Jenna Ortega’s “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice” to World Premiere at Venice Film Festival

Posted on July 2, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega’s latest project is launching in Italy…

The 81st Venice Film Festival will open with the world premiere of Tim Burton‘s Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, starring the 21-year-old Mexican American actress.

Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, Catherine O’Hara, Justin Theroux, Monica Bellucci and Willem Dafoe star alongside Ortega in the highly anticipated sequel to Beetlejuice.

The Warner Bros film will be screened out of competition on Wednesday, August 28 at the Sala Grande, the festival said Tuesday.

This will mark a return to the sort of glitzy red carpet with which Venice has become synonymous, after last year’s Lido event had less star-wattage than usual as it took place amid the SAG-AFTRA strike.

Warner Bros starts the international rollout on Beetlejuice 2 on September 4 with domestic joining September 6.

Said Venice chief Alberto Barbera today, “Beetlejuice Beetlejuice marks the long-awaited return of one of the most iconic characters of Tim Burton’s cinema, but also the happy confirmation of the extraordinary visionary talent and the masterly realization of one of the most fascinating auteurs of his time. The Venice Biennale is honored and proud to host the world premiere of a work that features a surprising swing of creative imagination and driving hallucinatory rhythm.”

Added Burton, “I’m very excited by this. It means a lot to me to have the world premiere of this film at the Venice Film Festival.”

In the sequel to Beetlejuice, Burton’s classic 1988 supernatural comedy, three generations of the Deetz family return home to Winter River following an unexpected tragedy. Still haunted by Beetlejuice (Keaton), Lydia’s (Ryder) life is turned upside down when her rebellious teenage daughter, Astrid (Ortega), discovers the mysterious model of the town in the attic and the portal to the Afterlife is accidentally opened. With trouble brewing in both realms, it’s only a matter of time until someone says Beetlejuice’s name three times and the mischievous demon returns to unleash his very own brand of mayhem.

This year’s Venice runs from August 28-September 7 with French star Isabelle Huppert acting as jury president.

Jenna Ortega In Talks to Star in Tim Burton’s “Beetlejuice” Sequel

Posted on March 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega could be juicing for her next role…

20-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American Golden Globe-nominated actress and Wednesday star may be reuniting with Tim Burton on his next project as Hollywood insiders report Ortega is in early talks to reunite with the Wednesday creator on Beetlejuice 2 at Warner Bros.

Michael Keaton and Winona Ryder are reportedly expected to reprise their roles with Burton directing.

Production is expected to start in late May or early June in London, but the film’s budget hasn’t been set, resulting in some back and forth.

If a deal is made, sources say Ortega would play the daughter of Lydia, the character played by Ryder in the Burton-helmed original.

Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O’Hara also starred in the original film, which grossed $80 million on a $15 million budget. It also scored a Best Makeup Oscar at the 1989 Academy Awards.

Ortega has been on a roll as of late, led by her record-breaking Addams Family series Wednesday. The show has smashed Netflix viewing records and has been renewed for a second season. She’s hosting Saturday Night Live on March 11 and is appearing on in Scream VI.

Jenna Ortega to Star in Lionsgate’s “Miller’s Girl”

Posted on September 21, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is readying for a new project…

The 19-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexicam American actress and new Scream queen has boarded Lionsgate and Point Grey’s Miller’s Girl opposite Martin Freeman.

The film reps the directorial debut from writer-director Jade Halley Bartlett, whose screenplay for the project ranked on the 2016 Black List.

In Miller’s Girl, a creative writing assignment yields complex results between a teacher and his talented student. Point Grey has been attached to the project ever since it arrived on the Black List.

Mary-Margaret Kunze is producing with Point Grey.

Erin Westerman, President of Production for the Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, tells Deadline, “While we are excited for the movie to speak for itself, the level of talent assembled for this special film is a testament to Jade, whose screenplay lures you in with her dazzling voice. And then eats you alive.”

The film is currently shooting in Georgia. Lionsgate is handling global sales.

Ortega will next star in the title role of the Tim Burton Netflix series Wednesday, centering on the Addams Family character.

In January she starred in the $140M-global grossing Scream and is set to reprise her role in the hit franchise’s sixth installment.

She recently wrapped production on the crime thriller Finest Kind directed by Oscar winner Brian Helgeland, was last seen starring in A24’s X and HBO’s The Fallout.

Netflix Releases First Look at Jenna Ortega as “Wednesday” in Upcoming Addams Family Television Series

Posted on June 6, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega is embracing her Family…

Netflix has revealed the first look at “Wednesday,” the upcoming Addams Family television series starring the famous clan’s daughter, with the 19-year-old Puerto Rican and Mexican American actress and Scream 5 star in the title role.

First created by Charles Addams for a series of New Yorker cartoons, the Addams Family is a bizarre aristocratic clan with an obsession of the macabre and a complete lack of concern regarding how others perceive them.

Following their creation, the characters grew in popularity after a 1964 sitcom fleshed out their personalities, and have since starred in two live-action theatrical films, two animated series, a Broadway musical and two animated films.

