Manolo Cardona’s 11:11 Films & TV Signs Deal to Produce New Original Projects for ViX

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Manolo Cardona has a new deal…

The 46-year-old Colombian actor and Juancho Cardona’s banner 11:11 Films & TV has signed a deal with TelevisaUnivision streamer ViX to produce new original titles.

Under the agreement, 11:11 Films & TV will develop and produce a film and series with the brothers serving as executive producers and showrunners of the projects.

Manolo Cardona will also star in both titles.

“We at 11:11 Films & TV are delighted to continue our partnership with ViX and bring our creative vision to local and international audiences. It is an honor to build strong titles with ViX, a company fully committed to bringing the best content to the entire audience,” said Juancho.

“I am excited to be able to star in some of these new titles as well as producing many projects with ViX,” added Manolo. “This collaboration with ViX allows us to further strengthen the Spanish-language streaming service and connect with viewers.”

The first project under the deal is the romantic comedy feature Dime Lo Que Quieres (De Verdad), co-starring Stephanie Cayo, Angie Cepeda and Tony Dalton.

The project is set to premiere on July 27 and will be available to stream via the service’s premium plan.

“We’re excited to expand our partnership with 11:11 Films & TV to offer compelling and authentic content featuring local stories and talent for our international audiences. We are proud to welcome Manolo Cardona as a strong ambassador for ViX and to work with top-level creative talent who are helping us strengthen the world’s best and largest Spanish-language streaming service,” said Augusto Rovegno, SVP of Content ViX at TelevisaUnivision, in a statement.

ViX is currently in production on 7 original projects including the Sofia Vergara-led animated series, Koati: Animated Series, and the Benicio del Toro-produced film, Matar Al Jockey.

VIX to Premiere Manolo Cardona’s Comedy “Dime lo que Quieres” in Late July

Posted on July 18, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Manolo Cardona really wants to know what you want…

The 46-year-old Colombian actor’s comedy Dime lo que Quieres (De Verdad) will premiere on July 27 on the streamer.

Cardona, who most recently starred in Who Killed Sara?, stars alongside Stephanie Cayo, Angie Cepeda and Tony Dalton.

Peruvian actor-helmer Bruno Ascenzo is directing the ViX Original film, a production by Colombian outfit 11:11 Films & TV.

Brothers Juancho and Manolo Cardona, Stephanie Cayo, FilmSharks’ Guido Rud and Patagonik Film Group’s Juan Vera, Juan Pablo Galli and Christian Faillace executive produce.

The film also features a special appearance from Argentine double Grammy-nominated pop singer Diego Torres and Sofia Niño de Rivera.

Adapting Argentine film Dos más dos, which Patagonik produced in 2012, the comedy shows how even the dullest marriage can be shaken up and questions aspects of normal communication in a couple.

Deal on the format to the original Argentine film “Dos más dos” was negotiated by FilmSharks format sub-label, The Remake Co.

Speaking freely about love and sexuality but also about truth, loyalty, and real friendship, “Dime lo que Quieres” tells the story of Diego (Tony Dalton) and Emilia (CEPEDA), a conservative couple with 16 years of marriage behind them that have lost their spark.

Their longtime life friends – and swinging couple – Betina (Stephanie Cayo) and Tomás (Cardona) come to their rescue, introducing them into the world of the forbidden, changing everything they thought about intimacy, relationships and sex.

“We’re thrilled to kick off our 11:11 Films & TV partnership with ‘Dime lo que quieres,’ a fresh take on a heartfelt, edgy, and hilarious film,” said Augusto Rovegno, senior vice president of acquisitions and programming at ViX.

“Collaborating with the 11:11 team and their talented cast was an incredible process, and we look forward to sharing this film with the world and making more fantastic projects together,” he added.

“At 11:11 Films & TV we are excited and proud of our first project for ViX. We have brought together great talent behind and in front of the cameras, and we know this is the perfect combination that will lead to more great projects,” said Juancho Cardona, executive producer and general director at 11:11 Films.

Founded in 2005 by the Cardona brothers, comprised of actor-producer Manolo, director-producer Juancho and producer-international relations executive Francisco, 11:11 Films & TV has made a slew of films and TV series since then.

Vix Premium to Premiere Third & Final Season of Ana de la Reguera’s “Ana” Series in July

Posted on June 30, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

It’s the final countdown for Ana de la Reguera…

The 46-year-old Mexican actress returns with more hilarity and hijinks in her eponymous series Ana premiering its third and final season on July 12 exclusively via Vix Premium.

For the first time, Seasons 1 and 2 will also be available to stream on ViX when Season 3 drops.

