netherlands. The animation will be done with Dutch co-producer and Amsterdam-based studio Submarine, and Austin-based studio Minnow Mountain.

Salazar will next be seen in the title role of the Robert Rodriguez-directed and co-written Alita: Battle Angel, which James Cameron co-wrote and is producing for Twentieth Century Fox. Additionally, she will be seen in upcoming films Bird Box and The Kindergarten Teacher.

Danny Trejo to Star in the “Meet the Blacks” Sequel, “The House Next Door”

Posted on November 9, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Danny Trejo is moving in next door…

The 73-year-old Mexican American actor and Machete star has joined the cast of the comedy film The House Next Door, the sequel to Meet The Blacks, which has Mike Epps reprising his starring role. Deon Taylor is returning to direct.

Rick Ross and Katt Williams also star in the film along with returnees Bresha Webb, Zulay Henao, social media star Andrew Bachelor (a.k.a King Batch), and comedians Lil Duval, Michael Blackson and Tyrin Turner.

The project is currently shooting in Atlanta, Georgia.

It centers on overstressed Carl Black (Epps) who, after surviving a night of terror and becoming a best-selling author, moves his family back to his childhood home where he hopes to work on a new book. But when his quirky neighborhood becomes host to a mysteriously extravagant pimp (Williams), Carl’s work is interrupted as his cousin becomes convinced the new neighbor is a vampire and is trying to steal Carl’s entire family away.

Meet The Blacks bowed in theaters in 2016 via Freestyle Releasing and grossed $9 million at the box office.

Trejo, who was recently seen on CW’s The Flash, is known for his collaborations with director Robert Rodriguez in films like From Dusk Till Dawn and Spy Kids.

Rodriguez to Direct STX Entertainment’s Animated Film “Ugly Dolls”

Posted on March 29, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Things are about to get a little Ugly for Robert Rodriguez…

The 48-year-old Mexican American filmmaker will direct STX Entertainment’s animated Ugly Dolls, based on the children’s toys, which the company has long planned as the film to launch its family and animation division.

The movie will be released on May 10, 2019.

The dolls were created by David Horvath via his company Pretty Ugly LLC and have taken off in popularity in Asia.

Rodriguez, now better known for darker films like Sin City, El Mariachi, Desperado, Machete and From Dusk Till Dawn, was the creative force behind the big-screen family-friendly Spy Kids franchise.

He’s known for pushing the envelope and trying new techniques whether its the graphic novel-like animation/live-action of Sin City or the digital eye candy of Spy Kids. He also did The Adventures of Sharkboy & Lavagirl in 3D back in 2005.

Rodriguez actually started out as a cartoonist and had a comic strip called Los Hooligans for his high school newspaper, the Daily Texan at St. Anthony’s in Austin. He also drew political cartoons and then started making short films.

Rodriguez, as previously reported, will direct 20th Century Fox’s Escape From New York, the remake of John Carpenter’s 1981 film.

Leguizamo to Star in the Six-Part Branch Davidians-Themed Event Series “Waco”

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

John Leguizamo is ready to crash and learn…

The 52-year-old actor/comedian will star opposite Michael Shannon and Taylor Kitsch in Waco, a six-part event series produced by Weinstein Television.

Written by John Erick Dowdle and Drew Dowdle and directed by John Erick Dowdle, Waco tells the story of the 51-day 1993 standoff between the FBI, ATF and David Koresh’s spiritual sect, The Branch Davidians, in Waco, Texas, that resulted in a deadly fire. It explores the true life details leading up to and chronicling the standoff told from several perspectives of those most intimately involved in both sides of the conflict.

Leguizamo will play ATF agent Robert Rodriguez. Rodriguez was sent into Koresh’s Mount Carmel to gather evidence and build a federal case against the Branch Davidians but forged a bond with the people inside.

Set to air on Paramount Network in 2018, production will begin on Waco next month in Santa Fe, NM.

Leguizamo was most recently cast in a co-starring role opposite Allison Miller in ABC’s drama pilot Salamander. He also recently co-starred on the Netflix drama series Bloodline and reprised his roles in the latest installments of the John Wick and Ice Age movie franchises.

“We are thrilled to have John in this part. He brings phenomenal range and authenticity to everything he does,” says Ted Gold, Senior Vice President, Scripted Original Series for Paramount. “The role of Robert Rodriguez is little known, but utterly fascinating as he was the only undercover agent to infiltrate David Koresh’s compound.”