The only daughter of parents Gomez and Morticia, Wednesday was depicted in the original sitcom as the most sweet-natured of the family.

However, the 1991 Barry Sonnenfeld-directed film adaptation changed her personality to be much more deadpan and sadistic, with Christina Ricci’s portrayal in the film making her one of the most popular characters in the franchise.

“Wednesday” spins-off the character as she attends a boarding school Nevermore Academy, where she develops psychic powers and investigates a supernatural killing spree connected to her own family’s history.

In addition to Ortega as Wednesday, the rest of the Addams Family will make appearances in the show. Catherine Zeta-Jones is part of the main cast as matriarch Morticia, while Victor Dorobantu plays the disembodied hand servant of the family, Thing. Isaac Ordonez plays Wednesday’s brother Pugsley in a recurring role, while George Burcea plays the family manservant Lurch. Luis Guzmán will guest star in the series as Wednesday’s father Gomez.

The main cast of the show includes Riki Lindhome, Jamie McShane, Percy Hynes White, Gwendoline Christie, Thora Birch, Hunter Doohan, Joy Sunday, Emma Myers, Georgie Farmer, Naomi Ogawa and Moosa Mostafa. In a nod to the ’90s films, Ricci will also appear in an unconfirmed role.

Al Gough and Miles Millar, the creators of the Superman series Smallville, serve as showrunners and executive producers for the series.

Tim Burton will also executive produce and direct the majority of episodes, with Gandja Monteiro and James Marshall serving as additional directors.

The series is produced by MGM Television for Netflix.

Luis Guzmán to Star in Jacquelyn Quinones Feature Directorial Debut “Miles Away”

Posted on January 27, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Luis Guzmán is miles away…

The 65-year-old Puerto Rican actor has joined the cast of Miles Away, an upcoming indie from writer, director and producer Jacquelyn Quinones.

Produced by Quinones, Miles Away is a dramedy that explores a day in the life of a rideshare driver, with short vignettes of passengers all feeding into the story of the driver learning to deal with no money, a thankless job and a sister with mental illness.

Andre Royo, Noel Gugliemi, Alberto Frezza, Norma Maldonado, Henri Esteve, Jennifer Bartels, Eddie Martinez, Jessica Sarah Flaum, Marilyn Camacho and Charo Toledo round out the cast of the Puerto Rican filmmaker’s feature directorial debut, in which she also appears.

“Excited to be part of this project. Jackie Quinones is a new voice for a new generation. Her work personifies the social and cultural diversity reminiscent of the now and necessary for the future,” said Guzmán. “She is an insightful creative, her work transcends stereotypes. Miles Away finds a unique harmony toeing the line of conventional storytelling and inventive hybrid genre narratives focusing on social change.”

Guzmán is an Independent Spirit Award nominee who has garnered nearly 160 screen credits over the course of his five-decades and change in entertainment.

He can currently be seen in the Starz drama Hightown and will next appear in Tim Burton’s Netflix series Wednesday, among other projects.

The actor is also known for turns films like Top Five, We’re the Millers, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, He’s Just Not That Into You, Yes Man, School for Scoundrels, Fast Food Nation, Waiting…, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Dumb and Dumberer: When Harry Met Lloyd, Anger Management, Punch-Drunk Love, Boogie Nights and Traffic, among many others.

Additional television credits include Ultra City Smiths, Shameless, Godfather of Harlem, Code Black, Roadies, Narcos and Oz.

Itziar Ituño to Make English-Language Debut in Animated Short “Salvation Has No Name”

Posted on May 22, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Itziar Ituño has found her salvation….

The 46-year-old Spanish actress, who plays Inspector Raquel Murillo on Netflix’s hitseries Money Heist, will make her English-language acting/voicing debut with a role in the UK animated short Salvation Has No Name.

The sixteen-minute stop motion project comes from producers Delaval Film and is being part-funded by the British Film Institute. The film will also feature the voice of Yasmine Al Massri, who starred in ABC’s thriller series Quantico.

Joseph Wallace is directing the project and the team includes animators from Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox and Tim Burton’s Frankenweenie.

It was shooting at Aardman Animations, the studio behind Wallace and Gromit, before the COVID-19 virus hit. The producers have now launched a kickstarter to help the project resume post-pandemic.

Mateo Melendez to Star in Broadway’s “Beetlejuice” Musical

Posted on February 9, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Mateo Melendez is juicin’up for Broadway…

The Latino actor has been added to the cast of Broadway’s Beetlejuice when the new musical begins previews next month.

Melendez will star alongside last fall’s pre-Broadway cast members Jill Abramovitz, Kelvin Moon Loh, Danny Rutigliano and Dana Steingold.

Other cast members include Alex Brightman(in the title role), Sophia Anne Caruso, Kerry Butler, Rob McClure, Adam Dannheisserand Leslie Kritzer.

