Disney Channel Releases Trailer for Myrna Velasco’s Animated Series “Star Wars Resistance”

Posted on August 20, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Myrna Velasco is joining the resistance…

Disney Channel has released a new trailer for its upcoming animated show Star Wars Resistance, featuring the Mexican American actress.

“Can you imagine what it’s like to be an ace pilot?” Kazuda Xiono (“Kaz”) asks in the new trailer. Audiences will follow Kaz and some familiar Star Wars faces as he does just that — become a top pilot, not to mention spying on the rising threat of the First Order for the Resistance.

In the hour-long premiere, Poe and BB-8 assign Kaz to go undercover on the Colossus, a massive aircraft home to new aliens, droids, and other creatures. He makes new friends, like Poe’s old buddy Yeager, as well as a battered astromech droid called Bucket. With challenges like dangerous sky races and keeping his mission a secret from his newfound crew, Kaz is in over his head as he tries to avoid the danger of the First Order.

Star Wars Rebels showrunner Dave Filoni created the series, which will see Oscar Isaac reprising his big screen role as pilot Poe Dameron, while Christopher Sean voices Kaz. Gwendoline Christie will return to voice the villainous Captain Phasma, and Rachel Butera plays General Leia Organa.

In addition to Velasco, other supporting voice actors include Suzie McGrath, Scott Lawrence, Josh Brener, Donald Faison, Jim Rash and Bobby Moynihan.

The adventure series will have a one-hour premiere on Sunday, October 7 at 10:00 pm ET/PT on Disney Channel, DisneyNOW, and Disney Channel VOD, with further airings on Disney XD.

Velasco’s credits include Elena of Avalor, Descendants: Wicked World and Modern Family.

Anthony Gonzalez’s Disney-Pixar Film “Coco” Wins Thanksgiving Holiday Box Office

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

He’s nowhere near voting age, but Anthony Gonzalez is beating superheroes at the box office…

The 13-year-old Latino actor voices the character of Miguel, a young Mexican boy with musical dreams who has a wondrous adventure in the Land of the Dead in Disney–Pixar’s animated film Coco, which won the Thanksgiving holiday box office.

Gonzalez’s Coco earned $71.2 million at 3,987 North American sites during the Wednesday-Sunday period, while Warner Bros.–DC Entertainment’s Justice League pulled in $60 million at 4,051 locations during the same timeframe in its second weekend in theaters.

Coco posted for the fourth-best Thanksgiving holiday opening ever, trailing three other Disney titles — Frozen with $93 million in 2013, Moana with $82 million in 2017 and Toy Story 3 with $80 million in 2010.

Audiences surveyed by comScore’s PostTrak gave Coco strong ratings with 66% calling it “excellent,” and another 23% rating it “very good.” Surveys also showed 77% of viewers saying they would “definitely recommend” the movie to friends and 20% saying they would watch it again in a theater.

Coco, directed by Lee Unkrich and co-directed by Adrian Molina, is based on the traditions surrounding the Day of the Dead holiday in Mexico and centers on a 12-year-old boy who dreams of becoming a musician and explores his family history in the Land of the Dead. The studio hasn’t released a price for the movie. Disney-Pixar titles are usually budgeted in the $175 million to $200 million range.

In addition to Gonzalez, in his breakout role, Coco’s ensemble voice cast includes Benjamin Bratt, Gael Garcia Bernal, Renee Victor, Edward James Olmos, Ana Ofelia Murguia, Jaime Camil, Sofia Espinosa, Gabriel Iglesias, Cheech Marin and Lombardo Boyar.

The holiday weekend is one of the busiest moviegoing periods of the year. According to comScore, this year’s five-day Thanksgiving weekend saw total grosses his $268 million — $7.5 million better than last year’s when Moana opened with $82 million, and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them taking in $65 million in its second weekend.

The strong holiday performance left the 2017 overall domestic total at $9.71 billion, or 4% behind the same point last year, according to comScore. The industry fell behind last year’s record-setting total due to downbeat performances in August and October — so much so that the much-anticipated Dec. 15 opening of Star Wars: The Last Jedi will probably not be enough to pulled this year even.

Disney XD Renews Prinze’s “Star Wars Rebels”

Posted on March 5, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more rebelling in Freddie Prinze Jr.’s future…

Disney XD has ordered a fourth season of the praised animated series Star Wars Rebels, featuring the voice work of the 40-year-old part-Puerto Rican actor.

