Alexa PenaVega & Carlos PenaVega Agree to Multi-Picture Overall Deal with Hallmark Media

Posted on October 20, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a hallmark agreement for Alexa PenaVega and Carlos PenaVega…

The 34-year-old half-Colombian American actress and her 33-year-old Spanish, Venezuelan and Dominican American husband, an actor/singer, Big Time Rush member, have agreed to a multi-picture overall deal at Hallmark Media.

“Alexa and Carlos PenaVega have become an important part of the Hallmark family over the years and we couldn’t be happier to extend our partnership with them,” said Lisa Hamilton Daly, Executive Vice President, Programming, Hallmark Media. “Whether starring together or headlining their own movies, the energy, creativity and passion they bring to each project is infectious and we can’t wait to see what lies ahead.”

“Hallmark has become a second home for our family. Over the last four years they have given us opportunities to grow as actors and producers all while raising our children, even if it means having the family on set!,” the PenaVegas said in a joint statement. “Developing projects alongside them has been a highlight of our careers thus far. We are thrilled to be able to continue creating content that is family friendly and current, while maintaining its core values that we love so much. Hallmark is special and we are looking forward to many more projects together.”

Alexa PenaVega has previously starred in such Hallmark films as Destination Wedding, Christmas Made to Order and Taking a Shot at Love. Her film credits include 23 Blast, Machete Kills, Spare Parts, Wicked Blood, The Remaining, The Hunters and Spy Kids.

Carlos PenaVega starred on the Nickelodeon musical comedy Big Time Rush and recently completed a national tour with the ensemble. He previously starred in Hallmark Channel’s A Midnight Kiss.

Together, the couple has starred in three installments of Picture Perfect Mysteries for Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as well as the Hallmark Channel Original movies Enchanted Christmas, Love at Sea and, most recently, Love in the Limelight.

They recently released their first book What if Love is the Point?

George Lopez to Star in Snoop Dogg’s Sports Comedy “The Underdoggs” for MGM

Posted on October 7, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

George Lopez is embracing the underdogg status…

The 61-year-old Mexican American comedian/actor will star in MGM’s Snoop Dogg sports comedy The Underdoggs.

Lopez joins a roster of cast additions that includes Tika Sumpter, Mike Epps and Andrew Schulz.

Meanwhile, the kid team of actors added to the cast include Jonigan Booth, Adan James Carrillo, Kylah Davila, Caleb Dixon, Alexander Michael Gordon and Shamori Washington.

Billed as The Bad News Bears in the world of Youth Football, The Underdoggs tells the story of Jaycen Jenning, “2J’s” (played by Snoop Dogg), a former NFL superstar who, after a run in with the law, agrees to coach a youth football team in lieu of prison in the hopes of relaunching his fledgling career.

Charles Stone directs off a script by Danny Segal and Isaac Schamis based off a pitch by Snoop Dogg and Schwartz-Morini.

The film is produced under Snoop Dogg’s Death Row Pictures banner, with Kenya Barris and Mychelle Deschamps for Khalabo Ink Society, Snoop Dogg’s longtime producing partner Constance Schwartz-Morini of SMAC Entertainment and Jonathan Glickman for Panoramic Media.

Production is underway for an October 20, 2023 theatrical release.

Lopez is currently shooting his upcoming multi-camera comedy series Lopez vs. Lopez, featuring his real-life daughter Mayan Lopez, and is performing stand-up in arenas across the country on his OMG Hi! Comedy Tour, through October.

Lopez will join the DC Extended Universe in the upcoming superhero film Blue Beetle, releasing in-theaters August 2023.

His extensive film credits include Walking with Herb, the modern-day Western No Man’s Land, The Tax Collector, El Chicano, the romantic comedy box-office hit Valentine’s Day, The Spy Next Door, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, and Spare Parts, which he also produced. Lopez has produced and starred in the series Lopez, co-created and starred in the series Saint George, hosted TBS’ inaugural late night talk show, Lopez Tonight, and co-created, wrote, produced and starred in the hit sitcom George Lopez.

Carrillo began his career at the age of nine and has shared the screen with Robert DeNiro in About My Father, appeared in David E. Kelley’s Lincoln Lawyer, as well as As We See It from creator Jason Katims, and Mayans M.C. from creator Elgin James.

Davila appeared in the pilot episode HBOMax’s Gordita Chronicles, and the short film Troop Invaders. The Underdoggs reps her first feature film role. An actor and gymnast, Davila hails from Manhattan Beach, California.

