Disney Channel has ordered Descendants: The Royal Wedding, an animated special starring the 27-year-old Colombian American actress/singer as Evie, the daughter of the Evil Queen.
In addition to Carson, the Descendants special, set to premiere this summer, will feature a number of stars including Dove Cameron and Booboo Stewart.
The special will also pay memory to late cast member Cameron Boyce. The actor, who appeared as Carlos, died in July 2019 of epilepsy. He was 20. The absence of Boyce’s character will also be acknowledged.
Descendants: The Royal Wedding will follow Auradon’s epic social event, the marriage between Cameron’s Mal and Mitchell Hope’s Ben. Also reprising their roles for the special are Sarah Jeffery, Melanie Paxson, China Anne McClain, Jedidiah Goodacre, Anna Cathcart, Dan Payne, Bobby Moynihan and Cheyenne Jackson.
“Descendants introduced a fantasy world of stories and characters anchored in Disney mythology. For the past six years, it captivated young viewers and grew to become among Disney Channel’s biggest entertainment franchises ever. It had the benefit of immensely talented stars, who we now welcome back for this animated ‘Royal Wedding’ special that will bridge the audience to what we hope will be a new chapter of compelling ‘Descendants’ stories and characters yet to come,” said Gary Marsh, president and chief creative officer, Disney Branded Television.
Descendants: The Royal Wedding, by Sara Parriott & Josann McGibbon and Ricky Roxburgh, is based on the Descendants movies by Parriott and McGibbon. The special is produced by Le Cube with Salvador Simó is set to direct.
Sofia Carson’s latest project will be right at your fingertips soon…
The 27-year-old Colombian American actress/singer’s Songbird, which was acquired by STX earlier this year, will be skipping theaters in exchange for a premium VOD release starting on Friday, December 11.
STX picked up the KJ Apa-Carson pandemic thriller produced by Invisible Narratives back in August. The movie was one of the first to shoot in Los Angeles during the pandemic under COVID-19 safety guidelines.
The film now will be available for $19.99 for a 48-hour rental on all transactional platforms. Following Songbird‘s nesting on PVOD, it will premiere on a major streaming service in 2021.
From producer Michael Bay and director Adam Mason, Songbird follows Riverdale‘s Apa as Nico, a bicycle messenger in a post-apocalyptic near future where COVID-19 has mutated to COVID-23. He’s smitten with his girlfriend Sara (Carson), who he hasn’t been able to see during the pandemic. Complicating life greatly is that the government is snatching up people who have the virus and tossing them into camps. Demi Moore, Craig Robinson, Bradley Whitford, Peter Stormare, Alexandra Daddario and Paul Walter Hauser also star.
Mason co-wrote the script with Simon Boyes.
“The pandemic has affected every aspect of our business, from production to release, but Songbird demonstrates that a nimble studio like STX can find effective and profitable ways to make their movies work,” says STXfilms Motion Picture Group chairman Adam Fogelson. “The show must go on. Songbird is a thrilling movie that will speak to audiences in this moment as it keeps them on the edge of their seats.”
It’ll be an extra special Thanksgiving for Ally Brooke…
27-year-old Mexican American singer and former Fifth Harmony member will be performing as part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which may look different this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Unlike other years, the decorated floats and helium-filled balloons will not be marching down the usual two-and-a-half-mile route starting at West 77th Street. The parade has shorted its route and will only be held (without an audience) in front of Macy’s famed flagship store on 34th Street for the national television special.
Ally Brooke joins a roster of performers that includes Lauren Alaina, Jimmie Allen and Noah Cyrus, Sofia Carson, CNCO, Jimmy Fallon and The Roots, Karol G, Tori Kelly, Patti LaBelle, Ella Mai, Leslie Odom Jr., Keke Palmer, Dolly Parton, Pentatonix, Bebe Rexha, Jordin Sparks, Sebastián Yatra, Brett Young and more.
The casts of Hamilton, Mean Girls, Jagged Little Pill, and Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of the Temptations, all of which have not taken the live stage since March, are set to perform at the parade.
While the Broadway performances will be filmed ahead of time, they will air during the broadcast at 9:00 a.m. ET on NBC.
The 27-year-old Colombian American actress & singer will star opposite Charles Melton in director Elizabeth Allen Rosenbaum’s YA romance Purple Heartsabout two star-crossed lovers.
