Jenna Ortega’s “Miller’s Girl” to World Premiere at the Palm Springs Film Festival

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Jenna Ortega’s latest project will have its debut in the California desert…

Jade Halley Bartlett‘s Miller’s Girl, starring the 21-year-old Mexican American actress and Wednesday star and Martin Freeman, will make its world premiere at the 2024 Palm Springs Film Festival before it opens in theaters next month.

Lionsgate and Point Grey Pictures are behind the movie, which marks the feature writing and directing debut for Bartlett, who wrote the original play in 2011 and adapted it into a screenplay that landed on the 2016 Black List.

Miller’s Girl will premiere at the festival on January 11 and open in cinemas beginning Friday, January 26.

Ortega, Freeman and Bartlett are set to attend the Palm Springs screening at the festival, which runs January 4-15. They will be a part of the fest’s Talking Pictures program that features post-screening Q&As with cast and creatives.

The film centers on the unraveling of a complex connection between lonely intellectuals: a failed writer named Jonathan Miller (Freeman) and his remarkable student Cairo Sweet (Ortega). When a creative writing assignment prompts uncomfortable realities, both realize they’ve blurred lines beyond the academic. The pic is about the imminent, inexorable attraction between characters who become both hero and villain in each other’s stories.

Bashir Salahuddin, Gideon Adlon and Dagmara Domińczyk also star.

Ortega’s hit Netflix series Wednesday will begin shooting in late April in Ireland, after Season 1 was shot in Romania. The first season ranks as Netflix’s most popular series of all time with 252.1 million views to date.

On the film front, Ortega recently confirmed that the Wednesday schedule means she won’t be able to return for the next installment of Scream, after she helped Scream VI this year to the horror franchise’s best opening grosses ever at $44.4 million in the U.S.

Ortega is next up opposite Ben Foster, Toby Wallace and Tommy Lee Jones in Brian Helgeland’s crime thriller Finestkind, which has its world premiere Tuesday.

She also has Beetlejuice 2 in the works for a September 2024 launch.

Paramount+ Releases First Look at Jenna Ortega’s “Finestkind”

Posted on September 8, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Jenna Ortega’s finest(kind) hour…

Paramount+ has released first look images at Finestkind, starring the 20-year-old Puerto Rican & Mexican American actress.

From Brian Helgeland, the film also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster and Toby Wallace, ahead of its premiere Friday at the Toronto Film Festival. The film is set for a November premiere exclusively on Paramount+.

Written and directed by Helgeland, Finestkind tells the story of two brothers (Foster & Wallace), raised in different worlds, who are reunited as adults over a fateful summer. Set against the backdrop of commercial fishing, the story takes on primal stakes when desperate circumstances force the brothers to strike a deal with a violent Boston crime gang. Along the way a young woman (Ortega) finds herself caught perilously in the middle. Sacrifices must be made and bonds between brothers, friends, lovers, and a father (Jones) and his son are put to the ultimate test.

“Finestkind is populated with characters I once knew. But the film I probably should have made first in my career I saved for now,” said Helgeland. “In it, a crew of fishermen in my hometown of New Bedford, Massachusetts, find themselves in dangerous water as debts they can’t possibly pay mount up. In this clip, the pressure begins to turn them against each other.”

Ismael Cruz Cordova, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich and Clayne Crawford also star.

Finestkind was originally set back in 2018 with Jake Gyllenhaal, Ansel Elgort and Zendaya starring.

Fernanda Andrade to Appear on Paramount+’s Crime Thriller “Finestkind”

Posted on May 5, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the finest hour for Fernanda Andrade.

The 38-year-old Brazilian actress and model has joined the cast of Paramount+’s crime thriller, Finestkind.

Andrade joins an ensemble cast that includes Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich, Clayne Crawford, Meghan Leathers and Ismael Cruz Cordova.

Set in America’s biggest commercial fishing port of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Finestkind tells the story of two brothers (Foster and Wallace) from opposite sides of the tracks, who are reunited as adults over one fateful summer. When desperate circumstances force them to strike a deal with a dangerous Boston crime syndicate, a young woman (Ortega) finds herself caught in the middle. Along the way, sacrifices must be made, and bonds between brothers, friends, and a father (Jones) and his son are put to the test. Andrade plays Anne Marie, a great mom and loving wife to Cordova’s fisherman, Costa.