Rounding out the 25-member cast include Tessa Alves, Gilbert L. Bailey II, Will Blum, Johnny Brantley III, Ryan Breslin, Natalie Charle Ellis, Brooke Engen, Abe Goldfarb, Eric Anthony Johnson, Elliott Mattox, Sean Montgomery, Ramone Owens, Presley Ryanand Kim Sava.

Beetlejuice starts previews Thursday, March 28 at the Winter Garden Theatre. Opening night is April 25.

Beetlejuice, based on Tim Burton’s 1988 film starring Michael Keaton, is directed by Alex Timbers, with an original score by Eddie Perfect, book by Scott Brown& Anthony King, and choreography by Connor Gallagher.

Other credits for the Broadway production include David Korins (scenic design), William Ivey Long (costume design), Kenneth Posner (lighting), Peter Hylenski (sound), Peter Nigrini (projections), Michael Curry(puppet design), Jeremy Chernick(special effects) and Michael Weber(illusions).

Kirstie Maldonado & Pentatonix Release Spooky Video for New Holiday Single “Making Christmas”

Posted on October 8, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Kirstie Maldonado is celebrating two holidays at once…

The 26-year-old half-Mexican, part-Spanish American singer and her fellow Pentatonix members have released the new music video for “Making Christmas,” which fuses Halloween spooks and Christmas spirit.

“Making Christmas” is originally from Tim Burton’s beloved 1993 animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas.

In the video, the a cappella group alternates between a creepy graveyard and a snowy Christmas landscape as they harmonize on the “Making Christmas” vocals.

“Making Christmas” is the lead single from their upcoming album Christmas Is Here!, due October 26.

Trailer Released for Bonham Carter’s “Alice Through The Looking Glass”

Posted on November 6, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Helena Bonham Carter is a glass act…

The first full trailer for Alice Through The Looking Glass – the sequel to Disney’s 2010 blockbuster Alice In Wonderland – has been released, featuring the 49-year-old part-Spanish actress reprising her role as Iracebeth of Crims, the Red Queen.

For the original film, Bonham Carter’s head was digitally increased to three times its original size on screen.

Along with Bonham Carter, Alice Through The Looking Glass returns most of the cast — among them Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska and the voices of Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman and Michael Sheen — and screenwriter Linda Wolverton but not original director Tim Burton (he’s a producer on this one, with Muppets helmer James Bobin taking over).

Among the newcomers is Sacha Baron Cohen, who portrays a major cog in this new story based on Lewis Carroll’s original: he plays Time, who is part-human, part-clock (and has borrowed some outfits from Brüno’s closet apparently). When Alice returns to a much different Wonderland, she must go on a quest to borrow the Chronosphere, a metallic globe inside the Grand Clock’s chamber. This sends her into the past, where she comes across friends and enemies at different points in their lives, and a race to save Depp’s Hatter (looking quite put out here) before time runs out.

The 3D pic has a May 27, 2016 release date.

Lopez: This Halloween’s Best-Costumed Latina Celebrity

Posted on November 2, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

There’s no doubt celebrities know how to go all out for All Hallows‘ Eve. And some don’t hold back at all.

Here’s a look at the most spook-tacular Halloween costumes by Hispanic celebrities this year, including this year’s best-dressed Latina Jennifer Lopez.

The 46-year-old Puerto Rican singer/actress and American Idol judge, who is prepping for her Las Vegas residency, was nothing short of drop dead gorgeous as a self-described “haute couture skeleton.”

Lopez and her boyfriend Casper Smart attended Heidi Klum’s annual Halloween bash in New York City.

She may say she’s “trouble,” according to her Instagram account, but Gina Rodriguez looked like she’d found trouble in her costume.

The 31-year-old Puerto Rican actress and Jane the Virgin star dressed up as a broken china doll.

It may be Halloween, but it was more like The Nightmare Before Christmas for Nicole Richie.

The 34-year-old part-Mexican American television personality and fashionista dressed up as Mr. Jack Skellington, the king of Halloween Town in the classic animated film from Tim Burton.

It appears one costume wasn’t enough for Alessandra Ambrosio…

The 34-year-old Brazilian supermodel and Victoria’s Secret Angel traded in her wings for horns as she donned a racy red devil costume to host her Heaven And Hell party in Los Angeles.

But Ambrosio didn’t just flaunt her supermodel figure and set temperatures soaring in her red costume, she also proved to be one hot momma.

She shot a selfie of herself dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, with her son dressed as an adorable fire house dalmatian.

She may be the head of The Honest Company, but Jessica Alba is claiming she invented Post-Its.

The 34-year-old half-Mexican American actress and her BFF Kelly Sawyer wore matching costumes worn by the characters on the poster for the classic chick flick Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion.

Fergie proved to be the cat’s meow in her Halloween costume.

The 40-year-old part-Mexican American singer and Black Eyed Peas member and her actor-husband were a match made in heaven as Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld and his beloved cat Chopette at the Casamigos Tequila Halloween party in Los Angeles Dascha Polanco.

Dascha Polanco knows how to “work it, work it, own it.”

The Dominican actress and Orange Is the New Black star dressed up as Julia Roberts in the iconic ‘90s flick Pretty Woman in New York City.

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