Diana Maria Riva to Star in HBO Max’s Family Comedy Pilot “The Gordita Chronicles”

Posted on March 26, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Diana Maria Riva is beginning to chronicle…

The 51-year-old Dominican American actress has joined the cast of HBO Max’s upcoming family comedy pilot The Gordita Chronicles, from Josh Berman’s Osprey Productions, Zoe Saldana’s Cinestar Pictures and Sony Pictures Television.

Riva, who recently started in NBC’s short-lived comedy Sunnyside, joins a roster of new cast additions that includes Juan Javier Cardenas, Savannah Nicole Ruiz, Noah Rico and Cosette Hauer.

They join newcomer Olivia Goncalves, who will lead the comedy written by Claudia Forestieri and directed by Eva Longoria.

The Gordita Chronicles centers on Carlota “Cucu” Castelli (Goncalves), a willful 12-year-old Dominican immigrant with a heart of gold. Cucu leaves her home and her parochial school in Santo Domingo to live in Miami and pursue the American Dream during the hedonistic 1980s after her father, a marketing executive with a large airline, gets transferred there. Cucu meets head-on the challenges of being an immigrant in a strange new world with humor, bravado and some really bad choices.

Riva will appear as Adela, Cucu’s mom. The actress appeared as Detective Ana Perez in Netflix’s Dead to Me. Her additional roles include Man with a Plan, Kajillionaire, and McFarland, USA.

Cardenas takes on Victor Castelli, Cucu’s dad. He played Dante in The Walking Dead and Ben in S.W.A.T. His credits also include Snowfall, Damnation, Scandal and Lusa.

Ruiz will appear as Emilia, Cucu’s older sister. High School Musical: The Musical actor Noah Rico joins the cast as Yosmel “Yoshy” Hernandez, a Cuban refugee and Cucu’s ﬁrst friend in Miami.

Lastly, Hauer joins as Ashley, a needy go-getter desperate to ﬁt in, but nevertheless always sticks out.

Brigitte Munoz Liebowitz serves as executive producer and showrunner. Berman, Chris King and Jennifer Robinson executive produce for Osprey Productions. Longoria executive produces via her UnbeliEVAble Entertainment. Saldana, Mariel Saldana and Cisely Saldana executive produce for Cinestar Pictures. Forestieri is co-executive producer. Sony Pictures Television is the studio.

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.

AMC Renews Colman Domingo’s Zombie Apocalypse Series “Fear the Walking Dead” for Seventh Season

Posted on December 4, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

There’s more fear in Colman Domingo’s future…

AMC has renewed its zombie apocalypse series Fear the Walking Dead, starring the 51-year-old half-Guatemalan American actor, for a seventh season.

The cable network announced the renewal Thursday on the show’s Twitter account.

The renewal news comes midway through Season 6 of The Walking Dead companion series, which stars Domingo, who portrays Victor Strand, Lennie James, Alycia Debnam-Carey, Danay Garcia, Garret Dillahunt, Maggie Grace, Jenna Elfman, Alexa Nisenson, Austin Amelio, Ruben Blades and Karen David.

Scott M. Gimple executive produces FTWD, along with showrunners Andrew Chambliss and Ian Goldberg, Robert Kirkman, David Alpert, Gale Anne Hurd and Greg Nicotero.

Colman Domingo Signs First-Look Deal with AMC Studios

Posted on February 26, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

It’s a new deal for Colman Domingo…

The 50-year-old Guatemalan American actor, playwright and television/stage director has signed a first-look deal with AMC Studios, the studio behind Domingo’s zombie drama series Fear the Walking Dead.

Domingo made his debut as Victor Strand in a two-episode guest arc during the first season of Fear the Walking Dead, a spinoff from The Walking Dead.

He was made a series regular at the start of Season 2. He made his directorial debut on the show and has directed two episodes to date.

“From the moment AMC viewers first saw Colman Domingo as the mysterious and dynamic Victor Strand in season one of Fear The Walking Dead,they haven’t been able to look away, and neither have we,” said Sarah Barnett, President of AMC Networks Entertainment Group & AMC Studios. “He has become a core character of the series and, as anyone who knows him knows, his talents go far beyond that one character in that one show. He is a writer, producer and performer who can move effortlessly between film, television and the stage and we are thrilled to be expanding our relationship with this extraordinary talent and individual through this first-look deal with AMC Studios.”

Domingo is currently in production on the upcoming sixth season of Fear the Walking Dead and stars in A24’s Zola, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. He’s also had a recurring role on HBO’s Euphoria and will be seen in Jordan Peele’s spiritual sequel to the 1992 gothic horror film CandyMan, as well as opposite Viola Davis and Chadwick Boseman in the Netflix film adaption of Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,produced by Denzel Washington.

