Carlos Santos to Star Opposite Eugenio Derbez in English-Remake of “The Valet”

Posted on May 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Carlos Santos is preparing for Valet service…

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican actor and comedian will star in Lionsgate’s The Valet, the English-language remake of Francis Veber’s French film.

Santos joins a roster of new cast additions that includes Noemi Gonzalez (Selena: The Series, East Los High), Tiana Okoye (Awkwafina Is Nora From Queens, The Good Place), Diany Rodriguez (Law & Order: Organized Crime, New Amsterdam), Armando Hernandez (El César series on Prime Video, Disney+ series El Repatriado.

They join stars Eugenio Derbez and Samara Weaving in the film, which is being directed by Richard Wong.

The film, written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher, follows Olivia (Weaving), a movie star who enlists Antonio (Derbez) – a parking valet – to pose as her lover to cover for a relationship with a married man. As a valet, the hard-working Antonio usually flies under the radar but his ruse with Olivia thrusts him into the spotlight and brings him to see himself more clearly than ever before.

Santos and Hernandez will play the valets who work with Antonio at a tony Beverly Hills restaurant.

Gonzalez will play Clara, Antonio’s sister and the wife of Benny, Antonio’s boss.

Okoye is Amanda, Olivia’s dedicated but jaded assistant.

Rodriguez will play Natalie, who works at Antonio’s neighborhood bike shop.

Derbez and Ben Odell are producing through their 3Pas Studios banner, while Meredith Wieck and Aaron Edmonds are overseeing the project for Lionsgate.

Netflix Releases Teaser for Part Two of Christian Serratos’ “Selena: The Series”

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

May the fourth be with Christian Serratos…

Netflix has revealed a new date for part two of Selena: The Series, starring the 30-year-old half-Mexican American actress as the late Tejano music icon. It will now be released on May 4.

Along with the new date for the final part of the two-part series, Netflix also released a teaser featuring Selena in her signature sparkly criss-cross purple pantsuit singing “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” at the Houston Astrodome in Texas, where she performed her last televised concert.

Part 1 of the series, which “explores Selena Quintanilla‘s journey from singing small gigs to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time,” made its Netflix debut on December 4, starring Serratos as singer.

“[Selena] created a path for herself when it was arguably difficult for Latinas,” Serratos previously told Billboard. “Being a woman in the industry is super tricky, but she managed to be incredibly powerful, strong, and resilient and [to] be a pioneer while being incredibly gracious, and I always thought that was so beautiful.”

Other cast members include Ricardo Chavira, who co-stars as Selena’s father, Abraham; Gabriel Chavarria as her brother A.B.; Noemi Gonzalez as her sister Suzette; Seidy Lopez as her mother, Marcella; and Madison Taylor Baez as young Selena.

https://twitter.com/contodonetflix/status/1379082648690171910

The two-part series was released 23 years after the Gregory Nava-directed and Oscar-nominated film Selena starring Jennifer Lopez made its debut on the big screen.

Netflix Releasing Part 2 of Christian Serratos’ “Selena: The Series” in May

Posted on January 17, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Serratos is returning to the stage in May…

The 30-year-old half-Mexican American actress will continue to portray the legendary Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla in Netflix’s Selena: The Series on May 14.

“When Selena Quintanilla burst onto the Tejano music scene in the ‘80s, her dream was to make music that celebrated both her Latin roots and her Mexican-American upbringing. She ultimately brought these two worlds together, leaving behind a timeless legacy that still resonates with generations of fans around the world,” said Francisco Ramos, VP of Latin American Originals. “We had the same hopes when we released Selena: The Series in December on Netflix. We wanted to pay tribute to the young girl with big dreams and an even bigger voice, and honor her incredible rise from performing local gigs with her family to gracing some of the world’s biggest stages.”

Along with the date for part 2, the streaming platform tweeted that in its first four weeks, “25 million households sang ‘Como La Flor‘ along with Selena: The Series – and half of those fans came from the U.S.”

The show also reached Netflix’s Top 10 list in 23 countries including the U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, and Peru. Half of the fans came from the U.S., where it spent its first week in the #1 spot on the Top 10 list.

