Enrique Murciano to Star in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”

Posted on February 9, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Enrique Murciano is preparing for a monster of a role…

The 50-year-old Cuban American actor has joined the cast of Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second installment of Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan’s true-crime anthology series for Netflix.

The first of two trials, broadcast on Court TV, had the nation in its grip, much like the 1994 trial of O.J. Simpson, and is believed to have played a part in the modern-day fascination with true crime. The prosecution argued that the pair were in fact seeking to inherit their father’s multimillion-dollar estate, and the Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole.

Murciano, best known for his work on Without a Trace, is part of a roster of new cast additions that includes Dallas Roberts, Jason Butler Harner and 10 others.

Murciano is Carlos Baralt, an Americanized Cuban immigrant, professor and lawyer, uncle to the Menendez Brothers and brother-in-law to Jose Menendez, and the executor of the Menendez will.

Other cast members include Michael Gladis, who plays Tim Rutten; Drew Powell as Det. Tom Linehan; Charlie Hall is Craig Cignarelli; Gil Ozeri plays Dr. William Vicary; Jeff Perry portrays Peter Hoffman; Tessa Auberjonois is Dr. Laurel Oziel; Tanner Stine plays Perry Berman; Larry Clarke portrays Brian Andersen; Jade Pettyjohn is Jamie Pisarcik and Marlene Forte portrays Marta Cano.

They join previously announced cast Javier Bardem as Jose Menendez, Chloë Sevigny as Kitty Menendez, Nicholas Alexander Chavez as Lyle Menendez, Cooper Koch as Erik Menendez, Nathan Lane as Dominick Dunne, Ari Graynor as Leslie Abramson, and Leslie Grossman as Judalon Smyth.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story will debut in 2024.

Murphy and Brennan executive produce with Alexis Martin Woodall, Eric Kovtun, David McMillan, Louise Shore and Carl Franklin.

The first installment of the anthology, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, starred Evan Peters as the notorious serial killer. It debuted in September 2022 and became one of Netflix’s most popular English-language series ever, leading to Netflix’s green light of two follow-up installments, Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story being the first.

New Trailer for Apple TV+’s “Palm Royale” Showcases Ricky Martin’s Character

Posted on February 5, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ricky Martin is bracing for a royale experience…

The 52-year-old Puerto Rican singer-songwriter and actor enters high society in the new trailer for the upcoming Apple TV+ series, Palm Royale.

Martin is set to play Robert in the comedy series that stars Kristen Wiig, Alison Janney, Laura Dern, Kaia Gerber, Bruce Dern and Carol Burnett, who will be making “extra special guest” appearances.

Loosely based on the novel Mr. and Mrs. American Pie by Juliet McDaniel, Palm Royale marks Martin’s first television project since Ryan Murphy’s drama The Assassination of Gianni Versace on FX, in which he played Antonio D’Amico.

In the trailer, Martin is seen as a server at an exclusive club serving up martinis.

Later, he’s show swimming in a pool where he asks Wiig’s character, Maxine, who’s assimilating into the wealthy class, “Do you know anything about rich people?”

According to an official description of the television series, Palm Royale follows Maxine as she “attempts to cross that impermeable line between the haves and the have-nots … ‘Palm Royale’ asks the same question that still baffles us today: ‘How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice to get what someone else has?’ Set during the powder keg year of 1969, ‘Palm Royale’ is a testament to every outsider fighting for their chance to truly belong.”

The series is written, executive produced, and showrun by Abe Sylvia for Aunt Sylvia’s Moving Picture Company. The first three episodes of Palm Royale premiere March 20 on Apple TV+, followed by new episodes every Wednesday through May 8.

Javier Bardem to Star in Netflix’s “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”

Posted on January 15, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Javier Bardem has landed a monster(s) role…

The 54-year-old Spanish Oscar-winning actor will star in Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, the second season of the acclaimed Netflix crime anthology Monster from creators Ryan Murphy and Ian Brennan.

Bardem will star alongside Chloë Sevigny, Nicholas Chavez and Cooper Koch in the series.

Bardem abd Sevigny will respectively play Jose and Kitty Menendez, the Beverly Hills couple murdered by sons Lyle (Chavez) and Erik (Koch).