Brian Helgeland wrote and is directing the film, which will debut exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. later this year, becoming available for streaming in Australia, Canada, Latin America, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea when the service launches in those markets.

Andrade was recently seen on Disney+’s Moon Knight, and will soon recur on Showtime’s vampire drama series Let the Right One In, opposite Demián Bichir and Nick Stahl. The actress has also been seen on series including Next, Narcos: Mexico, The First, NCIS: Los Angeles, Here and Now, Scorpion and Sons of Anarchy, among others.

Additional film credits include Lying and Stealing, Die Like Lovers and The Devil Inside.

Ismael Cruz Cordova to Star in Paramount+’s Crime Thriller “Finestkind”

Posted on April 26, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the finest countdown for Ismael Cruz Cordova.

The 35-year-old Puerto Rican television, stage and film actor, who starred in HBO’s The Undoing, has joined the cast of Paramount+’s crime thriller, Finestkind.

He will star alongside previously announced cast members including Tommy Lee Jones, Ben Foster, Toby Wallace, Jenna Ortega, Aaron Stanford, Scotty Tovar, Tim Daly, Lolita Davidovich, Clayne Crawford and Meghan Leathers.

Cordova will play Costa, a fisherman, dad and Tom’s (Foster) best friend. He splits his time between the boat and his “ark,” a three-decker tenement, which contains all he loves in the world—his extended family.

Academy Award-winner Brian Helgeland wrote and is directing the film, which will debut exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. later this year, becoming available for streaming in Australia, Canada, Latin America, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland and South Korea when the service launches in those markets.

Cordova will next be seen in Amazon Studios’ epic fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, which is scheduled for release on September 2nd.

Last year, he in the independent film Settlers, opposite Sofia Boutella, and co-starred opposite Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant in Susanne Bier’s award-winning HBO series, The Undoing.

The actor has also previously been seen in films including Miss Bala, Mary Queen of Scots and Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk. Other past telebision credits include The Mandalorian, Berlin Station, Ray Donovan and The Good Wife.

Sony Releases Latest Trailer for Tessa Thompson’s “Men In Black: International”

Posted on April 26, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Tessa Thompsonis ready to save the world…

The latest trailer for Men In Black: International, Sony’s long-in-the-works reboot starring the 35-year-old Afro-Panamanian American actress.

Thompson and Chris Hemsworth kick ass in London and all over the world in their black suits, replacing Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith.

Sony has set a June 14, 2019 release date for Columbia Pictures’ comedic sci-fi actioner, which F. Gary Gray has directed from a screenplay by Art Marcumand Matt Holloway.

Whereas the original films were centered in New York City, the new take sees Agent M (Thompson) join the covert MIB organization dedicated to policing the alien population hiding in plain sight on Earth. She is partnered with Agent H (Hemsworth) in the London bureau to stop a potential global catastrophe.

Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson also star.

Sony Pictures Releases Trailer for Tessa Thompson’s “Men In Black: International”

Posted on December 23, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Tessa Thompsonis in the Black…

Sony has released the first trailer for Men In Black: International, the long-in-the-works reboot of the franchise now starring the part-Afro-Panamanian and Mexican American actress and Chris Hemsworth.

Thompson and Hemsworth don the black suits in the lead roles made famous by Tommy Lee Jonesand Will Smith.

Sony has set a June 14, 2019 release date for Columbia Pictures’ comedic sci-fi actioner, which F. Gary Gray has directed from a screenplay by Art Marcumand Matt Holloway.

Whereas the original films were centered in New York City, the new take sees Agent M (Thompson) join the covert MIB organization dedicated to policing the alien population hiding in plain sight on Earth. She is partnered with Agent H (Hemsworth) in the London bureau to stop a potential global catastrophe. Emma Thompson and Liam Neeson also star.

Alba to Star Opposite Jason Statham in the Action Film “Mechanic: Resurrection”

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It’s resurrection time for Jessica Alba…

The half-Mexican American actress has been cast in the murder-fueled action film Mechanic: Resurrection.

Jason Statham returns as Arthur Bishop in Mechanic: Resurrection, the follow-up to the 2011 actioner that grossed $51 million worldwide.

This time Bishop is forced back into the hitman trade by a figure from his past and is forced to complete an impossible list of assassinations of the most dangerous men in the world.

No word on Alba’s role in the film , which also stars Tommy Lee Jones and Michelle Yoeh.

Mechanic: Resurrection will hit theaters January 22, 2016.