Adapted from Tess Wakefield’s novel by Tony Award-nominee Kyle Jarrow and Liz Garcia, Rosenbaum will direct the story of aspiring singer-songwriter Cassie and military man Luke, who in spite of their apparent differences, fall hopelessly in love.
“Purple Hearts provides hope that two people with such differing world views, stuck in the same place, forced to fight the same fight, might be able to learn a little about each other’s beliefs, get over their own bullshit, start to understand each other and just maybe fall in love. It’s a very timely, emotional story – truly a romance for the ages,” says Rosenbaum.
Carson will also write and perform the film’s original soundtrack.
The film is produced by YA-book-to-screen specialists Alloy Entertainment, known for content including Everything, Everything, Gossip Girl, Pretty Little Liarsand The Vampire Diaries.
Principal photography is due to start in May 2021 in Austin, Texas.
Best known for her role as Evie in Disney’s Descendantsfranchise and Freeform series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists, Carson recently made her feature debut in Netflix movie Feel The Beat. Next up she will star alongside KJ Apa in pandemic thriller Songbird, produced by Michael Bay.
It’s a (song)bird’s eye view of Sofia Carson’s latest project…
STX and Invisible Narratives have released the trailer for their upcoming pandemic thriller Songbird, starring the 27-year-old Colombian America actress/singer.
“Sometimes we have to do things we don’t want, to survive,” says Demi Moore’s enigmatic baddie in trailer for the film.
Riverdale‘s KJ Apa stars as Nico, a bicycle messenger in a near post apocalyptic future where COVID-19 has mutated to COVID-23. He’s smitten with his girlfriend Sara (Carson), and it looks like these two haven’t been able to see each other for a while. Complicating life greatly is the fact that the government is snatching up people who have the virus and tossing them into camps. Take a look.
There’s an all-star cast here with Moore, Bradley Whitford, Alexandra Daddario, Paul Walter Hauser, Craig Robinson and more in this feature directed and co-written by Adam Mason, with Simon Boyes co-writing.
STX captured Songbird‘s UK and North American rights at the end of August. No release date has been announced yet.
The film was one of the first features to be shot this past summer in Los Angeles during quarantine, paving the way for production safety protocols.
The 27-year-old Colombian American actress/singer will star opposite KJ Apa as star-crossed lovers in the pandemic thriller Songbird, which began filming last week in Los Angeles.
Told from street level through the eyes of the characters, Songbirdtakes place two years into the future, as a lockdown has been re-implemented after a more serious virus continues to mutate. In a feeble attempt to keep the sickness contained, the city has been split into haves and have nots.
Songbird follows an essential worker (Apa) who has a rare immunity, a delivery man who delivers goods and hope throughout the city. Like the vast majority of the population, his girlfriend (Carson) is locked within her home, and the couple have no ability to physically be together.
To be with the one he loves, he must overcome martial law, murderous vigilantes and a powerful, well connected family, helmed by a matriarch (Demi Moore) who will stop at nothing to protect her family and maintain her way of life.
Carson and Apa join the previously announced cast of Moore, Bradley Whitford, Craig Robinson, Jenna Ortega, Paul Walter Hauser, and Peter Stormare.
Adam Mason is directing off a screenplay he co-wrote with Simon Boyes. The film hails from Adam Goodman and Michael Bay.
Carson has more than 18 million followers on social media, over 1.5 billion streams of her music and over 2M subscribers to her YouTube channel.
She currently stars in the Netflix feature film Feel the Beat. She previously starred as “Evie” in Disney’s Descendantsfranchjse and appeared on the Freeform series Pretty Little Liars: The Perfectionists.
Carson is signed to Hollywood Records/Republic Records and recently released her latest single “Miss U More Than U Know”, which has clocked more than 4.5 million streams to date. Carson is a Global Ambassador for Revlon, and recently unveiled the Revlon x Sofia Carson Collection, an exclusive collection of her favorite Revlon lip products and nail polish.
The 41-year-old Puerto Rican and Cuban American actress and activist will co-host Rock the Vote’s Democracy Summer campaign kick-off on Thursday, June 18, a two-hour virtual concert co-headlined by Katy Perry and Black Eyed Peas.