Part 1 of the series, which “explores Selena’s journey from singing small gigs to becoming the most successful female Latin artist of all time,” made its Netflix debut on December 4 starring Christian Serratos as the late Mexican-American singer.

“[Selena] created a path for herself when it was arguably difficult for Latinas,” Serratos previously told Billboard. “Being a woman in the industry is super tricky, but she managed to be incredibly powerful, strong, and resilient and [to] be a pioneer while being incredibly gracious, and I always thought that was so beautiful.”

Other cast members include Ricardo Chavira, who co-stars as Selena’s father Abraham; Gabriel Chavarria as her brother A.B.; Noemi Gonzalez as her sister Suzette; Seidy Lopez as her mother Marcella; and Madison Taylor Baez as young Selena.

The two-part series was released 23 years after the Gregory Nava-directed and Oscar-nominated film Selena starring Jennifer Lopez made its debut on the big screen.

Selena: The Series is produced by Campanario Entertainment and executive produced by Jaime Dávila, Rico Martinez, Suzette Quintanilla, Simran A. Singh, Hiromi Kamata, and Moises Zamora.

Selena Returns to Top 10 on Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums Chart with “Selena: The Series” Soundtrack

Posted on December 19, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Selena is back on the charts…

The late Mexican American singer, known as la Reina de la Musica Tejana, returns to Billboard’s Latin Pop Albums chart dated December 19 with her latest soundtrack Selena: The Series, Music From The Netflix’s Original Series.

It’s Selena’s first entry and Top 10 since 2016 following the former No. 1 greatest hits compilation Lo Mejor De… (April 2016).

As Selena: The Series Soundtrack debuts at No. 8, Selena captures her sixth top 10, dating back to the 44-week ruler Dreaming of You (it debuted at No. 1 in August 1995).

Selena: The Series Soundtrack opens with 1,000 equivalent album units earned in the week ending Dec. 10, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, most of which stem from streaming activity. The first nine episodes of Selena: The Series premiered on Netflix on December 4.

The Latin Pop Albums chart ranks the most popular Latin pop albums of the week in the U.S. based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. Units comprise album sales, track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

Selena:The Series soundtrack, which was released December 4 via Netflix/Capitol Latin/UMLE, net 1,000 SEA which equates to 1.2 million on-demand U.S. streams for the album’s songs in its opening week.

With The Series arriving in the current chart week, Selena also generates popularity with other efforts. Her last live set, Live, The Last Concert: Houston, Texas 1995, an April 2001 one-week chart ruler, re-enters at No. 7 after previously hitting No. 10 last holiday season.

Concurrently, Selena’s all-time favorite Ones (2002), moves closer to Shakira’s El Dorado’s 63-week No. 1 record holder, holding strong atop the list in its 61st week.

Elsewhere, The Series’s 20-track set sees six of its songs debut or re-enter the Latin Digital Song Sales chart. Let’s take a look:

Rank, Title

No. 4, “Como La Flor”
No. 8, “Baila Esta Cumbia”
No. 10, “Que Creías” (debut)
No. 19, “Besitos” (debut)
No. 21, “La Carcacha”
No. 24, “Dame Un Beso” (debut)

Christian Serratos Signs with Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

Posted on December 7, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Serratos has new representation…

The 30-year-old half-Mexican American actress, who stars in as La Reina de la Musica Tejana on Netflix’s Selena: The Series, has signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA).

Selena: The Series is the highly anticipated show that follows the life of the late Selena Quintanilla, who was known as the Queen of Tejano Music. Created by Moises Zamora, the series is not only a coming-of-age story but also a family drama. The series takes us on Selena’s journey as she pursues her dreams. Along the way, we experience the heart-wrenching and life-changing choices she and her family have to make as they navigate success, family, and music. The series also features Gabriel Chavarria, Ricardo Chavira, Noemí Gonzalez and Seidy López.

Serratos also serves as producer of the Netflix series, which debuted on Friday.

In addition to Selena, Serratos stars as Rosita Espinosa on AMC’s hit sci-fi/supernatural drama series The Walking Dead and previously starred as the non-vampire Angela in the multi-billion dollar Twilight franchise.