Paul Perez Signs Production Deal with Warner Bros.

Posted on June 14, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Paul Perez has landed a new production deal…

The Cuban American film producer and former Warner Bros. development executive has agreed to a production deal at the Burbank, CA lot.

The announcement comes as the Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan romantic comedy, Father of the Bride, a project Perez spearheaded and produced at the studio, hits HBO Max on Thursday, June 16.

During his time at Warner Bros, Perez was involved with the development of Ready Player One, Dune and Doctor Sleep.

He came to Warner Bros. after a development executive stint at Lionsgate’s Pantelion where he worked on the Eugenio Derbez hit movie, Instructions Not Included, which wound up being Mexico’s highest grossing export of all-time with $100.5M WW, as well as Spare Parts and No Manches Frida.

Perez initially cut his teeth in the industry reading scripts for producer Ben Odell (now Derbez’s production partner at 3Pas Studios) and working in the Miami William Morris offices.

Father of the Bride is a project close to Perez’s heart given his Cuban American Miami heritage. He came to the property while combing through the Warner library in a quest to develop revamped IP. The project’s momentum swelled after Perez discussed it at a Warner Bros. development exec retreat, with the studio’s President of Production Courtenay Valenti ultimately taking to Matt Lopez’s screenplay.

The fresh angle in this Latino take of Father of the Bride: the bride’s parents played by Garcia and Estefan are on the verge of a divorce. Perez married the package with burgeoning Mexican filmmaker Gary Alazraki.

While recent audiences are familiar with the Steve Martin–Diane Keaton–Martin Short 1991 Touchstone remake (a hit back then grossing over $89M and spawning a 1995 sequel), the film was originally an MGM title released in 1950, directed by Vincente Minnelli and starring Spencer Tracy, Joan Bennett and Elizabeth Taylor.

Warners had inherited the title in their acquisition of the pre-May 1986 MGM library via their absorption of Turner Films in 1995. Disney had licensed the title during the ’90s and in recent years Father of the Bride’s underlying rights reverted back to Warners.

Perez under his new deal is also shepherding the new Training Day prequel at the studio. That film is set around the time of the L.A. Riots that followed after the infamous Rodney King verdict.

“Warner Bros. is thrilled that Paul Perez will have a first look producing deal with the studio,” says Valenti. “Paul is a valued colleague who spent several years in development and production at WB. During that time he showed extraordinary creativity and strategic thinking looking to reinvent several classic library titles. One of those titles is Father of the Bride. We love Gaz Alazraki’s film of Father of the Bride and are very grateful to Paul for beginning the film process with his idea for how to reimagine this wonderful world.”

Esai Morales to Star as the Villain in “Mission: Impossible 7”

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Esai Morales has found a new mission…The 57-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of Mission: Impossible 7, replacing Nicholas Hoult s the film’s villain.

The Paramount and Skydance co-production was close to starting production in Italy, when the world shut down due to COVID-19 and that included the Christopher McQuarrie-directed film, which will see Tom Cruise reprise his Ethan Hunt spy character.

The delay put Hoult in conflict with another commitment.

Mission: Impossible 7 is expected to start production in late summer or early fall.

The film was scheduled for release on July 23, 2021 but has been moved to November 19, 2021 to account for the delay.

The entire franchise through six movies has amassed over $3.57 billion for Paramount.

Morales, who rose to acclaim as Bob Morales in La Bamba, most recently completed a stint on How To Get Away With Murder.

His other credits include television roles on Magic City, Chicago P.D. and NCIS: Los Angeles, and film roles in Gun Hill Road, Fast Food Nation and Spare Parts.

David Del Rio to Star in ABC’s Rom-Com Pilot “The Baker and the Beauty”

Posted on March 18, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

David Del Rio has landed a beautyof a role…

The 31-year-old Latino actor has been cast as a series regular opposite Victor Rasuk and Nathalie Kelley in The Baker and the Beauty, ABC’s hourlong romantic comedy from Keshet Studios, Universal Televisionand ABC Studios.

Written by Dean Georgarisand to be directed by David Frankel, the storyline follows the impossible Miami love story between a simple baker (Rasuk) and an international superstar, Noa Hollander (Kelley).

Del Rio will play Mateo Garcia, Daniel’s younger brother.

His recent credits include supporting roles in The Belko Experiment and Pitch Perfect, the role of Putzie in Grease Live! and a starring role in Sean McNamara’s Lionsgatefeature Spare Parts opposite George Lopez, Jamie Lee Curtisand Marisa Tomei.