Domingo, 20-year veteran theater director, co-wrote the book for the Broadway musical Summer: The Donna Summer Musical and for the Lights Out: Nat “King” Cole  musical.

At AMC, he developed a series based on his play Dottwo years ago.

Domingo’s film acting credits also include Barry Jenkins’ If Beale Street Could Talk, Selma, Lee Daniels’ The Butler,  Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln, First Match, and Spike Lee’s Miracle At St. Ana, Red Hook Summerand Passing Strange.

Netflix Releases First Look at Christian Serratos as Selena in “Selena: The Series”

Posted on November 13, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Christian Serratos is ready to Reina…

Nearly a year after revealing that it was developing a series based on the life of Selena, Netflix has officially unveiled a sneak peek at Selena: The Series, starring the 29-year-old half-Mexican American actress asLa Reina de la Musica Tejana.

“Get your first look at Christian Serratos, who will play Selena Quintanilla in a coming of age story chronicling the iconic singer’s rise,” a tweet stated, adding that Selena: The Series’ first part will premiere in 2020.

Serratos is best known for her roles as Rosita Espinosa on AMC‘s The Walking Dead, Suzie Crabgrass on the Nickelodeon series Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide and Angela Weber in The Twilight Saga series.

In addition to Serratos’ taking the lead, Netflix confirmed that Ricardo Chavirawill co-star as Selena’s father Abraham, Gabriel Chavarriaas her brother A.B., Noemi Gonzalezas her sister Suzette, Seidy Lopezas her mother Marcella, and Madison Taylor Baez as young Selena.

On December 11, 2018, the official Netflix U.S. news Twitter account revealed that the Quintanilla family, along with Jaime Dávilaand Rico Martinezfrom Campanario Entertainment, Simran A. Singh, and Moisés Zamora, would executive produce the project.

“Bidi Bidi Bom Bom@SelenaLaLeyenda’s incredible life story is coming to Netflix as a scripted series! @selena_netflix was developed alongside and will be executive produced by, The Quintanilla family” the post expressed.

Get your first look at Christian Serratos, who will play Selena Quintanilla in a coming of age story chronicling the iconic singer's rise.

Selena: The Series — Part 1 premieres in 2020. pic.twitter.com/3U7hBrxLHi
— Netflix US (@netflix) November 12, 2019

Trailer Released for Robert Rodriguez’s VR Action Film “The Limit,” Starring Michelle Rodriguez

Posted on November 21, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Michelle Rodriguez has reached herlimit…

The 40-year-old Puerto Rican and Dominican-American actress appeared in the trailer for The Limit, Robert Rodriguez’s 20-minute Virtual Reality action film first teased last spring at Mip TV in Cannes.

“Look me in the eye when I’m talking to you,” says Rodriguez, who portrays the “super assassin” in the film.

The Limit, co-starring The Walking Dead‘s Norman Reedus, hails from STXsurreal, the VR and Immersive content division of STX Entertainment.

The film is available now as a paid app download across all major VR platforms. It’s available in 3-D and 2-D versions at www.TheLimitVR.com.

Rodriguez stars as an “enhanced super-assassin” known as M-13. You – the viewer – are a rogue agent “with a mysterious past,” and M-13 has been enlisted to help you retrieve your identity and strike against the deadly organization that created you.

The Mexican-American director (From Dusk Till Dawn, Sin City) says that, new technology aside, The Limit is a “full-blown Rodriguez action flick.” He said he’s considering The Limit as a franchise, and would be interested in taking some of his previous films into the VR world.

The Limit, shot entirely in Austin, was directed by Rodriguez from a script by himself and son Racer Max Rodriguez.

The Limit is a paid app download available across major VR platforms. To mark the launch, a sale price has been set at $4.99 for VR headset platforms, and $3.99 for mobile platforms, Google Play and iOS.

Dania Ramirez to Star on ABC’s “Once Upon A Time”

Posted on July 6, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

Dania Ramirez’s life is a fairy tale…

The 37-year-old Dominican actress and Devious Maids alum has been cast as a series regular on ABC’s Once Upon A Time for the upcoming seventh season.

Ramirez’s character details are being kept under wraps at the moment.

The addition of Ramirez follows the exodus of original cast members Ginnifer Goodwin, Josh Dallas, Emilie de Ravin, Jared S. Gilmore, Jennifer Morrison and Rebecca Mader at the end of Season 6, and set the stage for the planned “reset” of Season 7.

The new season will focus on returning cast members Lana Parrilla, Robert Carlyle and Colin O’Donoghue, along with The Walking Dead‘s Andrew J. West, who was introduced in the Season 6 finale.