The new season comes on the heels of Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, which starred Evan Peters as the notorious serial killer and quickly became one of Netflix’s most popular English-language series ever when it debuted in September 2022.

It was in 1989 that Lyle and Erik Menendez murdered parents Jose and Kitty in their L.A.-area home. Although not initially looked at as prime suspects, they came under investigation in the months following and eventually confessed to parricide, at the same time claiming that their actions stemmed from years of physical, emotional and sexual abuse at the hands of their father. Their first of two trials, broadcast on Court TV, had the nation in its grip, much like the 1994 trial of O.J. Simpson, and is believed to have played a part in the modern-day fascination with true crime.

The prosecution argued that the pair were in fact seeking to inherit their father’s multimillion-dollar estate, and the Menendez brothers were convicted in 1996 and sentenced to life imprisonment, without the possibility of parole, though the case continues to unfold to this day. Last summer, Erik and Lyle filed documents in hopes of a new hearing, following former Menudo bandmember Roy Rosselló’s claim that he was molested by José Menendez at the age of 14.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story is one of two forthcoming seasons of the Monster anthology announced as of November 2022. The story at the center of the third chapter has not yet been revealed. In addition to the scripted series on the Menendez brothers, Netflix has a feature doc on the duo in the works, brought to life with exclusive access to the subjects.

Most recently portraying King Triton in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, Bardem will next be seen in Dune: Part Two, out March 1 following a strike-imposed delay, and Apple’s Formula 1 racing movie with Brad Pitt.

Selena Gomez Starring as Linda Ronstadt in Biopic Based on the Singer’s “Simple Dreams” Memoir

Posted on January 10, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Selena Gomez is heading to the Blue Bayou…

The 31-year-old Mexican American actress/singer will portray Linda Ronstadt in an upcoming biopic based on the superstar singer’s 2013 memoir Simple Dreams.

Gomez, who stars in and executive produces Hulu’s The Only Murders In The Building, gave credence to the months-old internet rumors about the project by posting a photo of the memoir as an Instagram Story. Rolling Stone later confirmed the casting.

In pre-production, the film is being co-produced by James Keach and Ronstadt’s longtime manager John Boylan.

Additional casting and release date have not been announced.

An unconfirmed report of Gomez’s involvement in the biopic surfaced last July, but the IG Story today moved the possibility into the definite.

Keach directed the 2020 film Linda and the Mockingbirds, a documentary chronicling a road trip undertaken by Ronstadt, Jackson Browne and a group of younger musicians to the Mexican town of Banámichi in the state of Sonora, the birthplace of Ronstadt’s grandfather.

Like Gomez, who has had a successful music and acting career, Ronstadt is of Mexican descent. Ronstadt wrote at length about her heritage in the 2013 memoir. The singer returned to the subject in the 2022 book Feels Like Home: A Song for the Sonoran Borderlands.

Despite her 2012 retirement following a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease – the diagnosis was revised seven years later to progressive supranuclear palsy, a degenerative disease similar to Parkinson’s that has left Ronstadt unable to sing – Ronstadt and her music have returned to the spotlight in recent months. Last year her 1970 recording of “Long Long Time” was featured prominently in an episode of The Last of Us, and trailers for Ryan Murphy’s upcoming FX series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans make heavy use of Ronstadt’s smash 1974 hit “You’re No Good.”

The 2019 documentary Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice, directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, offered an in-depth retrospective of her life and career, featuring on-screen appearances by and interviews with Ronstadt and her many musical friends and colleagues, including Browne, Ry Cooder, Emmylou Harris, Don Henley, Kevin Kline, Dolly Parton, Bonnie Raitt and J.D. Souther.

If even a fraction of the many rockers and celebrities who’ve crossed paths with Ronstadt over the years make it into the biopic as characters, Hollywood will be very busy in coming months with actors vying for plum roles.

Lindsay Mendez Starring in Ryan Murphy’s FX Anthology Series “American Sports Story”

Posted on November 4, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Lindsay Mendez is getting in the game…

The 40-year-old Mexican American Broadway singer/actress has been cast as a series regular alongside Josh Andrés Rivera and Patrick Schwarzenegger in Ryan Murphy’s FX anthology American Sports Story.