Trailer Released for Tommy Lee Jones’ “The Homesman” with Cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto

Posted on September 13, 2014 by Tom Castaneda

It looks like Rodrigo Prieto’s feels most at home on the range… And, it shows in his latest project.

Roadside Attractions and Saban Films have released the trainer for the western film The Homesman, in which the Oscar-nominated Mexican filmmaker worked as the cinematographer.

The critically acclaimed frontier drama is Tommy Lee Jones’ latest writer-director effort. It stars Jones and Hilary Swank. In exchange for helping George Briggs (Jones), a claim jumper, Mary Bee Cuddy (Swank) recruits him to help her escort three insane women from Nebraska to Iowa.

The film was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or in the main competition section at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. It went on to premiere at Telluride, and is next at the Hamptons fest.

Prieto previously earned an Academy Award nomination for his cinematography on Ang Lee’s American West-based Brokeback Mountain.

The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on November 7, 2014.

Bardem Receives BAFTA Award Nomination

Posted on January 9, 2013 by Tom Castaneda

Skyfall’s Javier Bardem is a hit in England…

The 43-year-old Spanish actor, who masterfully plays the villain in the latest James Bond film has followed up his London Film Critics’ Circle nod with a BAFTA Award nomination.

Bardem was revealed as a candidate in the Best Supporting Actor category during the announcement of nominees by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Bardem, who previously won a BAFTA Award in 2007 for his performance in No Country for Old Men, will face off against Argo’s Alan Arkin, Django Unchained’s Christoph Waltz, The Master’s Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lincoln’s Tommy Lee Jones.

Bardem’s nomination is one of eight nominations for Skyfall, which is now the highest-grossing film in United Kingdom history.

Meanwhile, Malik Bendjelloul and Simon Chinn’s Searching for Sugar Man, the documentary about Mexican-American musician Rodriguez was nominated in the Best Documentary category.

Chilean cinematographer Claudio Miranda earned a BAFTA Award nomination, the second of his career, for his work on Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

Spanish costume designer Paco Delgado earned his first BAFTA Award nomination for his costume design work on the film adaptation of Broadway’s Les Misérables.

The BAFTA Awards ceremony will take place on February 10.

Here’s a look at the Latino nominees and their competition:

DOCUMENTARY
THE IMPOSTER Bart Layton, Dimitri Doganis
MARLEY Kevin Macdonald, Steve Bing, Charles Steel
McCULLIN David Morris, Jacqui Morris
SEARCHING FOR SUGAR MAN Malik Bendjelloul, Simon Chinn
WEST OF MEMPHIS Amy Berg

SUPPORTING ACTOR
ALAN ARKIN Argo
CHRISTOPH WALTZ Django Unchained
JAVIER BARDEM Skyfall
PHILIP SEYMOUR HOFFMAN The Master
TOMMY LEE JONES Lincoln

CINEMATOGRAPHY
ANNA KARENINA Seamus McGarvey
LES MISÉRABLES Danny Cohen
LIFE OF PI Claudio Miranda
LINCOLN Janusz Kaminski
SKYFALL Roger Deakins

COSTUME DESIGN
ANNA KARENINA Jacqueline Durran
GREAT EXPECTATIONS Beatrix Aruna Pasztor
LES MISÉRABLES Paco Delgado
LINCOLN Joanna Johnston
SNOW WHITE AND THE HUNTSMAN Colleen Atwood

Bardem Recognized by the London Film Critics’ Circle

Posted on December 18, 2012 by Tom Castaneda

It appears that crime does pay, at least for Javier Bardem…

The 43-year-old Spanish actor – who earned an Oscar for playing a psychopathic assassin in No Country for Old Men – has picked up another nomination for his villainous role in Skyfall.

The London Film Critics’ Circle nominated Bardem in the Best Supporting Actor category for playing the main antagonist in the latest James Bond film.

Bardem, who received a SAG Award nomination earlier this month, will face off against Argo’s Alan Arkin, Prometheus’ Michael Fassbender, The Master’s Philip Seymour Hoffman and Lincoln’s Tommy Lee Jones.

Meanwhile, Chilean cinematographer Claudio Miranda has been nominated in the Technical Achievement Award category for his work on Ang Lee‘s Life of Pi. And the critically acclaimed Searching for Sugar Man, a film about Mexican American singer Rodriguez, has been nominated in the Documentary of the Year category.

The London Film Critics’ Circle will hold its 33rd awards ceremony on January 20.

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