Co-hosted by Dawson and Logan Browning with Chuck D and Eve, the event will stream live beginning at 8:00 pm ET/5:00 pm PT on democracysummer.org, and Democracy Summer’s Facebook and YouTube pages.
Ne-Yo, Big Freedia, Lucy Hale, Amara La Negra, Saweetie, Sklyar Astin, Max, Leslie Grace, Dove Cameron, Sofia Carson, Rich Brian and Michael K. Williams are among those slated to appear remotely.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julian Castro will make appearances.
“I’m excited to be a part of this kickoff to Democracy Summer 2020 with so many amazing talents, activists and speakers,” says Perry. “The young people of America are speaking loud and clear on the streets and online, and come November, it will be more important than ever to fight for justice and equality, and against systemic racism, with our ballots.”
“The young people are engaged. Their voices are loud and getting louder. The world is watching. And we need to vote,” agrees Chuck D, an early and consistent supporter of Rock the Vote, which was founded in 1990 by Virgin Records America co-chairman Jeff Ayeroff primarily to increase voter turnout among young adults.
“We are seeing the urgency for change in America happening in real time. This is the moment for us to use the most important tool on the planet to fight for that change…our right to vote,” says Ne-Yo. “Our democracy needs our voices. Voting is the moment to be the voice for injustice and for equality. But most importantly, to be the voice for humanity. We cannot let each other down in the local elections or on Nov. 3.”
Produced by BWG Live and in partnership with Voto Latino Foundation, When We All Vote and March For Our Lives, the concert marks not only the first live-streamed event for the Rock the Vote, but also its first large-scale summer activation.
In previous years the organization amped up in the fall before a Presidential election and typically staged a live event. Both pivots are a direct result of Covid-19.
“One of the realities is coronavirus derailed the momentum that is required in a major election cycle,” Rock the Vote president Carolyn DeWitt tells Billboard. “A few months ago we began seeing how the restrictions were affecting young people in particular, by moving them off college campuses and disrupting graduations and proms,” she says. “Our effort is really about building that momentum back up.”
With some 4 million young people turning 18 this year and innumerable issues at stake, the goal of Democracy Summer is to bring 200,000 new voters to the polls in November when Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden challenges Donald Trump, as well as myriad primary and local elections throughout the summer and fall. Those interested in the event are encouraged to register at the Democracy Summer web site to get the latest details and lineup updates, although preregistration isn’t required to tune in. Viewers can go to Rock the Vote’s website to register to vote.
The murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and the swell of support around the Black Lives Matter movement also has catalyzed Thursday’s event. As protesters around the country have taken to the streets, Rock the Vote registered 107,000 new voters through its platforms and gained more than 25,000 new Instagram followers during the week of June 1, DeWitt says—numbers that dwarf those of a typical week.
“With what we’ve seen over the last couple weeks, the effort around Democracy Summer has become even more important. It’s not just the virus, it’s bigger than the economy standing still. The world feels like it’s on the brink of chaos and yet this moment around Black Lives Matter is bigger than that,” DeWitt says. “Frankly speaking, a big part of that is people are exercising their rights in a democracy. Young people are looking for things they can do and actions they can take in order to create change. We want to make sure we’re continuing to sustain that fire and passion into November, and make sure young people know the power of their votes and create the change they want to see.”
The live stream will include opportunities for viewers to donate to black-led and -focused organizations including the Community Justice Action Fund and National Action Network.
“Now, more than ever, voting is key for long-term change,” Black Eyed Peas said in a statement. “The youth vote is going to decide the future of America. It’s not just our duty but our honor to spread the word in an election year.”
“The diversity of America is what makes it great, and it is also what makes it our country,” says La Negra. “I am Dominican proudly, yet I am a black woman always. I matter. You matter. And together, we will always matter!”
“The need for young people to get out and vote has never been more important,” says Participant CEO David Linde. “We are proud to be working with Rock the Vote in making that need a reality and by using the inspiring, powerful message of Rep. John Lewis to make good trouble.”
Rock the Vote is planning additional Democracy Summer activations throughout the summer including on the Fourth of July and on August 6, the anniversary of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
Lauren Jaureguiwill be hitting the red carpet in a big way at the American Music Awards…
The 23-year-old Cuban American singer and former Fifth Harmony member will co-host the 2019 AMAs Red Carpet Live.