American Sports Story, a new extension of Murphy’s “American Story” franchise, is a scripted anthological limited series focusing on a prominent event involving a sports figure and re-examines it through the prism of today’s world, telling that story from multiple perspectives.

The first installment, written by Stu Zicherman, is based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from the Boston Globe and Wondery.

It charts the rise and fall of NFL superstar Aaron Hernandez, played by Rivera, and explores the connections of the disparate strands of his identity, his family, his career, his suicide, and their legacy in sports and American culture. Schwarzenegger portrays Hernandez’s friend, former college teammate and fellow former NFL star Tim Tebow.

Mendez plays Tanya Singleton, Aaron’s cousin and favorite relative who becomes his de-facto mother.

Mendez, a Tony Award winner for Carousel, is currently back on Broadway top-lining the praised revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll along opposite Daniel Radcliffe and Jonathan Groff.

She most recently was a series regular on the Warner Bros. series All Rise for CBS and then OWN.

Josh Andrés Rivera to Star as the Late Aaron Hernandez in FX’s “American Sports Story” Anthology Series

Posted on November 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Josh Andrés Rivera is hitting the football field…

The 28-year-old Puerto Rican actor will star in the first installment of Ryan Murphy’s American Sports Story anthology series for FX.

Rivera will portray the late former NFL star Aaron Hernandez in the season that’s based on the podcast Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc. from the Boston Globe and Wondery.

Rivera’s co-star will be Patrick Schwarzenegger as fellow former NFL star Tim Tebow.

The first installment charts the rise and fall of NFL superstar Hernandez and explores the connections of the disparate strands of his identity, his family, his career, his suicide, and their legacy in sports and American culture.

Tebow and Hernandez were longtime friends going back before their time in the National Football League. They were onetime teammates at the University of Florida, where they won the 2008 SEC Championship and went on to beat Oklahoma for the BCS Championship title. Tebow was known for looking out for Hernandez while on the team, including protecting Hernandez from being kicked off over marijuana use and helping to diffuse a situation in a bar when Hernandez got into an altercation with the bar manager. The two first met when Tebow hosted Hernandez on a recruiting trip to UF before he graduated high school.

Both castings were completed in early 2023, prior to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, but were never confirmed by FX.

“We have a fairly complete set of scripts for American Sports Story by Stu Zicherman,” FX chairman John Landgraf said back on January 12, noting at the time that the series is “heading toward production.”

That was delayed by the WGA strike, which started in May, and the SAG-AFTRA strike, which has been going on since July.

American Sports Story, one of two new offshoots in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise alongside American Love Story, is a scripted anthological limited series focusing on a prominent event involving a sports figure and re-examines it through the prism of today’s world, telling that story from multiple perspectives.

Rivera next stars in The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. He recently played Chino in Steven Spielberg’s adaptation of West Side Story. He notably performed in the original company on the first national tour of Hamilton.

FX Releases First Official Trailer for Michaela Jaé Rodriguez’s “American Horror Story: Delicate”

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is bringing the horror…

The first official trailer has been released for Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story: Delicate, featuring a glimpse of the 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican actress’ character.

The trailer arrives ahead of the show’s Part 1 premiere on September 20 at 10:00 pm via FX.

The season, which comes from showrunner Halley Feiffer, is described as a feminist update of Rosemary’s Baby and based in part on Danielle Valentine’s thriller novel Delicate Condition, which follows a woman who becomes convinced that a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens.

American Horror Story: Delicate stars Emma Roberts, Kim Kardashian, Cara Delevingne, Matt Czuchry, Billie Lourd, Denis O’Hare, Leslie Grossman and Rodriguez.

American Horror Story is an anthology horror drama created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk. The franchise has aired 11 installments and has been renewed through a 13th installment.

American Horror Story is produced by 20th Television.

FX to Premiere “AHS: Delicate,” Starring Michaela Jaé Rodriguez, in September

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez is bringing the horror next month…

FX will premiere the next chapter of American Horror Story, starring the 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress, on Wednesday, September 2o.