Serratos continues to be represented by Emily Gerson Saines at Brookside Artist Management, Narrative PR, and Rick Genow at Goodman, Genow, Schenkman, Smelkinson & Christopher.

Netflix Releases Full-Length Trailer for “Selena: The Series,” Starring Christian Serratos

Posted on October 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Netflix is giving Selena fans a closer look at Christian Serratos as the late Tejano queen…

The streamer has released a new full-length trailer for the upcoming Selena: The Series, starring the 30-year-old Mexican American actress.

The clip illustrates the scope of the two-part drama, depicting a very young – and already strong-voiced – Selena Quintanilla catching fireflies while singing to herself “I’m Leaving It (All) Up To You,” the golden oldie that Donny and Marie Osmond resurrected for a hit single in 1974.

From there, The trailer shows scenes from Selena’s teenage years, her early career, life on the road, some backstage drama and finally her adoration by lighter-holding audiences.

Here’s how Netflix describes the two-part series: “A coming-of-age story following Selena as she chases her dreams, and the heart-wrenching and life-changing sacrifices she and her family make as they navigate the highs and lows of success, loss, love, and music.”

Starring Serratos, Gabriel Chavarria, Ricardo Chavira, Noemí Gonzalez, and Seidy López, Selena is exec produced by Jaime Dávila, Rico Martinez, Hiromi Kamata, Suzette Quintanilla, Simran A. Singh and Moises Zamora, and was created by Zamora, with Don Todd consulting.

Part one of Selena: The Series premieres December 4 on Netflix.

Netflix Releases to Premiere Christian Serratos’ “Selena: The Series” in December

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Serratos will be doin’ the washing machine this December…

Netflix has announced plans to release the 30-year-old Mexican American actress’ Selena: The Series, the biographical drama about Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla, on December 4.

The premiere date announcement was made via Netflix’s Latinx social media arm Con Todo.

In a tweet with the message “Every Legend Begins With a Dream,” the premiere date was announced and a teaser trailer and poster art released.

Serratos stars as Selena, Ricardo Chavira as Abraham Quintanilla, Gabriel Chavarria as Selena’s brother AB, with Julio Macias, Jesse Posey, Hunter Reese Peña, and Carlos Alfredo, Jr. set as series regulars, and Juan Martinez, Daniela Estrada and Paul Rodriguez, Jr. to recur.

Selena: The Series is a coming-of-age story following Selena (Serratos) as her dreams come true and all the heart-wrenching and life-changing choices she and her family have to make as they navigate success, family, and music.

Also in the cast: Noemi Gonzalez, Seidy Lopez and Madison Taylor Baez.

Moisés Zamora is the writer/executive producer. Jaime Dávila, Rico Martinez, Suzette Quintanilla and Simran A. Singh executive produce; Campanario Entertainment is the production company. Hiromi Kamata directs part 1, which consists of six one-hour episodes.

Jaime Davila Named to National Hispanic Media Coalition’s Board of Directors

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jaime Davila is coming on Board…

The Latino president and co-founder of Campanario Entertainment and executive producer of Netflix’s highly anticipated Selena: The Series has been appointed to the National Hispanic Media Coalition’s (NHMC) National Board of Directors.

Davila has been an advocate for mainstream Latino representation in the entertainment industry and an active member of the NHMC.

Most recently, he served on NHMC’s 2020 Impact Awards Gala Dinner committee to plan and sponsor the event honoring the Latinx community’s media involvement throughout 2019.

Along with his work on the committee, Davila has also hired NHMC Series Scriptwriters Program alums to projects produced by Campanario Entertainment.

As a member of the Board, Davila will continue his efforts to bring an impactful presence of Latino stories and representation to film, television and beyond.

“Jaime has been a great ally to our organization, and we are elated to have him join as a Board member,” said Brenda Victoria Castillo, the president and CEO of the NHMC. “His knowledge of the industry and determination to amplify Latino voices and authentically tell our stories, will be key as we continue to diversify the entertainment industry.”