Lopez to Star in the Holiday-Themed Film “Aloha Santa”

Posted on October 8, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

George Lopez is preparing for a Hawaiian holiday…

The 54-year-old Mexican American comedian/actor will star in Aloha Santa, a holiday-themed film set to begin production in Maui in December.

Lopez will portray Chris Cringle, the lazy, immature adopted son of Santa who inherits the Santa Claus role when his father dies. Lacking confidence in his role, he ends up crash-landing in Hawaii when he takes the sleigh out for a test drive days before Christmas. Now he must find a way home in time to make the annual gift deliveries.

Billed as Hawaii’s first Christmas movie, it’s directed by Jonathan Yudis, who co-wrote the film with Adam “Tex” Davis and Mike Davis.

Lopez most recently appeared in the film Spare Parts and voiced the character of Rafael in Rio 2. His other credits include The Smurfs 2, Escape from Planet Earth and the television series Saint George.

Del Rio Joins the Cast of Fox’s Upcoming Musical “Grease: Live”

Posted on October 1, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Grease is the word for David Del Rio…

The 28-year-old Latino actor has joined the cast of Fox’s upcoming musical Grease: Live.

Del Rio, who starred in the Broadway musical In the Heights, will portray T-Birds’ Putzie in the live event.

Del Rio joins the ensemble cast that includes Julianne Hough (Sandy), Aaron Tveit (Danny), Vanessa Hudgens (Rizzo), Carlos PenaVega (Kenickie), Keke Palmer (Marty), Carly Rae Jepsen (Frenchy) and Kether Donohue (Jan).

Meanwhile singer, Jessie J, will open the live event with a new version of “Grease (Is the Word).” The Bee Gees’ Barry Gibb wrote the song, which originally was performed by Frankie Valli in the animated opening title sequence of the movie and went on top the pop charts.

Also joining the creative team is Glee and Annie choreographer Zach Woodlee. His credits also include the 100th episode of How I Met Your Mother and 2008’s MTV Movie Awards, as well as the films Eat Pray Love, Hairspray, 27 Dresses and 17 Again.

Thomas Kail and Alex Rudzinski are directing the production, which Fox airs on Sunday, January 31 — live in the East and delayed in the West.

Del Rio’s other credits include Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Troop, Pitch Perfect and Spare Parts.

Del Rio to Appear in CBS’ Comedy Pilot “The Half of It”

Posted on April 3, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

David Del Rio has found his better Half…

The 27-year-old Latino actor will star opposite Jon Dore in CBS’ multi-camera comedy pilot The Half of It.

Written/executive produced by Mike Gibbons and directed by James Burrows, the CBS Television Studios project centers on Mike (Dore), a newly divorced dad who revels in the fact that he now gets to keep half his stuff, which is more than he ever had when he was married.

Del Rio will portray Geoffrey, a hipster with a strong sense of “melting pot of styles” fashion, who frequently operates without a filter and fancies himself a “giver.”

Del Rio, who appeared in Pitch Perfect, recently co-starred in the Lionsgate feature Spare Parts and wrapped production on the indie Undrafted.

Derbez Signs Exclusive First-Look Deal with Pantelion Films

Posted on September 7, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is ready to make more crossover films… And, he now has the support to produce them.

The 53-year-old Mexican writer, director and star of the hit Spanish-language comedy Instructions Not Included, has signed an exclusive first-look deal with Lionsgate/Grupo Televisa’s Pantelion Films.

The pact keeps Derbez in business with the label that released his record-setting Spanish-language film last year.

The deal was made via Derbez’s newly launched 3PasStudios, a partnership with former Pantelion president of production Benjamin Odell. 3Pas will focus on Spanish- and English-language films targeted at Latino and crossover audiences in the U.S.

Instructions Not Included became the highest-grossing Spanish-language film ever released in the U.S. when it opened last year. Pantelion also is behind biopic Cantinflas which has pulled in $3.6M since it opened last weekend in 382 theaters.

Derbez’s film credits include Under The Same Moon, also among the highest-grossing Spanish language films released in the U.S.

He and Odell first worked together on Sangre de Mi Sangre in 2006, starring Derbez, which won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and for which Odell was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award. Odell also produced Pantelion’s 2012 release Girl In Progress, starring Eva Mendes, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette and Derbez, and he is producing Pantelion’s upcoming drama Spare Parts, starring Marisa Tomei, Jamie Lee Curtis and George Lopez, scheduled for release on January 16, 2015.

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