Rodriguez to Direct “Escape From New York” Remake

Posted on March 26, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez is preparing for his big Escape…

The 48-year-old Mexican American filmmaker will direct Escape From New York, the remake of John Carpenter’s iconic 1981 film for 20th Century Fox.

The studio won a bidding battle for rights to the reboot in early 2015, with Andrew Rona and Alex Heineman’s The Picture Company set to produce.

Neil Cross is penning the script.

The original was released by Avco Embassy, and the rights were owned by Studiocanal. Carpenter will be an executive producer and have a big say in the tone of the project. Fox’s Mike Ireland, who brought in the movie, will oversee for the studio. The hope is to reinvent the property with an eye toward launching a Planet Of The Apes-like franchise.

The deal cements the relationship with Rodriguez and Fox; the director just helmed the studio’s Alita: Battle Angel, the film based on Yukito Kishiro’s manga graphic novels that was written by James Cameron and Laeta Kalogridis. Set in a 26th century dystopian future, the film follows the story of an amnesiac cyborg who, after being rescued from a scrap heap by a doctor, becomes a bounty hunter tracking down criminals. Rosa Salazar and Christoph Waltz star in the film, which has a July 20, 2018 release date mapped out.

The cynical original Escape From New York, hatched by Carpenter after the Watergate scandal, was set in a futuristic Gotham circa 1997. Kurt Russell played Snake Plissken, an eyepatch-sporting tough guy who is conscripted to rescue the President of the United States after Air Force One — en route to a summit that could head off World War III — goes missing after it crashes in New York, which has been relegated to a maximum security prison. Plissken, a former special forces operative convicted of trying to rob the Federal Reserve, is given 22 hours to liberate the president and a tape he carries which holds the key to peace. If he fails, he’s wired to explode.

Rodriguez and Carpenter have collaborated before. Rodriguez’s El Rey Network last fall announced the launch of The People’s Network Showcase, a series of specials featuring short films from emerging indie filmmakers. Carpenter hosted the premiere episode, The People’s Network Showcase: Horror Edition.

Rodriguez to Sit Down with Barbra Streisand at the Tribeca Film Festival

Posted on March 21, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Robert Rodriguez is ready to babble on with Babs…

The 48-year-old Mexican American filmmaker will partner with Barbra Streisand for a special talk at this year’s Tribeca Film Festival.

Streisand, an icon in multiple entertainment fields, will converse on her unparalleled career and force field of creativity with filmmaker Rodriguez, the mastermind behind such films as El Mariachi, Desperado and Once Upon a Time in Mexico, as part of the festival’s Tribeca Talks: Storytellers series.

Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, concert performer, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony Award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor.

Rodriguez, a horror/cult movie maestro, will pose questions to Streisand on her storied career.

But he isn’t the only Latino taking part in this year’s Tribeca Talks…

Alejandro González Iñárritu will talk part in the Tribeca Talks: Director Series, a series of will “intimate talks and discussions.”

The Oscar-winning Mexican filmmaker, who directed Birdman and The Revenant, will discuss his own body of work.

The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival runs from April 19-30. Visit the festival’s website for more details.

Here’s more on the two Tribeca Talks:

Tribeca Talks: Directors Series
Today’s most groundbreaking filmmakers discuss their careers and highlights.

Alejandro González Iñárritu
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu, one of only three directors to ever win consecutive Oscars and the first to do so in 65 years, will talk about his beautifully varied work on films such as Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Biutiful, Babel, and most recently, The Revenant. Iñárritu is the first Mexican filmmaker to have been nominated for Best Director and Best Producer in the history of the Academy Awards.
DATE: Saturday, April 22
TIME: 2:30PM

Tribeca Talks: Storytellers
Some of today’s most innovative creators broke from traditional roles and pioneered their own forms of storytelling, often mastering multiple mediums. This series will celebrate the illustrious careers of those individuals who have broken from the mold.

Barbra Streisand with Robert Rodriguez
Widely recognized as an icon in multiple entertainment fields, Barbra Streisand has attained unprecedented achievements as a recording artist, actor, director, producer, concert performer, author and songwriter. Streisand has been awarded two Oscars, five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys plus two special Grammys, a special Tony award in 1970, and two CableACE Awards – the only artist to receive honors in all of those fields of endeavor. She will converse on her unparalleled career and force field of creativity with filmmaker Robert Rodriguez.
DATE: Saturday, April 29
TIME: 6:00PM
LOCATION: BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center

Hispanically Yours

Celebrating the Latino Influence

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