“It’s an honor to officially become a part of the NHMC’s board and work with my fellow board members to further strengthen the presence of the Latino community across all media,” said Davila. “Campanario was founded and exists because the entertainment industry, and Hollywood specifically, needs to see that Latino stories matter and are important. It’s been my mission to authentically bring our stories to mainstream audiences. The opportunity to continue to learn from esteemed members of the NHMC that have been at the forefront of this initiative for almost three decades is invigorating.”

Since founding Campanario Entertainment, Davila has created a slate of multilingual content in the US and Mexico, including Netflix’s series about Mexican American star and music icon Selena Quintanilla.

His credits also include Bravo’s Mexican Dynasty, the documentary Colossus as well as the dramedy Como Sobrevivir Soltero, one of the first Amazon Original series to launch for Amazon Prime Video Mexico.

Davila’s career began at ICM and ITV Studios. He then worked at Bravo Network as a development executive under Andy Cohen where he adapted international formats and developed original series, including Best New Restaurant, The People’s Couch and the docuseries The Extreme Guide to Parenting, which was created by Davila. He also worked on the team that developed Vanderpump Rules, Below Deck and Shahs of Sunset.

HBO Max Developing Claudia Forestieri’s “The Gordita Chronicles”

Posted on February 20, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Claudia Forestieri is getting personal on her next project…

HBO Max has put in development The Gordita Chronicles, a coming-of-age kids and family comedy from the half-Dominican writer, Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television, where Osprey is under a deal.

Written by Forestieri, The Gordita Chronicles, loosely inspired by Forestieri’s life, centers around a Latina reporter looking back on her childhood as a chubby, willful and reluctant Dominican immigrant growing up with her eccentric family in 1980s Miami.

Berman and Chris Kingexecutive produce for Osprey Productions. Zoe Saldana, Mariel Saldanaand Cisely Saldanaexecutive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is co-executive producer. Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

Forestieri was a producer for Telemundo’s L.A. affiliate where she earned five local Emmys and a GLAAD Media award for her work covering the Latino community. She is an alumnus of HBO’s Access Writing Fellowship, NALIP’s Latino Writers Lab and NBC’s Writers on the Vergeprogram. Forestieri is a writer on the upcoming Selena: The Seriesfor Netflix and previously wrote on Freeform’s Good Trouble.

Saldana is next set to star and executive produce From Scratch, a limited series from Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshinefor Netflix.

Fuse Acquires Rights to Immigration Documentary “Colossus” About Jamil Sunsin & His Family

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Jamil Sunsin’s oh-so-timely immigrant story is heading to the small screen…

Fuse has acquired the broadcast and streaming rights to Campanario Entertainment’s immigration documentary Colossus, about the Honduran American teenager and his family.

At a time when children are being put in cages, families are being separated at the border and the president of the United States is degrading immigrants, Colossus is more relevant now than ever.

The documentary, which made its premiere at DOC NYCin 2018, puts America’s treatment of immigrants and separation of families into perspective by following 15-year-old Jamil Sunsin and his struggle after his undocumented parents and older sister are deported to Honduras and they are separated. As the only U.S. citizen in his family, Sunsin finds himself alone in the country. After a visit to see his family, he navigates the personal turmoil caused by immigration policies affecting his parents and sister, the political realities in Honduras, and must decide whether to continue his education in America or return to Honduras to be with his family.

“From the moment that we met Jamil Sunsin, we knew we had to tell his story and that of his sister Mirka who was raised in the U.S. believing she was an American citizen,” said Jaime Dávila, the film’s executive producer and president of Campanario Entertainment. “Family separation and the root causes of the refugee crisis are major issues in our country today, and with Fuse bringing the Sunsin family’s experience to a wider audience we have an opportunity to advance this conversation as a community.”

The documentary, directed by Jonathan Schienberg, is set to make its broadcast premiere on February 26 as part of Fuse’s Peabody and Emmy award-winning Fuse Docs franchise.

Co-founded by Dávila, a former development executive at Bravo, and Jaime Dávila Sr., former TelevisaCOO and Univision President and Chairman, Campanario Entertainment develops and produces broad appeal scripted and unscripted content driven by Latinos and Latinas in front of and behind the camera. They are the company behind the forthcoming Selena: The Series and the Amazon Prime Original, Como Sobrevivir Soltero. They also produced the Bravo reality series Mexican Dynasties.

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