From Lucasfilm, the series kicked off fourteen years after the fall of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and the rise of the Galactic Empire. A motley group of rebels unite aboard a freighter starship called the Ghost and conduct covert operations against the Imperial garrison on and around the planet Lothal and on other planets in the galaxy.

Production is underway for premiere later this fall. Further details will be revealed during Star Wars Celebration in Orlando next month, according to the network.

Currently in its third season, Star Wars Rebels was Disney XD’s No.1 series in Total Viewers and its No.1 animated series across key kid and boy demos in 2016. The series also generated more than 60 million consumer engagements across digital platforms.

In addition to Prinze Jr., who voices the character of Kanan Jarrus, the Season 3 voice cast includes Vanessa Marshall as Hera, Steve Blum as Zeb, Tiya Sircar as Sabine, Taylor Gray as Ezra, Dee Bradley Baker as Captain Rex, David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus, Forest Whitaker as Saw Gerrera, Sam Witwer as Maul, Tom Baker as Bendu and Lars Mikkelsen as Grand Admiral Thrawn.

“The team behind Star Wars Rebels delivers epic storytelling that has captivated fans of all ages across the globe,” said Marc Buhaj, senior vice president, Programming and general manager, Disney XD. “We’re excited to continue sharing the journey of these fan-favorite Rebels with our audience in the fall.”

Isaac to Star in the Spy Thriller “The Garbo Project”

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Issac is going to war…

The 37-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor will star in The Garbo Project, a spy thriller in the works from Storyscape Entertainment.

Scripted by William Wheeler, the film is set during World War II. It’s based on the true story of Juan Pujol Garcia, an eccentric double-agent who, with no military or covert training, somehow persuaded both the Germans and the British to hire him as a spy. As it turned out, his real allegiance was to England, and working closely with MI5, he created a fictional network of 27 spies said to be spread out over England, Scotland, and Ireland. His ruse enabled the English to deceive the Germans about the invasion of Normandy.

Isaac, who broke out after his role in Bourne Legacy, has starred in the blockbuster hits X-Men: Apocalypse and Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Luna to Serve on the Berlin Film Festival’s International Jury

Posted on February 1, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Luna is joining the judge’s panel…

The 37-year-old Mexican actor, producer and director has been named to the Berlin Film Festival’s International Jury this year.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, German actress Julia Jentsch, Tunisian producer Dora Bouchoucha, Iceland’s Olafur Eliasson and Chinese writer-director Wang Quan’an will join Luna to round out the jury that will decide who will receive the Golden and Silver Bears at Berlinale next month.

Dutch helmer-writer Paul Verhoeven will lead the jury as President.

Luna’s breakthrough role come with Alfonso Cuarón’s Y Tu Mamá También and he’s recently stared in Disney’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and has had roles in Contraband, Milk and The Terminal. His directorial debut Abel premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2010.

The Berlin Film Festival takes place February 9-19.

Luna’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” Breaks the $1 Billion Mark

Posted on January 23, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Luna is a Billion Dollar Man…

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, starring the 37-year-old Mexican actor, zoomed across the $1B threshold at the global box office on Saturday.

Saturday was the 39th day of release for the Gareth Edwards-helmed spinoff.

Rogue now becomes the lucky 13th Disney film to reach the $1B milestone and the 3rd Star Wars picture ever to do so. It’s also the Mouse’s 4th release of 2016 to hit those heights.

The current cume split is $512.2M domestic and $499.1M international for a global total of $1,011.3M through Sunday. In the standings, Rogue is the No. 1 release of 2016 domestically and the No. 7 of all time. Globally, it’s the No. 4 movie of 2016.

In another milestone, Rogue is the 7th movie ever to top $100M worldwide in IMAX with $101.3M to date.

The Felicity Jones-led tale of the heroic group that sacrifices everything to steal plans for the Death Star and set up Episode IV: A New Hope, has had its best performance to date in the UK ($79.4M), followed by China ($61.3M) and Germany ($44.8M).

Luna’s previous best box office performer was The Terminal, starring Tom Hanks. The film earned $219 million worldwide.

Smits to Make Cameo Appearance in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

Posted on August 5, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Jimmy Smits is going Rogue…

The 61-year-old Puerto Rican actor and Star Wars alum has confirmed that he’ll be appearing in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Smits, who played Bail Organa in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, confirmed on The Talk that he’ll show up in Rogue One.

“Can you say the word cameo?” he said laughing. “Can you say the words small part?”