The 12th season of Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s horror anthology series is titled AHS: Delicate,

The upcoming season will premiere in two parts, but it’s not clear how the episodes will be split. Season 11 aired two episodes back-to-back.

Kim Kardashian stars in Season 12, alongside Cara Delevingne and Emma Roberts.

The season, which hails from showrunner Halley Feiffer, is described as a feminist update of Rosemary’s Baby and based in part on Danielle Valentine’s thriller novel Delicate Condition, which follows a woman who becomes convinced that a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens.

In addition to Rodriguez, Kardashian, Delevingne and Roberts, Season 12 also stars Zachary Quinto, Matt Czuchry, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, Odessa A’zion, Debra Monk and Julie Monk.

Don’t worry. We’ll hold you. FX’s American Horror Story: Delicate Part One premieres 9.20 on FX. Stream on Hulu. #AHSDelicate #AHSFX pic.twitter.com/vOfKbcgqpC

— AmericanHorrorStory (@AHSFX) August 15, 2023

Nicholas Chavez to Star in Ryan Murphy’s Anthology Series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story”

Posted on July 3, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Nicholas Chavez has landed a monster role…

The 23-year-old Latino actor and Daytime Emmy Award winner will star in Ryan Murphy’s Monster anthology series Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.

Chavez, who stars on General Hospital, and Cooper Koch will portray Lyle and Erik Menendez respectively.

Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story follows a successful Season 1 for the new franchise, which focused on serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, played by Evan Peters.

Season 2 will tell the story of the real-life brothers who were convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, José and Mary Louise “Kitty” Menéndez. Although the siblings eventually confessed to parricide, they have long sustained that the reason for their actions was due to physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

The case continues to unfold in real-time following a new development revealed in May. Erik and Lyle Menendez filed documents asking for a new hearing in response to former Menudo bandmember Roy Rosselló’s claims he was molested by José Menendez at the age of 14.

It is as yet unknown how much of the Menendez brothers’ lives will be covered in Season 2, but Netflix also has a forthcoming documentary feature on the pair with access to the duo.

Both Koch and Chavez are relative newcomers to the industry who will no doubt receive a boost from leading a Ryan Murphy series. Koch previously appeared in Season 1 of the hit Starz drama Power Book II: Ghost as the character Chase. Most recently, he has appeared in the horror films Swallowed and They/Them.

Chavez currently portrays Spencer Cassadine on ABC’s General Hospital. He also appeared in the Tubi Original, Crushed.

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez to Star in 12th Season of Ryan Murphy’s “American Horror Story”

Posted on April 28, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Michaela Jaé Rodriguez has a new story in the works…

The 32-year-old half-Puerto Rican Golden Globe-winning actress will reunite with Pose co-creator Ryan Murphy on the 12th season of FX’s American Horror Story.

Rodriguez joins already cast Kim Kardashian, Emma Roberts and Cara Delevingne in what’s being dubbed thematically as ‘delicate.’

The latest season of Murphy and Brad Falchuk’s American Horror Story is based on the Danielle Valentine thriller novel, Delicate Condition, due out in August.

Season 12 is being adapted and showrun by Halley Feiffer.

It’s the first time that the anthology series drew inspiration from a novel.

The season reportedly follows a woman who becomes convinced that a sinister figure is going to great lengths to make sure her pregnancy never happens. Season 12 is also being billed as a feminist update of Rosemary’s Baby. Rodriguez’s role is being kept under wraps.

Rodriguez played Blanca Rodriguez-Evangelista on Murphy’s award-winning series Pose, and became the first trans actress to be Emmy nominated in a lead acting category, and the very first trans individual to win a Golden Globe (in Best Actress TV Drama). Rodriguez was also nominated in the Lead Actress category at the Primetime Emmys for Pose in 2021

Rodriguez is currently filming the second season of Apple’s Loot, and will next appear in Paramount’s Transformers: Rise of the Beasts voicing the character of “Nightbird”, that film is due out on June 9. She is also set to produce and star in the upcoming indie drama Mudfire, being produced by Randy Jackson.

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