“The final season will see Ana starting over, and searching for who she really is and what she wants,” de la Reguera, who is the creator, producer and star of the series, tells Deadline. “At the beginning of Season 3, Ana has lost everything and finds herself sharing a room with her mother in Los Angeles and renting a room out as an Air B&B. She is also trying to focus on her career again to prove she is a serious actress after the events and mishaps of Season 2. She is going back and forth between Mexico and L.A. working on a small play where she’s an understudy. In addition to losing her career, she’s also lost her love and her life.”

She added, “In some ways Ana at the start of Season 3 has nothing, but she also has no attachments either. Looking back on the lessons of the first two seasons, she finally understands everything happened so she could find herself.”

https://twitter.com/VIX/status/1674855537257635844

Ana also stars Tina Romero, David Palacio, Ali Gua, Paly Duval and Gabriela Roel, who will be joined by Paralympian Arly Velázquez and Mariana Gajá.

This season will also see de la Reguera make her directorial debut with the final two episodes. Marcelo Tovar will lens the first four episodes.

ViX Releases First Trailer for William Levy-Starrer “Montecristo”

Posted on March 23, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Count on William Levy to bring the heat in his next project…

ViX has releases the first official trailer for its original series Montecristo, starring the 42-year-old Cuban actor.

The Spanish-language series will premiere on April 14, with the release of all 6 episodes on the streamer.

Based on the literary classic The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, the series tells the story of Alejandro Montecristo (Levy), an enigmatic figure who bursts into the public eye and raises concerns amongst the world’s elite because the origin of his fortune and his past are unknown.

Montecristo is the founder and CEO of a new technology company that has incited the envy and interest of many, among those is Fernando Alvarez Mondego – a businessman connected to the Spanish aristocracy who wants to acquire the Montecristo startup. What Fernando doesn’t know is that Montecristo is someone he knew decades ago and the reason for his emergence is fueled purely by revenge.

“I have always loved this story and wanted to tell it,” Levy tells Deadline exclusively of the project. “I remember we began talking about it when I was working on the Fox series Star in Atlanta, about how to make this dream a reality. About three years later, it really started to come together. It’s different to the original because it’s a modern take, so I think viewers will be pleasantly surprised by our version.”

Levy’s version of The Count of Monte Cristo will still be full of drama, action, adventure from the original novel completed in 1844.

“I was worried for my character’s life,” he shared with a laugh while setting up the trailer. “The writers did such a great job coming up with this idea about a kid who grows up in Cuba where he has his family and his friends, and has fallen in love with a girl. When an opportunity arises to escape for a life in Miami, he goes for it and he finds riches beyond his dreams but it turns him into the villain of the story. He becomes consumed with getting revenge against anyone who has ever wronged him and finds himself playing a dangerous game.”

Levy also teases a juicy love story will be in the mix.

“There’s going to be a woman who enters his life that piques his interest. Even beyond that, he will get to the point where he puts everything on the line for her including his life,” Levy said. “Love is fragile; we may think it makes us strong but it can also be dangerous,” he added.

The series is produced by David Martinez, Ángela Agudo and David Cotarelo; Secuoya Studios and Sergio Pizzolante executive produce alongside Levy and his producing partner Jeff Goldberg.

Annie Gonzalez to Star as the Late Jenni Rivera in Family-Authorized Biopic “Jenni”

Posted on March 11, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Annie Gonzalez will be portraying a late banda legend…

The Latina actress will star in an authorized biopic about the life of Jenni Rivera has been greenlit at ViX.

In addition to starring, Gonzalez will also executive produce the film.

Filming of Jenni (wt) is underway in Bogota, Colombia, and will be completed in Los Angeles.

The project is set to premiere exclusively via ViX and in select movie theaters in the United States and Mexico later this year.

Jenni (wt) will follow Rivera’s journey from her humble beginnings in Long Beach, California, to her meteoric rise to the top of the charts, and her final days before her tragic and unexpected death. The film will also share a look at the struggles she endured in her personal life and how she became the artist fans all know and love today, and how she persevered and found strength from within.

The streamer notes, Jenni is a story of resilience and bravery that shows the building blocks of what made Jenni Rivera—also known affectionately as “La Diva De La Banda”— who she was and the remarkable legacy she left behind.

“My siblings and I are very excited about this biopic and we know our mother’s story will impact generations to come,” Jacqie Rivera, daughter of Jenni Rivera and CEO of Jenni Rivera Enterprises said in a statement. “It has been an uphill battle, but we are happy to see one of our mom’s dreams come to fruition. Although we still haven’t gotten used to seeing someone portray our mother, we have faith Annie will do a great job.”