Jauregui will host the official pre-show for this year’s AMAs alongside Sofia Carson, Nick Viall, AJ Gibson, Raja Kumari and Jaymes Vaughan.
It’s the first hosting gig for Jauregui.
The pre-show will stream live for two hours before the awards show exclusively on Twitter so fans can watch and engage in real-time conversation.
The red carpet pre-show will include interviews with nominees, performers and presenters, beginning at 6:00 pm ET and ending at 8:00 pm ET when the AMAs is set to officially start. The 2019 AMAs will broadcast live from the Microsoft Theaterin Los Angeles on Sunday, November 24 at 8:00 pm ET on ABC.
Miguel is preparing for Latin music’s biggest night…
The 34-year-old Mexican American R&B singer, songwriter, who released the Spanish EP Te Lo Dije earlier this year, is set to perform at this year’s Latin Grammys, according to The Latin Recording Academy.
Miguel is part ofthe final wave of performers and presenters joining the star-studded 2019 Latin Grammys lineup.
In addition to Miguel, who performed “Remember Me” with Natalia Lafourcade on the soundtrack to Disney’s Dia de los Muertos-themed animated film Coco, new additions to the performers roster include Alicia Keys, Farruko, Ozuna, Residente, Beto Cuevas, Calibre 50, Leonel García, Fito Páez, Milly Quezada, Tony Succar, Carlos Rivera, and Prince Royce.
Plus, Ángela Aguilar, Eduardo “Visitante” Cabra,Sofia Carson, Emilio Estefan, Mon Laferte, William Levy, Rudy Mancuso,,Luis Gerardo Méndez, Michael Peña, and Dayanara Torres join as presenters.
Nominees Camilo, De La Ghetto, Paula Fernandes, Kany García, Christian Nodal and Tommy Torres were previously announced as presenters.
Coined as “the biggest night in Latin Music,” the awards show will kick off with a never-before-seen tribute honoring the 20th Anniversary of the Latin Grammys. A group of 20 artists, who’ll perform together for the first time, will interpret multiple iconic songs spanning various genres of Latin music while commemorating the past 20 years of excellence.
The final roster of performers join already confirmed artists Aitana, Anitta, Pedro Capó, Julio Reyes Copello, Darell, Dimelo Flow, Fonseca, Luis Fonsi, Greeicy, Intocable, Nella, Reik, Rosalía, and Alejandro Sanz, who’s this year’s top nominee.
The awards show will also include performances by Pepe Aguilar and Los Angeles Azules, Paula Arenas, Bad Bunny, Alessia Cara, Draco Rosa, Ximena Sariñana, Sech, Sebastián Yatra, Natalia Jiménez, Olga Tañón and Juanes, who as the 2019 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year will perform a medley of his biggest hits.
Vicente, Alejandro, and Alex Fernandezwill also take the stage, becoming the first time all three generations of the Fernandez family will perform at the show. They’ll be joined by Mariachi Sol de Mexico.
The 20th annual Latin Grammys, which will be co-hosted by Ricky Martin and actresses Roselyn Sánchez and Paz Vega, will air live Nov. 14 from the MGM Grand Garden Arenain Las Vegas via Univision.
The 26-year-old Colombian American actress and singer and Descendants star is set to star in Feel the Beat, a Netflix dance film being directed by Elissa Down.
The plot follows April (Carson), who, after failing to find success on Broadway, returns to her small hometown and reluctantly is recruited to train a misfit group of young dancers for a big competition.
In addition to Carson, the ensemble family film will also star Wolfgang Novogratz, Donna Lynne Champlin, Enrico Colantoni, Lidya Jewett, Eva Hauge, Johanna Colón, Sadie Lapidus, Shiloh Nelson, Shaylee Mansfield, Justin Allan, Kai Zen, Carina Battrick, Brandon Kyle Goodman, Ken Pak, Dennis Andresand Amy Stewart.
Emmy-winning choreographer and former So You Think You Can Dance judge Mia Michaels is choreographing the film, which was written by Michael Armbruster and Shawn Ku.
Filming is underway in Toronto.
Carson soon will be seen reprising her role as Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen from Snow White, in Descendants 3, which will premiere in August.
Her other credits include appearances on Freeform’s Pretty Little Liars spinoff PLL: The Perfectionists, Famous in Love, and Adventures in Babysitting.