Once is set in the fictional seaside town of Storybrooke, Maine, whose residents are characters from various fairy tales transported to the “real world” town and robbed of their original memories by a powerful curse. It premiered in 2011 to 12.8 million total viewers and a 4.0 demo rating, making it the highest-rated drama series premiere that season, but ratings in the past few seasons have declined. Its Season 6 ender (0.9/3) set a finale low for the series.

Ramirez’s previous television credits include Entourage, Heroes and The Sopranos.

Ortiz to Guest Star on TBS’ “The Guest Book”

Posted on January 15, 2017 by Tom Castaneda

John Ortiz has signed in…

The 48-year-old Puerto Rican actor will guest star on TBS’ The Guest Book, the new 10-episode comedy series from My Name Is Earl’s Greg Garcia.

The Guest Book emerged from Garcia’s habit of writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins in an effort to freak out the next renters. Now he is bringing some of those stories to life on screen centering on the vacation home Froggy Cottage and its visitors. While the house and cast of characters living in this small mountain town remain the same, each episode will feature a different set of vacationing guests.

The anthology-style show, written by Garcia and executive produced by him and Alix Jaffe, will premiere in August.

It will star Kellie Martin (Army Wives), Charlie Robinson (Hart of Dixie), Aloma Wright (Suits), Carly Jibson (Broadway’s Hairspray), Lou Wilson (Tween Fest), Garret Dillahunt (The Mindy Project), Laura Bell Bundy (Scream Queens) and Eddie Steeples (My Name Is Earl).

Martin will play Officer Kimberly Leahy, who serves on the police force in the small mountain town of Mount Trace. Robinson is Wilfrid, an easygoing, friendly gentleman who manages a group of mountain rental cottages with his wife, Emma, played by recurring guest star Wright. Jibson is Vivian, a tough, strong-willed woman who runs a bikini bar called Chubbys with her stepson Frank, played by Wilson.

In addition to Ortiz, other guest stars include Danny Pudi (Community), Jenna Fischer (The Office), Tommy Dewey (The Mindy Project), Lauren Lapkus (Orange Is the new Black), Michaela Watkins (Casual), Mary Lynn Rajskub (24), Michael Rapaport (Sully), Kate Micucci (Raising Hope), Jaime Pressly (My Name Is Earl), Stockard Channing (The Good Wife), Andrew J. West (The Walking Dead), David Zayas (Gotham), Shannon Woodward (Westworld), Margo Martindale (The Good Wife) and Stephnie Weir (The Comedians).

Acevedo Lands Undisclosed Role in “Insidious: Chapter 4”

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

Kirk Acevedo has an Insidious future…

The 44-year-old Puerto Rican actor, who currently stars in Syfy’s time-travel thriller series 12 Monkeys, has joined the cast of Insidious: Chapter 4, which is filming and scheduled to open on October 20, 2017.

Acevedo’s character is being kept under wraps.

Universal Pictures/Blumhouse Productions’ latest installment to the $370M microbudget franchise is being helmed by series newcomer Adam Robitel.

Acevedo joins Lin Shaye as parapsychologist Elise Rainier, as well as franchise co-creator Leigh Whannell and Angus Sampson, who respectively play Specs and Tucker.

Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions is financing Insidious: Chapter 4 and handling international distribution. Whannell wrote all four Insidious movies and directed Chapter 3.

Acevedo plays Ramse in Syfy’s 12 Monkeys and previously starred in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. His other credits include Prime Suspect, The Walking Dead, Band of Brothers, Thin Red Line and Oz.

Campos In Talks to Direct “The Omen” Prequel

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Tom Castaneda

It may turn out to be a scary First for Antonio Campos…

The half-Brazilian American filmmaker is in talks to direct the supernatural horror thriller The First Omen for 20th Century Fox.

It’s a prequel to The Omen, which is being planned for release some forty years after the original was first released.

Campos most recently directed the Sundance Film Festival movie Christine.

The original movie starred the great Gregory Peck as an ambassador who comes to believe that his 5-year-old son may be the living embodiment of the Antichrist.

The movie, directed by Richard Donner, was one of the biggest hits of the year and considered one of the scariest movies of the decade. It introduced Damien, the name of the son, into the pop culture lexicon, and preyed on fears of baby swapping and evil nannies.

Omen spawned two sequels and a series of novels. Fox remade the movie once before, in a 2006 iteration directed by John Moore and starring Liev Schreiber and Julia Stiles.

Fox is currently airing a TV version of The Omen titled Damien, helmed by The Walking Dead‘s Glen Mazzara.

Ben Jacoby wrote the script for the prequel.

Campos is a player in the indie sphere and was a producer on movies such as Martha Marcy May Marlene. He previously directed 2012’s Simon Killer. His drama Christine starred Rebecca Hall and Michael C. Hall and premiered at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, where distribution outfit The Orchard snapped up domestic rights.

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