As a multiple award-winning artist—including multiple Billboard Music Awards, 22 Billboard Latin Music Awards, 18 Lo Nuestro Awards, and four Latin Grammy nominations— Rivera is not only known as one of the best-selling Regional Mexican artists of all time but also for her role in disrupting cultural precedent by crossing into banda, a male-dominated music genre and eventually into pop music, where her presence posthumously continues to shine. Rivera died in a plane crash in 2012.

“I am beyond honored to portray the essence of this phenomenal survivor that is Jenni Rivera who despite adversity at every turn was never a victim and showed her daughters, her family, and her audience what grace, forgiveness, and true authenticity is— liberating us all,” Gonzalez shared. “Jenni’s messages of feminism, civil rights, and nonconformity within her music were well before her time and made space for all of us to feel empowered. With the support of the Rivera family, I cannot wait to help tell the beautiful story and the impactful legacy of what Jenni means to me personally and what it will mean to women and Latinas everywhere.”

Manuel Uriza will star opposite Gonzalez in the role of Pedro Rivera, Jenni’s father, and Regional Mexican entrepreneur. The cast also includes Cinthya Carmona (East Los High) as Jenni Rivera’s eldest daughter, Chiquis Rivera, Jero Medina (Narcos: Mexico) and Miguel Angel Garcia (The Long Game) who will dually portray Trino Marín, Rivera’s first husband and father of her three eldest children at later and earlier stages in his life, respectively.

Additionally, Gabriela Reynoso (Si Nos Dejan) will be portraying Jenni’s mother Rosa Saavedra, J.R. Villarreal (Ultra Violet) will play Juan “Cinco” Lopez, Jenni’s late second husband, and newcomer Tatiana Juarez will portray Rivera during her early years.

“ViX is thrilled to be the official home and distributor of this powerful story about Jenni Rivera. Our commitment to this project is paramount and, along with a fantastic production team and director, we know we will have a film that will captivate our audiences,” stated Augusto Rovegno, Senior Vice President of Content ViX at TelevisaUnivision.

Gigi Saul Guerrero (Culture Shock) directs from a screenplay by Shane McKenzie (Bingo Hell).

Gonzalez is gearing up to promote Flamin’ Hot, the Eva Longoria-directed Searchlight Pictures film about how Frito Lay janitor Ricardo Montañez climbs the ranks at work and creates the spicy Cheeto snack. Flamin’ Hot premieres at SXSW on March 11 followed by a wide release via Hulu in June. The Chicana actress portrays the character of Judy, Montañez’s wife, opposite Jesse Garcia.

She also recently starred in Illegally Brown alongside Jessica Marie Garcia from filmmaker, Gabby Revilla Lugo, which is currently playing on the film festival circuit. Additionally, Gonzalez can next be seen in the upcoming independent thriller Body Language and an untitled Ethan Coen project.

Gonzalez is best known for her portrayal of Lidia Solis in the Netflix comedy series Gentefied and her guest roles in Apple’s Mr. Corman, Starz’s Vida, NBC’s Good Girls, Showtime’s Shameless, and FX’s American Horror Story, among other credits.

Eugenio Derbez’s 3Pas Studios Signs Multi-Year First-Look Deal with ABC Signature for English TV Content

Posted on October 29, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Eugenio Derbez is hoping to develop new television projects in English…

The 61-year-old Mexican actor and comedian’s 3Pas Studios, which he runs will Ben Odell, has signed a multi-year first-look deal with ABC Signature for English-language television content.

As part of the deal, 3Pas will develop and produce English-language projects for the studio.

Reporting to Derbez and Odell, Sonia Gambaro, the vice president of 3Pas’ English-language television division, will oversee development, identify and source talent, ideas, and IP for ABC Signature across all platforms.

“Eugenio and Ben transcend culture through their diverse and inclusive storytelling, driven by their deep connection to talent and source material from Latin America,” said Jonnie Davis, president of ABC Signature. “We couldn’t be more excited to shepherd their next wave of brilliant and culture-defining English language projects at the studio.”

3Pas has been creating content in both English and Spanish with multiple studio and platform partners over the last several years.

Most recently, the company’s series Acapulco premiered its second season on Apple TV+. It stemmed from the television deal 3Pas previously had at Lionsgate.

On the film front, Hulu recently released 3Pas’ film The Valet following the success of other Derbez-led projects including Overboard and How To Be A Latin Lover.

Derbez’s workplace comedy series titled They Came At Night is in development at Vix+, a project that stems from 3Pas’ deal with TelevisaUnivision for Spanish-language film and TV projects.