Star Wars fans will know that Bail Organa was the adoptive father to Princess Leia. He also bit the dust in A New Hope after the Death Star blows up the planet Alderaan. However, since Rogue One takes place before A New Hope, Smits’ character has yet to meet his end and is presumably working with the rest of the growing Rebel Alliance.

This won’t be the first time that Smits has returned to his Star Wars role. He offered his voice to the Star Wars: The Force Unleashed video game back in 2008.

Isaac in Talks to Star in Steven Spielberg’s “The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara”

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Isaac is Amblin-g for a new role…

The 37-year-old Guatemalan and Cuban American actor and Star Wars star is in talks to star opposite Mark Rylance in Amblin Entertainment’s The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara.

Steven Spielberg is putting together the true-life religious drama to tackle after he wraps the sci-fi thriller Ready Player One.

Tony Kushner, who worked on Spielberg’s Lincoln and Munich, wrote the script adapting the David Kertzer novel, which has been in development with the filmmaker since 2008.

The true story centers on a 6-year-old Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy, in 1858 who was seized by the police and removed from his parents’ home. He was subsequently raised as a Catholic and became a priest in the Augustinian order. Rylance will star as Pope Pius IX.

Isaac had a breakout year in 2015 with a buzzy turn in Alex Garland’s sci-fi thriller Ex Machina then scene-stealing work in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. He last appeared as the villain in X-Men: Apocalypse.

Isaac recently wrapped Star Wars: Episode VIII as well as the Paramount sci-fi thriller Annihilation, which reteamed him with Garland.

Saldaña’s “Haven” to Get Special 10th Anniversary Presentation at Cayfilm

Posted on June 23, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a special anniversary for Zoë Saldaña …

Haven, the 2006 thriller from Frank E. Flowers that featured the 38-year-old half-Dominican/half-Puerto Rican American actress, Orlando Bloom and Anthony Mackie, will get a special tenth anniversary presentation at Cayfilm, the second annual Cayman International Film Festival.

Saldana, Mackie and co-star Victor Rasuk are among those who will be on hand for the reunion, as will Flowers, who is a Caymanian filmmaker.

Flowers will debut a never-before-seen director’s cut of the movie at the fest, which is set to run July 1-4.

Festival director Tony Mark said the reunion and special screening is intended to inspire more young Caymanians to get involved with film, as well as draw attention to the need for the CayFilm Cayman Media Academy to help train local up-and-coming filmmakers.

“Haven is an important part of the Cayman film community,” said Mark. “Frank has inspired an entire generation of young Caymanian filmmakers, and we are looking forward to welcoming him and the cast to the festival.”

Among the event’s other programs will be a spotlight on Star Wars, with Robert Watts, who worked on the films, set to receive the burgeoning fest’s lifetime achievement award, while below-the-line craftsmen such as Oscar winner Ben Burtt also will be in attendance.

Also set to appear at the festival is Wesley Snipes who will present the best feature film award at the closing night ceremony on July 4.

Disney Unveils Trailer for Luna’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

Posted on April 7, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Diego Luna is going Rogue…

Disney premiered the long-awaited trailer for its first Star Wars spinoff feature, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, starring the 36-year-old Mexican actor, on Good Morning America.

Directed by Gareth Edwards, Rogue One takes place prior to 1977’s Star Wars and revolves around a gang of rebel spies who steal the Death Star plans, which are ultimately uploaded on R2-D2.

Details on the film have been tight, and the teaser comes as a big revelation of what’s to come. Apparently, neither Jedis nor the Force will appear in this movie, although there have been whispers about a Darth Vader cameo.

Oscar nominee Felicity Jones plays chief spy Jyn Erso, while Riz Ahmed and Luna portray resistance fighters assisting in the heist. Ben Mendelsohn portrays a dominant Imperial villain. Forest Whitaker, Alan Tudyk, Donnie Yen and Mads Mikkelsen also star. In addition, there’s a number of AT-ATs wreaking havoc on a tropical beach. But the cameo that has Star Wars fans giddy this morning is red-haired rebel leader Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), last seen in 1983’s Return of the Jedi and 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. She calls Jones’ Erso “reckless, aggressive and undisciplined”.

Chris Weitz and Gary Whitta wrote the Rogue One screenplay based on an idea by John Knoll. Similar to last year with Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Christmas comes early with Rogue One opening on December 16. Force Awakens broke the domestic box office record with $247.97 million on its way to $2 billion worldwide.

The movie marks the first time that the Star Wars story has been told on the big screen outside the confines of its episodic structure.

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