Additionally, they recently premiered their first Vix+ series, La Noche Del Diablito which premiered on October 13.

3Pas also recently re-upped its first-look film deal with Lionsgate.

“For actors, writers, directors, and creators like myself, Disney has long been a leader in inclusive and diverse storytelling. We are so grateful for this incredible opportunity to lift up new, diverse voices with ABC Signature,” said Derbez.

Added Odell, “At the heart of our stories we bring people together and celebrate our common humanity. We have a treasure trove of incredibly diverse stories, talent, and creators across the United States and Latin America. We can’t wait to start the party with ABC Signature and their fantastic team.”

Endemol Shine Boomdog Acquires Rights to Carlos Fuentes Vampire Novel “Vlad,” Developing TV Series

Posted on October 23, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Endemol Shine Boomdog is vlad about Carlos Fuentes’ work…

The Mexico City-based production company, a unit of Banijay Americas, has acquired the rights to the late Mexican novelist and essayist’s vampire novel “Vlad.”

Endemol Shine Boomdog will develop a series based on the bestseller with lauded showrunner J.M. Cravioto attached as both showrunner and executive producer.

Jerry Rodriguez, Endemol Shine Boomdog’s senior VP and head of scripted content, and Clara Machado are developing the project for Endemol Shine Boomdog.

Carl Zitelmen is adapting Fuentes’ novel for television.

The story follows the mythical vampire who arrives in Mexico City in search of the soul of his beloved Mina, reincarnated as a Mexican woman. To his consternation, Vlad finds her inhabiting a progressive liberal who is not impressed at all by him. Having lost touch with the modern world, the 600-year-old predator struggles with panic attacks and blackout episodes, while he satiates his cravings for fresh blood.

“Vlad offers us the opportunity to reimagine a classic horror story and transform it into a modern thriller. It’s a love story, a high-concept drama that shows us both the savage and the vulnerable side of an immortal being,” said Rodriguez, adding: “We are always seeking out, adapting and creating interesting stories that navigate between genres with ease, stories that can take us from terror to tenderness, from tears to laughter and connect with different audiences in many levels and ‘Vlad’ is a great example of this kind of story.”

“We are looking at ‘Vlad’ as a multi-season series; It’s a character-driven show with complex characters that everyone can relate to,” Rodriguez told Variety. “The vampire himself is going to face a lot of conflicts that are part of the human condition nowadays,” he said, adding that rights negotiations with Silvia Lemus, Fuentes’ widow, was “always amicable and in the best of terms.”“She cares a lot about the property and we went to great lengths to ensure that we would produce a high-concept series that would honor both the author and his story,” Rodriguez explained.

Noting that Boomdog is currently developing a number of horror genre IPs, Rodriguez remarked: “This adaptation of “Vlad” goes way beyond a classic horror, or even a horror show; it’s a mixed genre project that has elements of a modern thriller, a love story, a powerful drama and even some comedy… just like life itself.”

“I find it very attractive and well-timed to propose a new look at classic genres such as thriller and horror through vampirism and romance,” Cravioto agreed. “I think ‘Vlad’ pays homage, preserves and rethinks this classic story from Fuentes’ novel, which on a personal level as a director and story seeker, poses a new narrative and formal challenge,” he added.

Cravioto, one of the most celebrated of film and television directors, producers and screenwriters in Mexico, served as showrunner and director for Netflix’s Diablero and as director of series Monarca, among others. His feature film Malvada will debut in theaters later this year while Corazonada is heading to Paramount+.

Winner of a slew of top literary honors, including the Miguel de Cervantes Prize and the Belisario Dominguez Medal of Honor, Fuentes was regarded as one of the illustrious writers in the Spanish-speaking world before his death in 2012. Some of Fuentes’ most acclaimed novels include The Death of Artemio Cruz, Aura, Terra Nostra, The Old Gringo and Christopher Unborn.

Vlad was first published in 2004 as a short story as part of Fuentes’ Inquieta Compañía and was later released as a novel in 2012, shortly before his death. The New York Times in its 2012 review of Vlad, said “it displays the strengths of a great writer’s late oeuvre to excellent effect” and Publisher’s Weekly stated the novel “follows the pattern of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, but infuses the story with a modern sensibility and vivid imagery.”

Interest in the legendary vampire has sparked recently in the wake of news in September about two separate takes on the making of the Spanish-language version of the Bela Lugosi classic, Dracula.

In the first project, Eugenio Derbez is attached to star and executive produce comedic series They Came at Night (working title), which is in development at TelevisaUnivision’s SVOD platform Vix+.

Separately, Gato Grande announced at Madrid TV event Iberseries & Platino Industria that Money Heist star Alvaro Morte would play the actor Carlos Villarias who took on the Dracula role in the Spanish-language version.

Vix+ to Premiere Mauricio Barrientos’ Reality Series “La Noche Del Diablito” This Week

Posted on October 10, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Mauricio Barrientos is preparing for a devilish time…

Vix+ has set the premiere date for the reality series La Noche Del Diablito, starring the 45-year-old Mexican actor/comedian, for October 13.

The reality series is the first project from the first-look deal with 3Pas Studios, the entertainment company co-founded by Eugenio Derbez and his producing partner Ben Odell.

In La Noche Del Diablito, Barrientos, better known as “El Diablito,“ and Paloma Cedeño travel around the city to share the colors and culture of Mexico City with their guests. The conversations will revolve around life, relationships, and sex— specifically who, why, and how people ultimately connect with each other. The reality series delves into the exciting stories of provocative characters and closely explores taboo topics in a curious and fun way.

Celebrity guests will also appear in each 30-minute episode and will be seen dining with hosts and exchanging personal anecdotes and sexual experiences.

Special guests include Sofía Rivera Torres, Eduardo Videgaray, Michel Brown, Manu NNa, Rodrigo Murray, Fabiola Campomanes, Susana Zabaleta, and Pepe y Teo.

“We are very excited to launch our first production on Vix+ with a show that challenges conservative perceptions about sex in Mexico, done always with humor, heart, and humanity,” Odell tells Deadline in an exclusive statement. “3pas has become a leader in unscripted Spanish language content and La Noche del Diablito showcases the talents of both our 3pas Mexico team and our production services arm, Visceral, as well as the comedic wizardry of our host Mauricio ‘El Diablito’ Barrientos.”

Javier Williams, VP of Spanish content, served as executive producer and oversaw the development and production for 3Pas Studios; Derbez and Odell also EP. The series is directed by Pipe Ybarra and produced by Mexico City-based Visceral, the arm of physical production of 3Pas Studios.

Azul Guaita Signs with AFA Prime Talent Media

Posted on October 9, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Azul Guaita has new representation…

The 21-year-old Mexican actress has signed with AFA Prime Talent Media, a division of Kenan Thompson’s Artists for Artists company, for representation in all areas.

Guaita can currently be seen in Netflix’s Rebelde in the role of teen star Jana Gandía Cohen. Season 2 of the series, a sequel to the 2004 Mexican telenovela of the same name, was released in July.

Additionally, she stars in La Mujer del Diablo, an original series from TelevisaUnivision’s new streaming service Vix+, as Daniela Beltrán.

Guaita has also starred in several projects produced by the biggest production companies and studios in Latin America including Soltero con Hijas from Televisa, La Negociadora from Claro Video, and Subete a mi Moto, an Amazon prime original series about the Latin boy band Menudo.

The actress has expanded her social media footprint in the Latin-American market thanks to the success of Rebelde. She currently boasts 1.4 million followers across multiple social platforms, which helped her close her first endorsement deal with Dolce & Gabbana as an ambassador this year.

Eugenio Derbez Developing Workplace Comedy Series “They Came At Night” with ViX+

Posted on September 19, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

It’s Night time for Eugenio Derbez.

The 61-year-old Mexican actor/producer is developing the workplace comedy series They Came At Night with ViX+ under the first-look deal between 3Pas Studios and TelevisaUnivision.

They Came At Night is inspired by true events and offers a behind-the-scenes look at a group of underdogs who went on to create the critically acclaimed Spanish version of the 1930 horror classic, Dracula.

While Bela Lugosi filmed Dracula during the day on the Universal lot, at the end of each day another cast and crew arrived to make the same exact movie… only in Spanish.

Using the same sets, costumes, and a translated version of the script, the cast and crew of the Spanish Dracula filmed from dusk to dawn, and, against all odds, the critical consensus is that the Spanish version turned out to be the better film.

Derbez is set to star in the comedy created and written by Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher.

Production services on They Came At Night will be handled by 3pas Studios’ Mexican production services company, Visceral.

“I have not worked in scripted Spanish language TV comedy for well over ten years and was looking for something really special to come back,” Derbez said in a statement. “This story really jumped out at me because it tells the story of Latinos always having to accomplish more with fewer resources and harder conditions. It’s also a world we’ve never explored in Spanish language TV, Hollywood in the 30s but like every moment in US history, the Latinos were there and doing their part even if history forgot them. And of course, it’s ripe for so much humor…”

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